Why do people get bored? The feeling of boredom is when brains struggle to fill time. People may feel restless or have a lack of interest in their surroundings. Boredom is common, with over 60% of U.S. adults reporting that they feel bored at least once a week.
People's brains rarely are bored while focused on taking part in demanding tasks like work or school, or while taking part in a good conversation. When these activities are done, people experience fatigue and seek ways to entertain themselves and their brains.
Follow these tips to overcome the uncomfortable feelings of boredom:
- Balance activities with rest.
It's good to have a variety of activities that you enjoy, include socializing with others and are mentally stimulating. Yet rest time is important to recharge your brain. Seek a balance between structured activities and intermittent rest time to increase your creative thinking. - Try something new.
Join a club, try a new hobby, play a game, read a book or cook a new recipe to ignite your creativity and provide a distraction from boredom. - Get outdoors.
Spending time with nature is one of the best therapeutic ways to ward off boredom. It also promotes creative thinking. - Embrace curiosity and kindness.
This will get you more involved with the people and the world around you. - Embrace reminiscing.
Reminiscing is a big part of time spent as people age. It's normal and expected. If excessive reminiscing becomes a problem, try to channel focus on current or future goals and wishes for a few minutes.