How to Overcome Boredom ~ garuDa

Are you bored with your work, your relationship, or your life in general? Boredom is a complex process. There are lots of reasons that one might be bored. The most common one is that you have no idea what to do. Other reasons might be that you feel lazy, tired or just don't want to do the things that are available for you to do. Maybe you have ideas of things but you feel you can't do the things you want to do. Boredom becomes a great concern when it results in procrastination, indecision and feeling listless and jaded. Here are some ideas on how to overcome boredom.

Steps

1) Try to figure out why you are bored:

Are you doing something that you have done many times before? Try adding something new or doing it a different way. If that just doesn't cut it, stop doing the same thing over and over again. Obviously, if repetitive tasks are a part of your occupation, then you may, unfortunately, have no choice but to stick it.
Are you feeling lazy, tired, or unmotivated? A nap can rejuvenate you and it can be surprising how much more motivated you can feel after a quick snooze. Alternatively, breathing in the fresh air outside for just ten minutes can freshen up your mindset, and the space and (maybe) sunshine can do wonders for your mood.
Are you rested yet still feeling lazy? Try to convince yourself to do just one small thing: something small or short in duration or just part of a task. Taking baby steps towards a goal can give you a sense of accomplishment that will beat any boredom.
Are you bored because you feel you can't do the things you want to do? This can be a very irritating situation to be in, because the only thing stopping you from completing a task or having some fun is the lack of materials or perhaps expertise. Try to think of alternative ways to do what you want to do, working with what you have available.
Are you bored because you can't think of anything to do? Do something physically or socially active. Doing some exercise can get you into a better frame of mind, as well as the added bonus of keeping you in shape. Social activity (i.e. talking to someone) fulfills one of our basic human needs. Face-to-face contact is, if possible, much better than talking over the phone or Facebook.

2) Try to do something totally new and learn from it.

New situations and actions will activate your brain, allowing it to exercise its learning powers.

3) Try to be active with an interesting group of people.

These can be your regular friends, or perhaps you could join a new group of people interested in similar things to you.

4) Break out of your routine.

While it is important to have structure in your life, occasionally doing something radically different, or at an unusual time, can be invigorating. You need to pay attention to your thoughts and daily activities and find ways not to submit yourself to drudgery and taking things for granted.

5) Change your thoughts.

Your thoughts affect your behavior and mood. By changing your mind about the meaning of your emotion and experiences, you will generate a different attitude. Get inspired with powerful long-range goals. Powerful goals keep you inspired. You can't feel bored at the same time when you are motivated to build a life.

6) Fire up your imagination.

Create mental images to stimulate your thoughts. Visualize where you want to be and what you want to become. Use your imagination to experience a situation that you want to happen in your life. The wonderful thing about imagination is that you can create anything you wish to experience.

7) Talk to other people.

If the person next to you is looking as bored as you are, strike up a conversation! Or call a friend and ask if they want to come over for a natter or a game of something. If you have an interesting, thought-provoking person to talk to, the time can pass by pretty quick. You might also learn something.

8) Be active!

Go for a walk or do something physically outrageous. Write down 10 things you can do and 10 you can't yet. Work through them whenever you're bored.

9) Create curiosity.

Create your curiosity on what's happening around and inside you. You find life boring because of the repetition or a pattern of some habits or activities. Try to look at and do them differently and get yourself fascinated with other options and possibilities.

10) Find, read, hear, watch or do something exciting, stimulating and entertaining.

You will probably be more fulfilled if you learn something: mindless media can be absorbing but ultimately not at all stimulating.

11) Find a new hobby, such as hiking, knitting, drawing, playing an instrument, Board games, Cards, Cycling, cooking or photography.

If you are particularly good at one skill, you could teach others to do it, and be helping others as well as avoiding boredom.

12) Avoid boring people and situations.

Get away from people and situations that bore you. You can't just walk out of a relationship but you can give yourself some space to do things that interest and motivate you.

13) Start a life list and accomplish a new thing every day, or week.

14) Try some of these ideas:

Volunteer at your local hospital or elderly home. This can give you a great feeling of satisfaction in helping other people.
Work for money. Ask for jobs to do around the house for money or even start a business like mowing people's lawns or pet sitting. Pretty soon all that money will add up and you can buy something new that will keep you entertained.
Practice sports by yourself or with friends. You won't be bored anymore and you'll be able to show off your skills next game and feel proud of what you accomplished.
Take out your bike/skateboard/roller skates/scooter and get some exercise. Call up a friend and see if they want to come with you.
Walk to the mall and pay attention to the people there; what could they be thinking about? Who could they be talking to? What kind of people are they?
Bake something. Then you get to eat it afterwards!
Catch up on any homework or that you might still have to do. While this can seem like the last thing you want to do, it could be just the thing to get your brain whirring.
Rent some movies or listen to some music. But don't get holed up indoors. Watch a movie you haven't seen in a long time. Does it seem different now?
Journal your feelings and thoughts, either privately or on a blog. One of the ways to become aware of what triggers your boredom is to question yourself and take a hard look at it. Observe and write down your feelings and thoughts for a week and at the end of it, reflect on them. You could also start a blog online, if you feel that sharing your thoughts with other people could be beneficial.
Read and contribute to websites. You might be surprised by how much you enjoy using your skills to inform other people. Or it might bore you even more: you won't know until you try!
Reminisce about the good summers you used to have. You can write a novel about it. Be careful not to become overly nostalgic, however.
Get your friends round and play something like a board game you haven't play with in a while or build something out of LEGO. If you haven't had any child-like fun for a while, here's your chance!
If you have something that you don't need, sell it! That way, you can use the money that you earned to buy yourself something that will entertain you.
Think of places you would like to visit, and why. Then, if possible, visit them and see if they live up to your expectations!

15) Learn and practice mindfulness meditation.

You suddenly become bored - impatient and restless. At this point, become aware of your feelings. Pay attention to the physical symptoms of your restlessness.

16) Explore the world and your mind.

When boredom has been overcome, your mind will find many ways to keep your mind occupied. Reduced reported levels of boredom were considered reliable indicators of whether treated drug addicts would stay clean. Long distance drivers, who reported little boredom, played mental games, such as counting of passing objects. They were also safer drivers. Just self awareness can set you free. A freed mind can develop new skills and hobbies. Freed from boredom, your own pattern sensing mechanisms will find joy in the beauty of the world around you.

17) Try to do something on your computer if you have one, or watch some TV.

It takes your boredom away and you will be thinking about different things other than being bored.

Tips

1) Many people eat to overcome boredom, but you don't want to get carried away. Try using this as a chance to eat healthy foods, such as fruits or vegetables.

2) Remember, boredom is only a mindset, keep your mind occupied with something to do.

3) Try one of these activities:

Help Others, it is one of the activities which gives you inner peace.
Be spiritual, do some spiritual activity (Avoid to be carried away)
Fry an egg on the sidewalk.
Make a lemonade stand.
Watch clouds.
Surf your TV to a channel you've never been to before, then wait for commercials to come on and try and guess what they are selling before they tell you.
Go to a store and browse, you never know, you might need groceries or new pants or something. But don't get carried away, spending money isn't really a hobby.

Warnings

Don't be tempted to experiment with drugs or do anything illegal to pass the time. This is really about the worst idea possible for curing boredom. Refer