It can steal our energy and just leave us so lethargic that we do absolutely nothing. It can be something that is extremely difficult to break away from — then it can develop into depression. Virtually everyone gets bored at times and maybe more during specific periods of their life.
In fact, a study of 2, Americans that was published in found the average American experiences days of boredom every year, which is more than a third of their year. In other surveys, over the years it is generally recognized that adolescents will experience being bored more than other age groups.
Also, men say they are bored more often than women. It can be connected to feelings of anger, despair, anxiety, and loneliness. For many people, it is what is behind these feelings that really needs to be looked at in order to resolve the boredom. But instead many people look to other things in an attempt to stop feeling so bored. When people feel trapped they can experience boredom. They want to get out there among the excitement of the big wide world, but until a certain age are dependent on their parents.
Often as well, teens and younger people are studying, which requires a lot of repetition to learn things — plus they know the time could be spent alternatively having fun with their friends or doing a sport or hobby they love.
Boredom at any age can be caused by repetition and a lack of interest in whatever we are doing. Many modern-day jobs are repetitive and extremely predictable. We switch off and then it is almost as if our minds and bodies are craving something else. But people feel trapped because they need to earn money to pay their way.
It helps to keep in mind that what counts as too challenging, or not challenging enough, will shift throughout the day. Boredom urges many of us towards the novel. Embrace that urge, judiciously. If you have the energy, try a new recipe, experiment with home repairs, learn a new dance on TikTok. Doing new things not only relieves boredom, it helps acquire new skills and knowledge that may relieve boredom in the long run.
For instance, we feel a surge of interest when we read an interesting novel or go through complex experiences, but only if we have the capacity to understand them. Evidence shows that embracing new experiences, can help us lead not only a happy or meaningful life, but a psychologically richer one.
We sometimes paint ourselves into a box where our most meaningful hobbies are also mentally taxing or effortful. Similarly, well-intentioned suggestions for how to cope at home, such as hosting a virtual wine-and-design night, may be simply too exhausting to be pleasurable at a time when many of us are already struggling.
Give yourself permission to enjoy your guilty pleasures. If need be, reframe those moments as much-needed mental refreshment, nourishing and recharging you for a later date. Indeed, in one study boredom was the single biggest predictor of alcohol, cigarette and cannabis use among a group of South African teenagers. The overall effect of boredom on your life expectancy could be drastic, too.
That is something of a puzzle for evolutionary psychologists. Emotions should evolve for our benefit — not to push us to self-destruction. Feelings like fear help us avoid danger, after all, while sadness might help prevent future mistakes. So, if true, what does boredom achieve?
Reviewing the evidence so far, Lench suspects that it lies behind one of our most important traits — curiosity. Boredom, she says, stops us ploughing the same old furrow, and pushes us to try to seek new goals or explore new territories or ideas. That search for an escape could sometimes push us to take risks that eventually hurt us. One team simply left subjects by themselves in a room for 15 minutes with a button that allowed them to give themselves an electric shock on the ankle; many did indeed elect to give themself the brief buzz of pain, seemingly because it was the only way to break up the tedium.
Like stress, boredom may place undue pressure on your heart and circulatory system. This may increase your risk for a heart attack. You may also experience more illnesses due to a lack of immunity. Boredom also appears to have a strong link with depression. In some cases, constant boredom may lead to depression, but you may also be chronically bored from having this mental health condition. Untreated depression is linked to an increased risk of heart disease.
Treating any health conditions you have as well as becoming invested in your health can also help you fight boredom. One way to fight boredom is to stick with a daily routine.
If you find yourself bored from either a lack of stimulation or companionship, consider trying out the following activities whenever boredom arises:. You can also address chronic boredom related to depression or anxiety with a mental health professional. In fact, when considering children and teens who might be constantly entertained by technology, you might encourage them to work through occasional boredom.
This can help them learn how to find creative solutions for entertaining themselves. The effects of boredom may be especially more potent if you have certain untreated health conditions, like depression.
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