The coronavirus pandemic has completely paused many parts of the world with whole countries going on lockdown to prevent the spread of the virus. As people have found themselves unable to work or unfortunately made redundant from their jobs, boredom has become a common emotion along with the silence that is also often present. Whilst this can feel debilitating and a hindrance to progress, boredom and silence are not always bad things. Both of these can help you discover exactly what you are passionate about and which direction you should head next.
When you are bored what is your first response?
For many of us in the information age it is to spend hours scrolling on our phones, constantly looking at the news and social media sites for entertainment. Instead of this knee-jerk reaction, I propose you sit in the boredom and take this time to think and listen to your heart. Think back to your childhood; was there a thing you were particularly passionate about but stopped doing in favour of getting a job or that you needed to earn money? These passions are valuable too, and reconnect with these will not only use this boredom productively you may even be able to use that information age to your advantage. By posting about this passion and showing off your skills you may unlock doors you never even considered – all because you embraced your boredom and listened to what you really enjoyed.
However, boredom should not be confused with procrastination. You may feel like you are bored so choose to put off unenjoyable tasks, but it is likely to be some form of fear causing you to procrastinate. Putting it off can only make that fear greater as once we get started, everything gets easier. Procrastination is actually the sign of a wider problem – what is holding you back; fear of failure? money? Lack of knowledge? By considering procrastination as a symptom of a greater issue, you will be able to get to the bottom of what it really is holding back because it is not likely to be boredom.
Does silence make you uncomfortable?
It is actually quite common in today’s society that is full of noise. Whilst Google may be very useful for finding out information quickly, it can lead people to always look to others for answers, reassurance or the instant gratification they need to take the next step. Most of the answers we need are within ourselves, if we give ourselves the time and opportunity to listen. By taking a break from overstimulation and spending some time in nature or a place that makes us feel calm we become increasingly aware of our thoughts and impulses. Creativity needs this time on our own to flourish.
If you are unsure of what path you should take next, rather than looking online for stimulation, spending time in silence will help you reflect on what has happened, uncover what YOU want and align yourself with your natural intuition.
Think back to when you were a child and all you needed was a pen and paper for your imagination to run riot. This is still something you can tap into and use to guide your next move if you take some time to embrace the boredom and silence that we are so often running from in today’s society.