Are you bored?

Many people tend to refer to boredom as an unpleasant state of being in which a person lacks interest in an activity. When people are bored, they often experience difficulty in concentrating and feel anxious in response to a moderate challenge. What people don’t sometimes realize is that boredom generally is exhibited when a person feels unable to latch onto a specific activity versus having a lack of things to do.

Boredom can be empirically linked to depression. It is a condition in which a person perceives their life to be dull, tedious and free from a needed stimulation. Common ways people can attempt to escape boredom is to engage in ample hours of sleep, to daydream or to initiate a new activity. People who feel bored often expound on their life as a picture of meaninglessness. They wish for a new motivational desire to experience something positively challenging and fulfilling. 

In education, if children or adults are experiencing a feeling of boredom, they are guilty of two respects. Either they are not following or connecting with the content presented or they have capitalized on the meaning of the material and do not feel challenged enough. Activities that are predictable can sometimes serve as a reason for students feeling bored in education or in life.

Those who are bored tend to run a greater risk of developing depression, anxiety and a form of addiction. They sometimes appear angry, aggressive or uninterested in a particular activity. This can create a negative effect on those who are associated with the individual. Strong will power and creative thinking are necessary to overcome or effectively deal with unwarranted feelings or unpleasant behaviors.

Many people often try to fight or conquer boredom with exercise. They engage in activities that will enhance the flow of blood throughout the body. This creates a euphoric feeling for individuals who are not happy ‘sitting still’ for a great length of time. Some people challenge their brain with daily ‘brain teasers’. Becoming interested in new games, sports or hobbies is always a plus.

For some people, a career change is the ticket. For others, a new vehicle, a new home or a new friend might be enough to satisfy those complacent feelings of unhappiness.

Dr. Sonya Rogers is a certified counselor who lives in Daphne. 

Her column regularly appears in the Daphne Bulletin and Spanish Fort Sun.