A Psychologist On What Consistent Feelings Of Boredom Really Mean

Boredom can mean a few things, depending on how it presents and persists in your life.

Given our society's general overstimulation through technology, it may take more to keep your interest because you're used to being distracted fairly easily. For some, it might mean a lack of connection to things that help you feel stimulated, purposeful, or motivated. Boredom may also be a defense mechanism used to protect yourself from more unpleasant, distressing, or activating emotions. For others, a chronic disengagement of attention could be a symptom of a larger depressive pattern.

A parent's response to feeling bored likely affects a child more than the feeling of boredom in and of itself. How do you take care of yourself during or after feeling bored? Do you judge yourself negatively for your boredom? Do you find it hard to find meaning from what's in front of you? These responses can affect your self-esteem and, therefore, can have a direct or indirect impact on your parenting and relationships with your children.

Disengagement from your own emotions can also make it hard to connect with the emotions of your child. Chances are, if boredom has taken over, you may not be experiencing a wide range of other healthy emotions.

Viewing boredom as "bad" or "wrong" can sometimes lead to reactivity and impulsiveness to get rid of the feeling. Practicing mindfulness and acceptance of a wide range of emotional states can help you feel less distress when you feel bored. This may also make it easier to move in and out of states of boredom rather than feeling stuck in them.

Journaling is another great exercise for reconnecting to or finding new inspiration. Get in touch with all of the ways that you spend your time currently: What are you doing, with whom, how often, and why? Then, get in touch with all the things that you're not doing and want to do. Start looking for opportunities to incorporate small steps toward some of those things.

Boredom could be a profound opportunity for you to reflect and pivot the way you're currently living if it's no longer serving you. Consider the relationships you're in, your career, and the depth of your friendships, and see how they're affecting you.

It may be time to try new things and even allow them to not work. You won't know if something is a good fit unless you give it a good shot at success.