It starts by reading this…
When my children were little, they would sometimes say they were bored.
I would respond with…good! Let your brain rest.
They usually went off grumbling, not completely satisfied with my answer.
Fortunately, my children rarely needed entertaining.
Even today as adults they can sit and be. It is wonderful when we are together and not looking for things to do. We find our visits to be idle but meaningful.
In the crazy busy world, we must make time for boredom and incorporate it into our lives until it is a natural phenomenon.
We have been conditioned that being busy is a badge of honor.
Recently, I ran into an acquaintance at Natural Grocer. She asked me how I was and responded for me with the word busy. I said no actually and that is how I like it (pretty sure she did not hear that).
But later chuckled to myself about how uncomfortable people get with not being busy or even talking about it.
I get it! This was a huge unlearning for me too.
I did like to martyr about how busy I was. Especially when it came to my teaching career. The hours and hours preparing, teaching classes to adults, and sitting on endless committees.
It all burned me out.
In the book “How to Be Bored,” author Eva Hoffman says that being bored is leisure not laziness. She goes on to say that being bored is a time for self-reflection and is crucial for our health. Now self-reflection doesn’t mean selfies for your Instagram and Facebook pages. It means to look deep into our lives and our hearts. Google and many major companies give their employees time to hang out or even take a nap. They realize the importance of resetting the brain and body.
As I get older, I find it easier and easier to be bored. I can sit for hours on my patio just listening to the sounds of nature and just savoring that time.
While the unlearning process has not always been easy. I do not miss the “busy” life and am grateful I saw through that façade.
How do you feel about boredom?
Do you struggle or is it luxurious?
Did you find this post boring?
Well so did I! Now we are on to something.
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