Remember the last time you were frankly bored. Maybe during an endless working call at Zoom or a formal dinner with clients? Many people believe that boredom arose in the age of high technology, when we suddenly had a huge amount of free time. However, this is not the case.
People complained of boredom back in ancient times. Seneca, for example, wrote Lucius Seneca. Moral Letters to Lucilius about the anxiety it brings. The ancient Roman philosopher noted that boredom has the potential to demotivate and provoke inaction. The good news is that it can be turned into a tool for creativity and finding happiness. This is the "paradox of boredom".
It often seems to us that any boredom is the same. It turns out that this is a misconception. Scientists distinguish T. Goetz, A.C. Frenzel, et al. Types of boredom: An experience sampling approach / Motivation and Emotion as many as five types of this condition. But most of us experience only one of them during our lifetime, which depends on our personal qualities.
And although boredom is common to everyone, some of us are much more predisposed to it. At the same time, it should be understood that any kind of boredom is a signal for change. And instead of suffering, it is worth using this state as a springboard to new and interesting things. And for this it is important to figure out what kind of boredom you are dealing with.
It's a feeling that you don't want to do what you are doing now, but something else, but you don't know what it is. This kind of boredom has a significant plus: if some interesting business suddenly appears on the horizon, you will already have a desire to do it. The disadvantage is that we can not always immediately come up with an alternative to the occupation that does not suit us.
As in the case of calibration boredom, in the case of the seeker, you are not satisfied with the current situation. The difference is that you are actively looking for something that will help overcome boredom. If you fail to find an interesting activity, the searching type will gradually turn into a reactive one.
This kind of boredom is associated with anger and frustration. You are suffering, feeling tense and trying to find a way out of the situation with all your might. This is the most unpleasant kind of boredom.
Such boredom is characterized not by irritability, but by calmness, relaxation and detachment. Some of those who experience indifferent, indifferent boredom do not consider it a negative experience at all. For them, such emotions are an opportunity to relax and gain strength.
Scientists have described it relatively recently. It feels like this kind of helplessness and can even cause depression. With apathetic boredom, you feel unhappy, but you have no desire to even try to fix the situation. This leads to repeated cycles of chronic apathy.
People who are particularly prone to boredom and experience it more often and for longer have to face serious consequences. These include decreased motivation, detachment, poor nutrition, bad mood, fatigue and counterproductivity. Sometimes such people try to fight this condition with the help of gambling, the Internet, alcohol or even illegal substances.
With people who are less prone to boredom, the situation is the opposite. They notice much better when this feeling begins to overcome them, and immediately begin to act. If boredom has appeared due to a lack of sensory sensations, they are looking for a suitable occupation, for example drawing or creating crafts with their own hands. Such people are usually motivated for new achievements and unusual experiences, and also know how to make any situation interesting. Sometimes they use another tactic — they allow events to develop naturally and give their consciousness the opportunity to rest.
The feeling of boredom at work, oddly enough, is beneficial because it gives us time to dream. Dr. Sandy Mann and Rebecca Cadman celebrate Being bored at work can make us more creative / Science Daily that it might be time for us to start appreciating boredom in the workplace, rather than fighting it, because it can fuel our creativity.In addition, boredom increases H. London, D. Schubert, et al. Increase of autonomic arousal by boredom / Journal of Abnormal Psychology the level of our activity, which makes it easier for us to focus and react to events. All this suggests that boredom can be used as a chance to start new projects and become happier.
Try to notice the moments when boredom begins to overwhelm you, and turn the situation into a challenge. If you are bored, think about what can change your emotional state. Finding the answer to this question will help treat boredom as a temporary obstacle and turn it into a positive experience.
Let's say you are a freelancer who is faced with a shortage of orders. Devote this quiet time to finding new clients, start an ambitious personal project or take interesting courses on the Internet.
Harvard Business School professor Teresa Amabile wrote How to kill creativity / Harvard Business Review : "People will reach the maximum of their creativity when they are motivated by satisfaction, complexity and interest in the work itself, and not by external factors." Think about what you want to achieve and what you like, and use the period of boredom to create something unusual.
If you are faced with calibration boredom and can't think of anything, try a completely new activity. Paint a picture, ride a bicycle along an unfamiliar route, or cook a dish according to a recipe that you haven't tried yet. Perhaps you will not only get out of your comfort zone, but also acquire an unexpected hobby.
Whatever kind of boredom you encounter, use a simple scheme: listen to your feelings, rearrange your thoughts in a positive way and connect your inner creativity. These steps will help to maintain personal effectiveness.
