The meaning of BOREDOM is the state of being weary and restless through lack of interest. I would bet that pretty much every one of us have felt BOREDOM at different times in our lives. For the working parent that has pretty much every second of the day tied up in obligated responsibilities, the feeling of BOREDOM is probably not as prevalent as the retiree with grown kids, no job and not too many daily tasks.
BOREDOM is NOT a good feeling to have because it will often lead to behaviors that would not be considered to be “healthy” in nature. Many people (including me) will start poking around the pantry and refrigerator when feeling bored. Snacking on a sugary, crunchy and/or other weight-derailing food will assuage the BOREDOM to some extent but clearly this will contribute to poor weight control. Non-eating BOREDOM behaviors such as playing on social media, watching your favorite news television shows and/or spending excessive screen time on non-productive endeavors are also “non-healthy” in nature.
There are several ways to try to avoid “BOREDOM” including:
- Joining social groups that share the activities you enjoy
- Volunteer your expertise to help others. I know that EVERYONE reading this has skillsets that are amazing and imparting this wisdom on others is incredibly rewarding
- Stay involved professionally if this is feasible. Personally, in my semi-retired status, I remain active in medicine, albeit not going to an office 9 hours a day
- Learn new skills: perhaps another language, taking courses at the local community college, etc.
As we have seen with our children and dogs, BOREDOM leads to bad behaviors. As best as you can, try to avoid feeling bored.
And one of the most boring Broadway shows I have ever seen was Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “CATS”. However, even in the boredom, one of the best Broadway tunes came from that show. Enjoy “Memory”.
