Dealing With Boredom

We have gone far on technology dependence, and that is not talking about the efficiency and effectiveness that technology promises us.  I am referring to the dependency on mobile phones and gadgets.  The constant and immediate access to information and entertainment has meant that we can no longer live on for too long without sensory stimulation, leading to intolerable restlessness once without it.  And that boils down to the essence of the topic -- boredom.  Simply put, boredom is an emotional and psychological state that constitutes dullness.  It may sound trivial and mild but is nevertheless an irritant.  In more intense cases, boredom proneness can even be associated with attention lapses and depressive moods.  Whatever the extent is, boredom always indicates a loss in stillness and a discontent with a situation.  Whether it is attributed to a boring activity or company, one is simply not happy with what is being presented in front of him or her.

We can never truly escape boredom.  And in a world where we have unlimited choices of mental arousal within our finite 24 hours a day, it is almost unacceptable to have time wasted in banality.  But is it really true?  When you next become jaded and feels dull, invite yourself to understand the nature of boredom and befriend it.  Boredom is just a state of mind, albeit unpleasant.  Now that we have begun to investigate, we have created the space to address the root cause.  The inner resource to do this is the energy from within that allows us to remain accepting and curious with the present moment.  Whether it is a boring person or a mundane activity, we can start to focus on what is presented right in front of us and cease the craving for someone or something else.  It is by means of this strong connection that you do not let your mind wander and follow its wish to be in another place in a future time.  If we can break the natural habit of labelling it as boring, there is always something new to explore about your reaction or the situation.  We can never satisfy the appetite of our minds but we can tame it by changing the conditioned reaction of the mind and how we relate to boredom.

Contentment, after all, is peace.