Why You Feel Bored With Your Life (And 8 Fun Ways To Cure Your Boredom)
Don't let it overtake your life.
Allef Vinicius via Unsplash By Theo Harrison
Does everything feel “meh”? Is every day starting to look the same to you? Are you getting tired of the same old routine? Is life boring?
Well, most of us feel bored in life at some point in our lives. However, most of the time we don’t know what to do about it or how to get out of this rut.
Life can be boring for a number of reasons. It can be your career, your relationship, your family, or your personal life.
Your job may not be exciting or inspiring enough and you wish you could do something more fulfilling Your relationship has lost all passion and you simply co-exist with your partner. You wish you could feel loved and love more deeply. Your personal life is uninspiring and you wish you could have a better home and a more caring family.
You want to experience more passion in your everyday life. You want things to be great. Or, things might just be great right now.
You may have a great job, a healthy relationship, a loving family, no health or financial issues, yet you may still feel bored with life. You don’t know why, but you just can’t seem to be excited about anything and you feel like you’re stuck in a rut.
The thing is, life can be boring. You can be bored, angry, annoyed, depressed, hopeless, and even burnt out. When you keep living the same life and following the same daily routine for too long, it starts to affect your thoughts and emotions. It ends up limiting your scope for personal development and happiness.
This is why you need to step up and do something about how you think and feel about life and yourself. This is the only life you have and you need to live it the best you can.
Boredom is our brain telling us we are not living life to our fullest potential. We are not effectively using scarce resources, like our focus and attention.
Boredom is our desire to do more and to use our abilities better. But as we are unable to do so due to our daily schedule, we start feeling frustrated. Boredom is an unproductive desire.
Here are a few reasons why you might be feeling bored with life.
1. You’re too lazy .
When you’re bored in life, it can drain all your energy and make you feel unmotivated to do anything. This eventually adds more to your boredom and makes you feel frustrated and eventually, you give up trying to fix things. You become too lazy to get out of your comfort zone and you start enjoying your daily boredom-inducing schedules.
But life is not all about being comfortable. It’s about living. It about having fun. It’s about enjoying your life.
2. You don’t meet people.
Despite boredom staring right at your face, you refuse to take any steps to go out and meet interesting new people who can help you follow your passions.
When you spend your time with the same group of friends hanging out at the same places and doing the same things, you will eventually get tired of the same routine. You will start feeling bored, even when you are with your friends because you are hanging out with the wrong, uninspiring crowd. Meet some new people and add new interesting friends to your life.
Moreover, try to accept invitations for going to new places and meeting new people when they come up. This can lead to some great opportunities and meeting new like-minded people.
3. You aren’t taking any efforts.
If you expect your life to be passionate and exciting, then you need do something passionate and exciting. It’s that simple. If you keep hoping for a change while following the same daily routine, all you’re going to feel is boredom. Life does not get better, unless you make it happen.
4. You don’t like doing things alone.
If you are not comfortable with yourself or don't enjoy your own company, you will never like doing things by yourself. However, as you keep waiting for another person to live an exciting life, you will end up wasting a lot of time. And life will simply pass you by.
Relying on others for doing what you love will only leave you feeling frustrated and bored. Take responsibility for yourself and do what you want, even if you have to do it alone.
5. You believe you’re better than others.
It may be possible that you feel lazy, turn down invitations, and don’t take any effort, because you believe you are better than other people, whether consciously or subconsciously.
You may think of a specific group of people and you might not be able to relate with them. You may think they can’t make you happy and you’re better off without them. And this makes you feel lonely, depressed, and bored. But you can be wrong.
Although it can be a hard pill to swallow, you might just have created this boring, lonely life for yourself. You can play the victim all you want and hope someday someone will come to your rescue. But in reality, that’s not how life works.
Whatever you think your reason is for feeling bored in life, there are always more than enough ways to get out of this rut and make your life interesting and filled with passion.
Here is a list of things that you can do to stop living a boring life and start living an exciting one.
1. Try something new.
Start by doing something simple that’s not usual for you. If you find that doing new things appears scary, then start small. But do start.
Do your grocery shopping in a new store in a different neighborhood. Take a different route to work. Take the subway to work, instead of driving. Try a new cuisine from a new restaurant. Visit a part of the town you’ve never been to.
