Written by: Tanya Heasley, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Every time you scroll on your phone, you’re negatively impacting the motivational system in your brain. This will consequently make you feel bored more often, and you’ll lack the motivation to make positive changes to your life.
That said, if you manage to read through all of this article, then not only do you experience healthy boredom, but you will also gain some tips on how to gain motivation when you’re bored.
Before you can manage boredom, you need to know what it is:
Boredom is the state of feeling uncomfortable and can be a symptom of suppressed emotions, such as anger, hurt, and fear.
Boredom also breeds lethargy and is developed as a result of our inability to engage our attention to internal or external information.
In other words, when we ignore our emotions, we inadvertently disengage with the present moment and seek a distraction from the unpleasant feeling.
This happened to me recently whilst watching the last episode of a popular TV drama and witnessing my favorite characters' impending demise; I began noticing my stress levels rise and anxiety build within me. I felt uncomfortable, I could not continue watching, and I wanted to avoid the physical sensations that I was experiencing.
To alleviate the uncomfortableness and cope with my unpleasant feelings, I reached for my phone and began to scroll through social media, so I could ignore what was going on.
Do you use your phone in the same way? Do you scroll or play games on it when you don’t like something, or when you want to avoid discomfort, or even when you’re just bored?
Our phones have become a massive distraction from situations that can actually lead to psychological growth. It is essential to acknowledge our thoughts and feelings. But our phones have become a coping mechanism, which is essentially preventing us from learning to be comfortable with discomfort.
I’ve noticed lately that I play on my phone when I’m avoiding situations that I don’t like, such as work that I find hard to do, or when I’m waiting for someone, or when someone is talking about something that I find boring.
Let’s be honest – you do this too, right?
Here’s the good news – when you’re self-aware and recognize that you are bored, it can motivate you to do something else. What that is, however, depends on whether you’re conscious of your actions or behaving absentmindedly.
If you’re not thinking about what you’re doing, then you’re not in control of your actions. For instance, how many times do you consciously pick up your phone to use it productively? Not many times, I’m sure.
Therefore, the key is to develop your internal thought processing, which is also essential for managing behavior, developing resilience and grit. A simple way to do this is to cultivate your character strengths. The following strengths are connected to boredom.
Honesty is the strength to be open and truthful and allows you to acknowledge and accept your internal emotions. When strengthening honesty, it can give you a sense of authentic wholeness and empowers you to present yourself genuinely.
1. What do you consider a moral obligation? Write about these issues, as it helps to crystallize and integrate thinking (which is fundamental to self-awareness and behavioral control).
2. Without worrying about your position, or popularity, think and act fairly when you next face a challenging belief or opinion from others.
3. Monitor every time you tell a lie (not just to others, but lies to yourself), even if it is a small one. Try to make your list shorter every day.
4. Think of different ways that you can honestly relate to others. Creativity is a strength that can help you address obstacles in your life. Creativity isn’t necessarily just about artistic expression or scientific discovery.
1. Compile a list of practical steps to overcome challenges that you might be facing.
2. Learn a new craft, such as pottery, glass blowing, or jewelry making.
3. Get inspired by famous creative people and identify what made them unique.
4. Write a poem about a passion of yours once a week.
Curiosity is the strength to take an interest in an ongoing experience. Actively recognize and pursue challenging opportunities to seek out new information. For instance, when I gave birth to my first son, I refused to take any pain-relief because I wanted to experience childbirth fully.
1. Try food from a different culture that you haven’t eaten before.
2. Listen to a podcast on a subject that doesn’t interest you.
3. Try things that challenge your existing knowledge or skills.
4. Think of three new ways to rejuvenate a passion that you’ve lost interest in.
Next time you find yourself reaching for your phone to distract you from your uncomfortableness, sit and explore the discomfort, and consider utilizing your other character strengths.
We all have 24-character strengths that impact how we think, feel, and behave, and we each have our own unique character strengths profile. Knowing and utilizing your strengths can help increase your emotional wellbeing, as well as your happiness levels.
If you’d like to know your top character strengths and how to utilize them, follow the link to complete the free test.
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Tanya Heasley, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
As a Positive Anger Coach and Success Mindset Mentor, Tanya Heasley guides her clients to activate their authentic self, cultivate assertive communication, and develop self-confidence so that they can flourish and thrive in all areas of their life. What makes her distinctive and different in this work is her ability to identify and liberate the hidden blockages within her client’s psyche. Her intuitive, empathetic, and direct approach empowers her clients to become the best version of themselves. An award-winning serial entrepreneur, Tanya is also the Director of Tristone Coaching Ltd., a social enterprise with the mission to improve the lives of young people affected by adult anger. With many successes under her belt, Tanya believes that her greatest achievement is being a mum to her four children.
