Miguel model Charlene Hitula. - Carlington Wilmot/Freelance Photographer
IT WOULD be quite easy to exchange the word 'bored' for 'risk', because the male or female who enters this mindset frequently engages in smoking, overeating, unwise sex, and other ill-advised activities.
Truth is, boredom leads to risky behaviour.
The newspapers have reported many 'gang bangs' and other anti-social activities which were the result of people with too much time on their hands and too little to do.
The literary classic Madam Bovary, by Gustave Flaubert, tells the story of a woman who is bored with her husband, bored with her fellow townspeople and in general, bored with her life. Her days are too tedious and predictable, and she is filled with romantic, idealistic fantasies.
Two love affairs
In order to escape from boredom, she enters into two love affairs, both of them disastrous. In the end, she commits suicide by taking arsenic. First published in 1857, Madame Bovary illustrates that boredom is no newcomer to the human race as a psychological problem.
Licensed psychologist Allan J. Comeau, Ph.D., in his online article 'Boredom Isn't So Smart' comments that one of the most common sources of distress and a sense of time not well spent is boredom, which Webster defines as "the state of being weary and restless through lack of interest." Boredom carries a sense of dissatisfaction and withdrawal from involvement in the environment or one's circumstances. The classic
signs of boredom are well known: suddenly we're yawning, our eyes get glazed over, we feel restless, slouch in our chairs, get distracted, and so on.
Boredom is not a widely researched area. It is said that we experience boredom when we find the task or situation is not challenging enough.
Another important aspect of boredom is monotony which comes with a sense of constant repetition. Psychologists use the term, "habituation response" to describe how the brain and attention seem to fade out when we are exposed to different kinds of constant or monotonous stimuli.
But, is there a cure for it?
The researchers say that variety is the spice of life and a great cure for boredom too. So, try to design your work and daily activities to promote the po3sitive differences in the things that you do.
Energies
They also suggest trying to find some way to re-invest your energies, such as looking for an interesting, entertaining, or even amusing aspect of the situation in which you are involved.
Boredom, they say, is also a condition of passivity. Do your best to shift into a more active mode of thought and behaviour. Ask questions in class or any group activity, if this is permitted. If not, try note taking.
Find ways to be enthusiastic, interested and personally committed, psychologist Allan J. Comeau adds.
Parents can also assist their children by creating structured activities or signing them up for extra-curricular events which will keep them busy, happy and out of trouble.
Outlook Team
