A crippling condition, an inescapable void, an impossible situation. What a mess boredom can be. If you let it. I know that when you’re incredibly occupied most of the time with a perpetual conveyor belt of school assignments or unrelated tasks it might actually be stressful when it seems the belt of activity has ceased moving. The concept of free time is so sought after that when you get it, it’s almost as if you caught hold of a mythical creature and you have absolutely no idea what to do with it. Once caught, the formerly desired free time is too often dubbed as boredom and boredom is not a word that is customarily associated with fond musings. That being acknowledged, I challenge you to think differently. Please stop finding boredom so boring. I can help you change your mind.
I’m about to send you into an existential crisis (don’t worry) with a simple truth: The essence of boredom is possibility. Read that again. Once you’ve got a good hold on that thought, I want you to think about how it applies to you. Are there things you want to do in your life? Especially things that you never do because you claim you “never have time for”? They can be super small. Really tiny. Frivolous, even. Basically, I’m telling you to get a hobby. Let’s have an example: Over the summer, after I’d finished all of my summer homework, I was struck by this strange state of affairs in which I had nothing to do. Much to my dismay, doing nothing was quite tiresome. So, I bought a ukulele. I’m no Hendrix and I can barely manage to switch between notes (I can, however, do a very low grade version of Twist and Shout by the Beatles). The thing is though, perfection is not a necessary factor in a hobby. Not very good at painting but you still like to mix the colors and see what results? Pick up a brush and do it. Right now! Well, do it when you’re done reading this. Do you have any desire to start knitting? It’s not such a ridiculous thought. Knit yourself a nice hat to keep warm. Make one for me, too, while you’re at it. I’ll wear it proudly. The world is your oyster, my friend and I’m fully convinced that you can do whatever you please. If you don’t think boredom is freeing by now, I’m a tad concerned you never will.
Now that you have all of these ideas running rampant in that eager brain of yours, let’s talk about how to keep them there. Please refrain from wasting your time allotted for boredom on your phone. Unless it’s going on Pinterest and searching for a chocolate chip cookie recipe, consider your phone off limits during your time of languor. It is incredibly easy to give into the temptation of technology, but if you do this, you must accept the repercussions: You won’t finish knitting your hat. A weighty consequence, I know. That being said, the punishment fits the crime. Allow yourself to do something not necessarily for the greater good of humanity, but for the greater good of you. Don’t inadvertently talk yourself out of your goal by letting yourself diverge from the process. Go headfirst into the fortunate abyss of boredom, and don’t let anything stop you.
Hopefully by now, you’re able to see a situation of dullness as a rather vibrant opportunity. I hope that you accept and revel in boredom when it’s presented to you and ultimately strive for the same unoccupied state in the future. Go do something you could never do before. Don’t let me stop you.