Be Boring

“If you are immune to boredom, there is literally nothing you cannot accomplish.

It is the key to modern life.”

– David Foster Wallace

Boring has become a four letter word in our society. 

We go to great lengths to avoid being bored or perceived as boring. Yet there is a lot of wisdom to be had and growth to be gained by embracing this thing that we are all so scared of.

I like to think of boredom in two different ways - everyday boredom and big picture boredom.

Everyday boredom is probably what first comes to mind when you think about the subject. It is what you are avoiding when you immediately pick up your phone as you stand in line or fill your calendar with one activity after another. 

Without these distractions, everyday boredom forces us to be alone with our thoughts, a semi terrifying thought, I know. But allowing yourself to be quiet can illuminate things that you have been avoiding. It also allows room for creativity and new ideas.

Remember how a number of people made big life changes during the pandemic? Well we lost a lot of our distractions and were forced to be quiet and reflect, allowing people to have the space to realize they wanted something different. 

Personally, I enjoy everyday boredom. I love having moments of quiet. One of my favorite things to do is to just daydream and be with my thoughts on plane rides - yes I was “raw dogging” travel long before it became a popular TikTok trend!

Then there is big picture boredom. It can also be viewed as stability or monotony (depending on your feelings about it). It is knowing that tomorrow is going to be like today which was like yesterday. 

As someone who does not want to know where I will be in one year, let alone five years, I’ll be honest, I am a little terrified of general boredom. But there is also a sense of peace that comes with routine and it is often because of that stability that we are able to allow ourselves the room to grow. 

Plus anything can become an adventure with some mindfulness and presence :) 

Like with most anything, it is possible to go too far the other way and become overly obsessed with routine and quiet. It is up to you to find the middle ground, and it will be different for everyone.

But I encourage you to challenge yourself to get comfortable with a little bit of boredom in your life.