Being Bored Is a Good Thing.
--
I feel capitalism tries to trick us into thinking that you constantly need to be productive, and that boredom and having downtime is a sign of being “lazy.” — Which is the BIGGEST crime to commit when our society only seems to reward those who sacrifice their lives to making money for capitalists. I think it’s time we flipped the switch. Being bored is a good thing.
About a month ago I was working at a crazy, hectic job that had me constantly stressed out of my mind. Thankfully, I quit just a few weeks ago and since have been occupying myself by taking online classes. But, — I just had this one problem, even though I do have things to do, I was bored.
I work only part-time now, pretty infrequently, due to my online classes. My days are pretty much up to my own discretion, mainly sitting in front of a computer screen. It’s pretty low-key, and I can take as many breaks as I want. The day is completely mine to do what I wish.
I’m not gonna lie to you, it was really really nice at first; however, like with any routine, it can get boring sometimes. (Especially when you have ADHD like me, you tend to get bored pretty quickly.) I started to stress myself out, thinking I was lazy, that I wasn’t doing enough with my day, that I need to be doing more.
I stressed myself out to the point I was spending 12+ hours a day on the computer, because I figured that, — if I just worked really really hard at these classes, I wouldn’t be lazy. It has been deeply ingrained in me that laziness and boredom are the epitome failure — and that I am NOT.
So I pushed and pushed myself, (much like I did at my last job,) to the point where I was just as stressed out and unhappy as I was when working at that place. Not to mention, I started getting eye and back pain from all the hours hunched over my computer trying to prove to the world that I was in fact, productive and worthy.
Then I sort of had a “coming to Jesus” moment when I was talking to a good friend of mine about how I was bored, only working part-time, and how my only real responsibility was my online classes.
Without looking up from her computer, she says, “We’ll at least being bored is better than the place you were in a month ago.”
