The Cure for Boredom

“The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity.” –Dorothy Parker

 

I strive to live in a sense of wonder, yet often I fail. Even on the road, where I feel most at home, I become acclimated to beauty and experiences. This champagne on my First Class flight is flat! … The taxi queue is taking forever!

Just as melancholy knows no bounds of social class and can strike at any time, so too can boredom.

You’ve been floating along, doing okay, but all of a sudden it hits you: you’re disenchanted and stuck in a rut.

Melancholy is a tough one, but fortunately boredom is easier to fix. I don’t think the answer is just be happy. The answer is be present and aware.

As Dorothy Parker said, the antidote is curiosity—and there’s no cure for that. (Would you want one?)

Two years ago I tried Crossfit. I decided it wasn’t for me… I didn’t enjoy the “feel like I’m dying every time I exercise” part. But I liked the concept of mixing it up and challenging myself. I realized I usually exercised the same way, and introducing a new workout was helpfully disorienting.

I think I should do more of that. Maybe you should consider it too.

I want to be curious. I want to ask questions and meet new people. When something goes wrong, I want to be open to a new direction.

If the same thing happens to you, perhaps it’s time to stretch your legs in new stomping grounds. Change a habit. Get up early or stay out late. Stop doing the things that bring you down. Reduce decisions to focus—and feel—better.

Everyone can become routinized. Rumor has it you can even become stuck in a rut while flying around the world every month.

When boredom strikes, get back to curiosity as fast as you can.

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Image: Another Pint