The Fascinating Thing About Boredom

Often times, the topic for Thursday Night Mindfulness Meditation Group reflects where I’m at in my life. Last Thursday, the topic was boredom. Does anyone besides me find boredom creeping in more than usual these days? 

When I prepare for my meditation group, I usually start by looking for an online meditation script that I can use as a jumping off point, then I sort of tailor it to fit my group and my style. 

Well, that just wasn’t happening this time. Boredom, it seems, is not a common topic for meditation. It should be. Meditation, in and of itself, can lead to feelings of boredom. So, I did what I always do when I start from scratch, I sat with it. Jon Kabat-Zinn says “When you pay attention to boredom, it gets unbelievably interesting.” Interestingly, as I sat, meditating on boredom, I found that to be absolutely true.

So settle in, get comfortable, and enjoy a little boredom.

The Meditation

Start by connecting with your breath. Notice where you first feel your breath, maybe your belly or your nostrils, and put all your attention on that point, taking a few breath cycles. No need to change your breath in any way, trust that your body knows how to breathe on it’s own.

Then stay with your breath, and over the next few cycles, notice the subtle differences in your breath. Notice how your inhales are perhaps a little shorter than your exhales. How your inhales are energizing and your exhales help you to relax  your body. Notice that space between cycles, right at the bottom of your exhale, and feel the release that gives you. 

Continue to breath normally. As your attention begins to shift away to thoughts, just allow those thoughts to arise, be with them for a moment without judging if the thought is good or bad. Then, without following those thoughts, without getting lost in them, bring your focus gently back to your breath.

Now, turn your focus to your body, to the physical sensations that arise. Spend as much time as you want scanning your body and releasing any tension that has collected over the past day or week. Begin methodically at the top of your head and work your way down, letting go of any stress that you feel. Be sure to spend time on those areas that need a little extra love. And remember to use your exhales to help you achieve a more relaxed state. 

By now, your mind and body have quieted down and you are ready to welcome any messages or lessons or insights that this meditation has to offer.

Boredom. We all experience it from time to time, both on the cushion and off. You might say we have an addiction to distractions – the Internet, food, TV, checking your phone, Facebook, the news. It can make us feel restless or anxious.

But then there’s those times when we get in a flow state – participating in sports, doing something creative, working on a project you love.

Our society tends to discount boredom. An absence of stimulus brings discomfort. We don’t allow for silence in our conversations, and often times we don’t allow for silence at all. We fight that irresistible urge to just stay put. Yet, many don’t have the privilege of boredom, they’re too busy taking care of day-to-day tasks, of just surviving. So in a way, you can be grateful for boredom. 

For me, often times, boredom just takes over, deciding what and when to eat, avoiding certain activities that I know helps me, I may not stay with an important task. But can I embrace boredom instead? Find out what happens when I stay with it, not looking for distractions or getting swept away by the restlessness? Can I get curious about what boredom feels like? Can I let go and just see where it takes me? Explore what it means to me?

Like anything else, any other distraction, you can curiously notice boredom non-judgmentally, or you can follow it down the rabbit hole. You can resist it, or you can observe it. 

So now, let’s become curious about boredom.

Think of a time when you became bored. This can be specific or just generally speaking.

What were you doing and thinking about when you became bored?

What words can be used to describe your state of boredom? – frustrated, anxious, distracted, not challenged, wasting time, not rewarding, lack of creativity?

How does it manifest in your body? – Restless, tired, hungry?

Now go back to noticing your breath for a few cycles, using your exhales to release any tension that may have built up.

How does noticing your breath change things?

Now think of a time when you were fully engaged. This can also be called being in the zone or experiencing flow, a time of energized focus and full immersion. Where time is irrelevant.

What were you doing? Teaching, learning, creating, writing, helping?

What words can you use to describe your state of flow? Focused, excited, relieved, creative?

It helps to remember those times of flow, and recognize the impermanent nature of boredom. So, what would happen if you accept the feeling of boredom, know that it will pass? Just observing it, having fun with it even, shaking your head at boredom.

So get curious about what boredom feels like, don’t be afraid to experience it. When you do this over and over again, you’ll find a subtle shift occurs. You learn to stay with it, not running from the experience, and learn to accept it for what it is. You become more comfortable with the uncomfortable. So next time you feel bored, stay with it, get curious about it, lean into it and embrace it. You might find new insight and deeper peace.