Oakville Zen Meditation
The art of doing nothing Part 2: what to do when getting bored?
When boredom strikes:
We feel some void and the negative feeling of being uncomfortable, unproductive, useless, impatient, restless or even lazy in the current moment.
When there’s nothing stimulating, flashy,, distracting or even work, we experience the urge to seek distractions a.s.a.p. and the #1 source of distraction is, again, the IT world. We Google, text and call for no specific urgent reason.
The moment we start chasing something, we create its opposite. Examples:
When we are chasing happiness, sadness is waiting around the corner.
When we are chasing distractions, we become subconsciously aware that, w/o these distractions we will be easily bored.
Our IT connection only provides fictional human connection and w/o the physical interaction, dissatisfaction and frustration may occur, which, in turn, can evoke cravings for stimulation. This is a vicious circle.
So, what to do while facing boredom?
As said before, doing nothing is unacceptable as far as our ego is concerned. Ego wants to be a “doer”, an achiever as far as its personal,and social images are concerned.
Practice the art of doing nothing. It is not easy, if not impossible because doing nothing is doing something called “nothing.” It is like trying to listen to silence.
Rather than trying to find something “exciting” to escape from our feelings of boredom and restlessness, just pay attention to the fact of “not doing for a short period of time” and meditate on it in a mindful way that is no judgment, no analysis.
When you meditate mindfully on your boredom, you are not bored anymore because you are doing something actively rather than the negative feeling of “doing nothing”.
One or 2 min. several times a day will do the trick. Also, you will feel more relaxed too.
You will realize that there is no void, boredom evaporates like a miracle.
Beside focusing on your boredom, you can also focus, in a mindful way, on your connection and interaction to your surroundings by using your 5 senses.
Final words:
With practice, boredom will become almost exciting because you are busy again doing nothing.
No need to jump on your cell phone, book, Netflix, gardening, cooking, shopping or grabbing chocolate.
Practical advice:
Stop what you are doing, whatever it is (except driving of course), pause for 1 or 2 min. meditate on your stillness, then resume your previous activity. This is one form of “doing nothing.
Boredom, void, feeling useless or lazy are just only in our head. Thank you
