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By allowing ourselves to be bored, we can engage in meaningful activities, things that bring us joy

By Prateeksha Shetty

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Published: Mon 1 Jun 2020, 10:30 AM

Last updated: Mon 1 Jun 2020, 12:32 PM

Covid-19 has forced many of us to reflect on our lives and the future we work towards. With the closure of schools and work from home becoming a new reality, it is time to question the ways we have lived our lives. 
Regardless of the culture we belong to, we ('grown-ups') have been brought up with the idea that an 'idle mind is a devil's workshop'. We pass this on to our children who are in turn told 'not to waste time' and 'do something'. The emphasis is always on doing rather than being, on outcomes and achievements rather than savouring the moment.  
'I am too busy for this' has become a status symbol; with the fear that maybe not being busy enough will be construed as a failure or is a feature of an under-achiever. For the past several decades, there has been a trend of working extremely hard and then going on luxurious breaks. The cycle goes on. But with onslaught of Covid-19 the world has come to a stand-still and we are running out of ideas to entertain ourselves and our children. We can no longer hide behind our schedules, timetables and rush hours, a lot of us may even be confused with the time we find on our hands. 
In some proportions, we continue to practise the same philosophy by inventing ways to be productive amidst a pandemic. We are expected yet again that with this free time bestowed upon us, we need to make the best use of it. But what if this time, is not for us to use but simply to be, to learn, to change. 
As human beings, the need of the hour is to pause and reflect on how our behaviour affects others around us. The need to fill up time and not be bored can itself become stressful. Why not just switch off for a while and not plan every waking hour? Why not just be bored? By allowing ourselves to be bored, we can engage in meaningful activities, things that bring us joy rather than mindless Netflixing. 
Doing nothing or even better 'being' is believed to help with creativity, grounding and connecting with our needs rather than switching from one task to another. Let's focus on savouring moments - a good cup of tea, glorious sunrise, or stare at the ceiling if you must. The idea behind doing nothing is that it is a teaching moment that helps you to bring in more meaning in our lives.
So, let's read a book, or take a nap, or grow plants. Let's be bored for a while, boredom is not as bad as we make it seem. 
Prateeksha Shetty is Clinical Psychologist at RAK Hospital
 


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