Boredom is a mental state almost all of us undergo in the course of our lives. This unpalatable feeling is experienced by most of those over 30 years of age. Young people are full of zest and can be seen running here and there in an excited manner without showing any signs of boredom. Only a few children feel bored when they are left alone at home. If we know exactly what boredom is, we might be able to keep it at bay.
We take medicine even for minor ailments such as headache, fever or cold. However, there is no such remedy for boredom which can make us terribly miserable. When boredom strikes, you do not know what to do or you do not feel like doing anything worthwhile. Bored people can be seen gazing at others with a vacant look or sleeping all the time not knowing how to spend their time.
Boredom is not a disease per se, but it can wear you down emotionally. In other words, boredom can be referred to as a type of personal pain and misery for which no doctor can give you a prescription. Moreover, boredom differs from person to person. Take two people, e.g. viewing a film in a cinema hall. One is glued to the screen throughout the show and does not feel the passing of time. The other person keeps on looking at his watch to get away from the situation. You may have seen people going to a cinema hall and falling asleep halfway through the film. They are bored by the film and by their own lives.
Smoking
Some people, when bored, start smoking or drinking. Both are injurious to health. Smoking and drinking will not drive away boredom. If you are excited about something, boredom can be banished. Some people get excited when they walk into a bookshop.
They know they are going to have a conversation with great minds of the present and the past. Today, however, most people flock to bookshops and book exhibitions to buy school textbooks and stationery. Only a few people would buy books that challenge their intellect.
Excitement is not confined to books and reading. If you can spend some time with your friends or relatives sharing your views on politics, literature, or any other subject boredom will vanish. Never miss birthday parties, weddings, funerals, public lectures, film shows, and dramas that keep you in an excited state of mind.
Travelling to distant places with a small group of friends is bound to make you happy. Most of the time, we are confined to our offices, factories and schools. We need to get out of the routine at least once in a while. Married couples should go out regularly to get rid of the boredom of living together day in and day out. Constant exposure to nature, i.e. trees, rivers, waterfalls, and hills will have a salutary effect on us.
Instead of enjoying the serenity of nature, some people attend Facebook parties organized at big hotels. Meeting strangers in an air-conditioned hotel can be exciting. However, their excitement would soon dissolve when they start consuming liquor and expensive drugs such as ‘Ecstasy’. They begin to dance away their cares and boredom and go into ecstasies. Such Facebook parties attract mostly young people some of them newly married. According to media reports, some of the partygoers end up in police cells or hospitals. Very soon they realize that ‘Ecstasy’ is not a drug prescribed for boredom!
If you are really keen to get rid of boredom, spend some time with children. When you play with them or share beautiful stories you have heard or read, you will not feel bored. Similarly, pet dogs and cats are ideal playmates. Most people keep pets to get rid of boredom. Unfortunately, with the advent of television and mobile phones, such simple pleasures are vanishing from our midst.
If you have no inclination to go out with your friends or play with children or pets, sit in your armchair and read a book. Most books help us to get into an imaginary world. You will be thrilled to read how Sherlock Holmes hounds criminals or solves crimes. Let your mind travel with the detective and arrest offenders in your world of imagination.
Bachelors
Housewives sometimes feel bored when their husbands and children leave home in the morning. Retired people feel bored when there is no one around to have a chat with. Girls of marriageable age feel bored when nobody is interested in them. Bachelors also feel bored when they live alone for a long time. As such, there is no panacea for everybody to beat boredom. Housewives, however, can watch a movie on television or engage in sewing or a similar pastime. Retirees can use their accumulated skills in many ways. A retired teacher can start teaching in a private school or start a tuition class. Girls of marriageable age should get involved in social service activities which afford them an opportunity to meet young people.
Music will have a soothing effect on your tired nerves. If you can play an instrument, do so regularly. In the alternative, learn how to play a musical instrument and listen to good music. Play soft instrumental music at home and realize its immense benefits. However, avoid listening to loud music which will mar your happiness. If you cannot do any of these activities, hum your favourite song or whistle. Break the monotony of life in any way you like.
They say, “Action is the universal cure for boredom.” Trim and water the plants and hedges in your garden. Paint your room, play a stimulating game, bake a cake or go for a brisk walk. If you refuse to sit and sulk, your boredom will vanish. Finally, do not complain about the weather, or your minor aches and pains. Life is an exhilarating experience. Enjoy it!