Coping with Boredom
How exciting is today? Not at all. And that bugs me. I can get pretty agitated when things are mundane. When I feel that way I get an urge to force a feeling, like I’m begging life for something—anything—other than this dull, slow moment.
That’s when things get tricky. When I start wishing for anything but boredom, it can lead to behaviors that are not so great for me. It’s a slippery slope toward mood-altering actions. And if there’s nothing exciting happening, I feel the need to generate that excitement myself. But the easiest way to do that? Usually, it’s through something bad for me.
Whether it’s eating unhealthy snacks, bingeing on food, seeking forced attention, or numbing myself with endless scrolling, I start searching for a jolt of something.
Here’s the catch: these behaviors are quick fixes, and the buzz is undeniable… but so are the consequences. As soon as I stop, guilt and shame start, which ironically makes me double down on the bad behavior, hoping this time it’ll work. It never does.
I’ve lost hours, even days, to this cycle. It only made life harder.
I had to learn something different.
When life is boring, I have two options: either let it be mundane or create positive excitement. It’s tough, but so is bouncing back from bad behavior. Breaking those old habits and replacing them with better ones—like going for a bike ride, sitting still, reaching out to someone, or journaling—takes effort. But I practice. That’s why I journal every day, even when I don’t want to write. That’s why I’ve built these habits into my daily life.
So when I feel the need to reach for something, the better behavior is already becoming the norm, and choosing it gets a little bit easier each time.
ACTION: Reflect on a time when you sought excitement in unhealthy ways during a mundane period of life. Think about the emotions and patterns that led you to those choices. Then, identify a positive behavior you can replace those actions with next time. Consider journaling, reaching out to a friend, or going for a walk when boredom strikes. Commit to practicing this regularly, so it becomes a familiar go-to in times of need.
