“You must have lost connection.” I was recently in a spin class when the instructor told us that if we feel bored then we must have lost the connection between our bodies and the bike. It struck me that this holds true for other areas of my life as well, especially when my children mention feeling bored. My new response to them is, “You must have lost connection.” Then I encourage them to find something that interests them and helps bring them back to the present moment and find the connection that may have been lost, whether it’s a change in routine or reaching out to connect with a friend. It might seem surprising that we can live such full, fast-paced lives and still find this pervasive boredom and loss of connection prevalent in our lives. Today on the blog & podcast, I’m sharing 5 practical tips to overcome boredom and find fulfillment in your life. Whether it’s boredom at work, feeling stalled in your health goals, or a loss of connection in your personal relationships, let’s explore 5 tips to re-engage and find your joy again.
5 Tips to Overcome Boredom & Find Fulfillment in Your Life
TIP #1 Reflect on Your Triggers
When looking to overcome boredom and loss of connection, it’s important to ask yourself, “What is causing this feeling?” Is it the repetitive nature of a task, the way you are engaging with those around you, or is it something in your daily routine? Explore the situations when you feel bored & what things could be triggering this response.
TIP #2 Seek Novelty & Variety
Sometimes we believe we don’t have the time or energy to pivot or change, so find little ways to seek novelty in your daily life. Try looking for new projects to join, new people to connect with, or new activities to explore to re-engage out of boredom.
TIP #3 Set Meaningful Goals
Goals will naturally give you the opportunity to reflect and seek novelty in your life in order to achieve your goals of connection. Setting goals will also keep you motivated and encouraged to keep exploring ways to overcome this boredom and find new fulfillment in areas you may not even realize.
TIP #4 Cultivate Mindfulness & Being Present
My new favorite phrase is “carpe punctum” or “seize the moment.” Cultivate mindful awareness by pulling yourself back to be present in the moment & finding joy in your ability to be present and immersed in what you’re experiencing.
TIP #5 Continuous Learning
Learning is a powerful antidote to boredom. Continuously seek to expand your knowledge and skills, whether it’s online courses, books, podcasts, or simply meaningful discussions with those in your life. Learn to embrace a growth mindset and explore new horizons.
Boredom can be a silent corrosion of the powerful things we once loved and hold true to ourselves. It’s important to bring awareness to this reality & give yourself the opportunity to reflect, seek new things, set meaningful goals, practice awareness, and continuously learn in order to re-engage and find fulfillment in all areas of your life.
3 Books to Read on Overcoming Boredom
Book #1: Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
This book helps illustrate the understanding of the concept of complete immersion and engagement of activity and how to create the conditions that create optimal experiences.
Book #2: The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
This book shares about how to harness the power of the present moment.
Book #3: Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown
This book explores the process of how to align your actions with your priorities & discover the things you want to be spending your time and energy doing everyday.
Listen to the podcast episode below:
Thank you for listening in and reading along… I would love to hear your thoughts… Join the conversation & send me an email at elizabeth@integratedbeingllc.com. I look forward to connecting with you & going on this journey of life together.
xo, Lizzie