“I’m bored, there’s nothing to do”.
Stress and Boredom
As summer vacation begins for thousands of children this is far too often a familiar complaint. But when there’s no one telling you what to do, boredom can creep up on you.
Boredom is described as “the state of being weary and restless through lack of interest”.
American Psychological Association lists finding little pleasure in life and losing interest in hobbies, among the signs of Depression, but the presence of an extended period of boredom can indicate that Depression is setting in. So beware.
However, boredom is generally a totally self-inflicted problem.
You will be less likely to feel bored if you go out, get active, pick up a new hobby, or even volunteer. You will be too busy learning new things or meeting new people to feel bored.
For children the anticipation of summer-fun wanes as the summer goes on and all those previously fun activities start to feel stale.
Beverly’s Hot Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Anti-boredom Month:
- Make up a new sport – Crab soccer anyone. When you’ve created new rules for an old game, your mind in more engaged and time flies by.
- Change the scenery – Set up a tent or a picnic area in your backyard. Pretend you are in a different country. Research and then sets the scene.
- Put out a challenge. Design the classic scavenger hunt or let the kids design the challenge for an activity and see what they come up with. What about paper airplane races?
- Write out and act a medieval play – complete with dragons and swords.
- Come up with a list of the most boring things to do and see how the creative juices kick in.
And if all else fails – suggest a list of chores that they can complete. You will be amazed at how quickly they can find activities to entertain themselves.
“Every day brings a chance for you to draw in a breath, kick off your shoes, and dance.” ~ Oprah Winfrey
If you have some strategies to share – comment on this posting!
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