While I’m a lot different than my 5 and 15 year old self, there are things about me that will likely never change. Things I still have in common with my younger self include:
Feeling easily bored
Impatience
Tendency to Complain
Friendships
Gonna focus on boredom. Because, unlike the feeling of boredom, boredom is interesting.
Boredom is subjective. While an activity may be stimulating for one person, it’s boring for the other. Like reading or watching TV.
I liked playing as a kid, a typical child. Using my imagination kept me entertained…AND got me in trouble a few times, like when I decided I wanted to innocently crash the beach house next door to my family's, so I threw rocks at the windows and broke them. Eek.
At 15, boredom was being alone. I wanted to be with my friends all the time. I still love my friends, but don’t need them - or want them - by my side all the time. Doesn’t mean I don't love them (bullet point #4)
Presently, I try to avoid boredom because it feels uncomfortable. But it’s important to sit with uncomfortable feelings and not always try to dodge them. Sitting with uncomfortable feelings creates self-awareness.
Boredom. This is how it feels for me.
When I sit around feeling bored, it feels like I’m wasting time. Time is precious. Perhaps it ties back to time scarcity. There isn’t enough of it. I gotta fill in my time as efficiently as possible.
But as a kid, I certainly didn’t think of time in the same way. So that can’t be the only answer or truth.
While others are struck with awe, I’m bored. Like watching stars. Ok, so watching stars IS fascinating, and I do really love it, especially when you have those spectacular clear skies like in Chile or up north (here). But I can’t do it for that long. I wanna move on to something else.
Yesterday my parents went to see live music at a park. Beautiful summer day and summer scene. I couldn’t sit for more than 5 minutes. I, instead, joined my son who was sitting on a bench overlooking the lake. Yes, I can handle sitting and looking at the lake. Nature feels relaxing for me. I don’t feel bored. But I still rather be walking or biking in nature than sitting in nature.
Do I love that about myself? Not really. I’d love to be that person that can stargaze for hours on end. Sooo romantic! But it’s not who I am. I’m impatient (bullet point #2).
Maybe it’s ADHD. Though I ‘fail’ all the online tests. I was diagnosed with a learning disability back in university, but not sure that has anything to do with it or is in any way relevant to this blog.
But do I really need a diagnosis to justify my easily-get-bored syndrome? Heck no! Who cares?!
Next is alcohol. An excellent boredom patch. While being bored in and of itself doesn’t necessarily make me crave alcohol, there’s times when it does. Like when I get home from work on a Saturday at 5pm. I’m tired. I don’t have the mental energy to work on my non-diet content or do much else, a beer sounds perfect.
Alcohol continued. When I’m home alone and work on my biz content at night, I don’t crave alcohol one bit. Creativity fulfills me. My work in the non-diet/intuitive eating space inspires me. Alcohol gets in the way.
Leaving alcohol talk at that.
Movement is one of my other antidotes to boredom, intentional exercise, biking, walking, dancing.
Oh, I think I’ve learned a lot about myself writing this post. :-)
Physical movement, creative expression, and nature - moving through nature preferably - fulfills me.
Boredom is ONE of hundreds of feelings. Life isn’t a dichotomy of bored or not bored, as this post might suggest.
There are activities that aren’t exactly pleasurable but not boring either. Like cleaning. I dread cleaning. But it’s rewarding.
Same goes for work. I enjoy the (two) part-time jobs I have now, but I worked a really boring retail job recently. It was slow paced, not much to do in general, the boredom was real. You couldn't pay me to stay and I quit.
Boredom might be scrolling on social media. Maybe boredom got you to this post. And now you’re thinking “Vio’s post is entertaining!”. That’s what I hope you’re thinking anyway.
When impatient 5 year old me got bored, she would complain about it.
When impatient 42 year old me gets bored, she tries to find a quick escape…and maybe also complains about it…
…Are we leaving soon?
…Is this post over yet?
You’re free to go!