It is only a step from boredom to disillusionment, which leads naturally to self-pity, which in turn ends in chaos.
Manly Hall
In todays fast paced world with innumerable possibilities and options, it is easy to feel bored. In good old days “Feeling bored” was kind of a luxury. These days boredom has become more of a bane and more often than not the term has come to be used always with negative connotation. But in Positive psychology as the Hungarian-American psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi quoted “Boredom is described as a response to a moderate challenge for which the subject has more than enough skill.”
Symptoms of Boredom
1. You can’t concentrate or pay attention for longer periods of time
2. You start feeling like there is no point in doing the work as it doesn’t give you a sense of purpose or achievement.
3. You constantly feel Sad and empty
4. You seek constant motivation to get the job done and though you finish it, you don’t feel good.
5. You feel that your current situation is not going to change. you feel Hopeless
6. You constantly blame yourself for the boredom and the above symptoms you are experiencing.
What causes Boredom
1. When you are highly skilled and the job to be done is not as challenging.
2. Doing the same task repeatedly.
Though it was challenging enough at the beginning you would get used to it after doing it multiple times and thereby loosing its difficulty level.
3. When you are not clear on what you want or what your true calling is , the work you are currently doing can get boring as it is not fulfilling.
Handling Boredom like a Pro
Consider Boredom as an opportunity. You feel bored because the work you are doing is not stimulating enough. This gives you an opportunity to really search for things that give you a sense of purpose and meaning to your life.
Use Boredom for introspection. Most of the times when you are bored, you don’t feel like working but you will only finish it just before the deadline. As you will have ample time on hand, use it to think about what actions of yours lead you to where you are.
Wonder if feeling bored is a sign that you have many things to be grateful about! Being bored is a sign that you are looking for things to be challenging and exciting. In most cases it means that your current situation or your current work is not something you are doing just for your survival, you are able to ‘afford’ to wish for more.