Do anything. But do something new each week. Even the smallest things can make the largest impact.
2. Practice gratitude.
It’s easy to focus on all the bad things in life. You wake up and leave for work and all you see are unhappy faces trying to get through another day, trying to survive their unhappy lives.
The way we see the world and the people around us can change the way we think. This is why it is important that you train your mind to look at the good things in life, the things that you enjoy and that makes you feel better.
Practicing gratitude and writing down a few things you’re thankful for in life can help you tap into your heart and feel a lot more positive. As you start looking at the good things in life, you will start looking for and do more good things to add to your gratitude list.
3. Learn a new skill.
If you are bored, then go out there and learn something you always fancied. Take a guitar class or join a new cooking class. Learn whatever you’re interested and passionate about. Sign up for a weekend workshop, enroll in a course, take a new class, and use your time smartly.
This will not only help to stimulate your senses, but will enable you to become a part of a group working towards a common goal. This is undoubtedly a great way to kick boredom out of your life.
4. Exercise.
Cliché alert! But, it’s a cliché because it works. When we are bummed or bored or burnt out, we tend to do binge eating. We eat anything that makes us feel better momentarily and then spiral down into guilt and feel even worse about ourselves.
But, exercising can reset this and make you feel a lot better in the long run. A healthy workout routine coupled with healthy eating can bring a drastic change in your body and mind. So start exercising ASAP. There’s no age limit. And if you already workout, then start a new and challenging workout routine.
If you’re an avid gym-goer, then you can take up rock climbing, swimming, or hiking. This can make you feel that passion you long for. And as you feel good about how you look, you will feel a lot better about yourself.
5. Talk with a stranger.
Striking up a conversation with a stranger can be one of the hardest things for most of us. But, it can also be one of the most exciting experiences ever.
Introduce yourself to someone you find interesting and ask if they have some time to talk with you. Yes, this will feel highly awkward and weird at first, but it’s alright. That’s exactly what you want to feel. Something new. Something different. This will help you to gain new perspectives in life, understand people better, learn something new, and even make new friends.
6. Start a side project.
Do you love painting? Cooking? Singing? Writing? Karate? There has to be something you’re passionate about and you love doing, but you might not have been in practice for sometime or even years.
Well, it’s time to hone your skills and create what you love. Write a new story, create some art, cook a new dish, sing a new cover song, learn a new martial arts move, or whatever you find interesting. Practice it well and share it on social media with all your friends and family.
Not only you will find out how great you are in doing what you love, but it will also motivate you to practice more and get better. Being creative, pursuing your interests, and starting a side project is a great way to deal with boredom.
7. Go on a date.
Yes, there are a lot of dating apps out there and it’s easier than ever to find a date. But, it’s even better to get out and flirt with people you find attractive.
Meet more people and enjoy the experience, even if you’re getting rejected. It’s not like you’re breaking up with the love of your life. So, why bother with what they think about you?
If you are feeling bored in life, then dating new people will make you go out, meet new people, and have some fun. And who knows, your date might even turn out to be your life partner.
8. Do what you haven’t done before.
One simple, yet effective way to get rid of boredom from life is to go and do something you’ve never done before. It can be absolutely anything. From something very simple, like going out of town to something absolutely crazy, like skydiving. Take a small step or the largest one you can make.
When you test your limits and face your fears, boredom can disappear faster than you will realize, giving your life a much-needed facelift.
If you want to live a life without boredom, then you need to focus on living a life with purpose.
If you are unable to find a purpose, then do things that you find enjoyable and soon you will know what gives your life meaning and satisfaction. You will learn new lessons, gain new knowledge, and experiences that will help you build a whole new life for yourself.
Don’t allow unhappiness and depression to get you. Seek help and visit a professional or a life coach if you need to.
Get out there and start making things happen. Netflix and chill will not make life beautiful. It never can. Learn to understand yourself better and make sure you take small steps and move ahead in a pace you’re comfortable with.
Why do you feel bored with life? What do you need to change your life? What do you think can make life more exciting for you? Leave a comment below. We would love to connect with you and help you out in whatever way we can.
Theo Harrison is a writer who focuses on self-care, health and wellness, and self-love. For more of his self-care content, visit his author profile on The Mind's Journal.
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