Getting over boredom.

At some point in our life, we have experienced boredom. Maybe for just a brief moment, or maybe for a long period of time? But we will have experienced boredom at some point.

Boredom can be a tricky thing to get over and should be dealt with care.

Boredom can lead to depression, and if you are dealing with excessive boredom, you should consult a doctor.

What is boredom

Boredom is linked to your psychological state of mind. C.D Fisher described boredom as: “an unpleasant, transient affective state in which the individual feels a pervasive lack of interest in and difficulty concentrating on the current activity.”

Many have described boredom in different ways, but I think this is a good description.

Boredom is normally one's view on his/her environment as dull; lacking of stimulation. His/her subconscious mind sends signals to the conscious mind telling it that the activity is not stimulating enough or is not of importance to your development, and therefore creates the perception of the activity to be boring.

Causes and effects

Boredom is not a subject that has been studied and analysed in great depth, and so there remains  many mysteries concerning 'being bored'. Of course there are some known things about boredom and its causes:

A common cause of boredom can be created through a lack of understanding. For example if you have two people with two different levels of understanding: The first person has a great understanding of the material he/she is studying. The second person has no idea of what's going on and is not connected to the material being studied.

To the first person, he/she will be a lot less likely to experience boredom as they are able to follow along and understand what is being taught. They will more than likely find it interesting and a stimulating enough experience to keep the mind focused.

The second person however is not connected to the material, neither does he/she have an understanding of what is being taught: therefore he/she will find that what is being taught is uninteresting and boring.

With regards to learning something, if the student is not challenged enough, then boredom can come about this way.

If an individual has a low attention span, this has been related to higher levels of boredom as they find it hard to concentrate for longer periods of time.

Depression has been linked to boredom, which can make it all the worse. If you are a sufferer of depression then it is advisable to see a doctor 'pronto'.

Crime rates among young people and teens has been related to high levels of boredom, having no job and nothing stimulating enough to do from keeping bored.

Gambling and other addictions can be as a result of boredom. 
For example: addiction to food. This is a real addiction and should be treated in the same manner as other serious addictions.People often eat when they are bored, not out of hunger, but out of boredom. The food then can become comfort food and can lead to obesity in serious cases. This serious addiction can come about just from boredom, without it being noticed and so highlighting the gravity of situation.

How to stop boredom?

Getting over boredom can be tough for some, while for others very simple.

• If you are wanting to get over boredom then try to avoid playing video games and watching t.v. This only takes away your boredom for a period of time and when you finish, it will just come back. Depression can come about by doing this as you won't feel as though you've accomplished anything in your day and can result in more serious levels of boredom.

• Try and change your lifestyle, this can't be done for some people I realise, with their current situation, but for others this is easily feasible. Repetition can be a cause of boredom and should try to be dodged, try switching up your schedule, doing things at different times and in a different order. Try to set goals and ambitions that you want to achieve. Having a goal or set destination can really help keep you from boredom.

• Having a schedule can be an additional help, it gives you a guidance to the day and you can help reduce( or get rid of) long gaps of 'nothingness'.

• Prioritise. Make sure you always get these really important jobs done first, you'll normally find by doing this your day goes quicker as you're being productive.You also feel that you have accomplished something in the day, encouraging you to not waste time. However don't overload yourself with too much as this can lead to stress and worry.

I hope that you found this post helpful, and I encourage you to read some of my other posts concerning different topics.