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On Mindful Monday, my readers and I practice the art of pausing, TRYING to be still, or considering, ever so briefly, the big picture. We’re hoping this soul time will provide enough peace of mind to get us through the week!
The human mind thrives on novelty. What was once a source of pleasure can become tedious after a time. Though our lives are full, boredom lurks around every corner because we innately long for new experiences. Yet boredom by its very nature is passive. In this idle state of mind, we may feel frustrated at our inability to channel our mental energy into productive or engaging tasks. We may even attempt to lose ourselves in purposeless or self-destructive pursuits. While this can be a sign of depression, it can also be an invitation issued from your mind, asking you to challenge yourself. Boredom can become the motivation that drives you to learn, explore the exotic, experiment, and harness the boundless creative energy within. ??
In Hindu and Buddhist traditions, boredom is perceived as a pathway to self-awareness. Boredom itself is not detrimental to the soul–it is the manner in which we respond to it that determines whether it becomes a positive or a negative influence in our lives.
A bored mind can be the canvas upon which innovation is painted and the womb in which novelty is nourished. When you identify boredom as a signal that you need to test your boundaries, it can be the force that presses you to strive for opportunities you thought were beyond your reach and to indulge your desire for adventure.
The wisdom in these words is especially important to depressives and addicts. Because the depressed person often looks to a person, place or thing, to take away her pain, and an addict does the same to dumb himself, or to avoid the uncomfortable feelings hidden underneath the addiction. In his book “The Addictive Personality,” author Craig Nakken writes:
Any addictive relationship begins when a person repeatedly seeks the illusion of relief to avoid unpleasant feelings or situations. This is nurturing through avoidance–an unnatural way of taking care of one’s emotional needs. At this point, addicts start to give up natural relationships and the relief they offer. They replace these relationships with the addictive relationship.
In other words, addicts, even if they have given up the addictive object, remain vulnerable to swapping the right and peaceful and sometimes-boring path with an exciting one that could get them into lots of trouble.
Boredom, then, is the door to addiction, distraction and danger or creativity, innovation, and growth.
The trickiest part is that first move. Beginning a healthy alternative. Signing up for a club. Registering for the new class. Trying a new program.
I have been inspired lately by my seven-year-old boy, David.
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Previous Posts
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posted 6:01:57am Feb. 09, 2012 | read full post »
Scrupulosity: What It Is and Why It's Dangerous
posted 6:17:35am Feb. 07, 2012 | read full post »
The Treasures of Darkness
posted 6:06:40am Feb. 06, 2012 | read full post »
On Groundhog Day: 12 Winter Depression Busters
posted 6:30:47am Feb. 02, 2012 | read full post »
6 Ways to Stay Resilient in Stress
posted 6:00:24am Jan. 31, 2012 | read full post » |
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Therese J. Borchard writes the daily blog, Beyond Blue, on Beliefnet and is a regular contributor to the award-winning blog, World of Psychology, on Psych Central. Therese is the author of Beyond Blue: Surviving Depression & Anxiety and Making the Most of Bad Genes and The Pocket Therapist: An Emotional Survival Kit. Subscribe to Beyond Blue, visit her website, or follow her on Twitter @thereseborchard.
Meet others on the journey in
Therese’s community group
Ask Therese to be your friend
Therese J. Borchard writes the daily blog, Beyond Blue, on Beliefnet and is a regular contributor to the award-winning blog, World of Psychology, on Psych Central. Therese is the author of Beyond Blue: Surviving Depression & Anxiety and Making the Most of Bad Genes and The Pocket Therapist: An Emotional Survival Kit. Subscribe to Beyond Blue, visit her website, or follow her on Twitter @thereseborchard.
posted June 30, 2009 at 10:31 am
Your blog came at just the RIGHT moment for me today! I woke up at 5 this morning, so I’d be UP to have a neighbor drive me to the grocery. I’ve been having a rather nasty bout of vertigo for the last 2 weeks, and was advised by my doctor NOT to drive. Well, when I got home – at 10 – I didn’t know what to do with myself. BOREDOM set in; I had already read the paper and one of my rag mags, and was twiddling my thumbs until I thought of coming on the computer, and…there was your EXCELLENT blog on…BOREDOM!! While it is true that boredom CAN be depressing – what? when? why? how? never get answered unless you become PROACTIVE in your work-time and play-time.
Now that I KNOW boredome doesn’t have to be “depressive,” I can welcome it with both arms…and go on the computer! Thanks, Therese, for opening my eyes to “new ways of looking at things.”
Your sister in Christ,
SuzanneWA
posted June 30, 2009 at 11:30 am
I was drawn to reading this article as I have suffered from Depression,anxiety,and bi-polar disorder. I couldn’t beleive how much this article encouraged me. Boredom, such a small word for a huge emotional state. I just never had looked at it in this way, and I am 57 years old! It made me feel better to know that I can’t let boredom over take me. There is a reason for this feeling and it makes sense!
I have wanted to write a book for years but never had the time. Now I do. I love to write, I may even be able to find something on the computer that I can contribute to, make me feel more useful with my life. Thank You so much for steering me in the right direction!
Thank you Jesus!
Dee
posted June 30, 2009 at 12:59 pm
I once dreamed of being bored…a certain someone was becoming nothing but drama and there was some sort of ‘crisis’ hourly. Got away! Going down the road I heard Duran Duran’s song “Ordinary World.” Been my theme song ever since.
posted June 30, 2009 at 3:00 pm
WOW!I REALLY ENJOY READING THESE STORIES.I FEEL LIKE I CAN RELATE TO THIS IN MANY WAYS.IM MENTALLY DISABLED AN HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH DEPRESSION FOR OVER FOUR YEARS NOW.BUT BY LOGGING INTO BELIEFNET EVERYDAY AN READING THESE STORIES I AM ABLE TO FIND SOME PEACE OF MIND.MAYBE ILL GET BETTER. THANK YOU!!
posted July 8, 2009 at 3:39 pm
Nicely written, and nicely done on trying the swimming. I too have bi-polar and also have fibromyalgia. I am so tired of sitting around and NOT BEING PRODUCTIVE. I fear signing up for stuff because I too often can’t follow thru due to pain or exhaustion and it gets discouraging when you feel like you failed or let someone done (mostly myself). But perhaps that is better than the boredom and useless feeling when we don’t try.
posted June 14, 2010 at 8:23 am
blog.beliefnet.com’s done it again! Incredible article.