Expert: Mel and Guyna Horne - 5/1/2008

Question
what do you do when your bored?

Answer
Hi Katie,

    There are different causes for boredom, which is defined as " the state of being weary and restless through lack of interest ". What resolves it in one case may not work in any other case.
    We may become bored either because of a lack of activity or because of being at or involved in an activity.
    In some classes, I was bored because of being in that class but in the summer, I was often bored because I was not in school.
    In other words, what causes the boredom in one instance, may be the solution in another instance.

    Resolving boredom may be limited because of time, space or obligation.   Waiting for a ride, or a bus is often boring but you cannot leave or start some other activity.  Waiting in a doctor's waiting room is always boring, but space is limited, so I always try to take something that I really want to read, or a sudoku book I keep in my vehicle when I have to wait on my wife.  At least sudoku improves my mental skills rather than letting the boredom rot my brain.  In classes or meetings that are a waste of time, I make notes or lists of things to do or shopping lists, anything to make the time profitable and to save me time later.  I have even used boring time in one class (class discussion of political science, ugh!) to study for some other class.

  Getting bored in a movie theater or in church, with family or friends and not having the option to leave is a hard one.  Daydreaming is the usual option, but I try to use time more effectively, so I have made design drawings for things I want or need to build, make a pro/con list for some decision I have to make, or if I must give the physical appearance of "being present", I will do it in my head and at the most, make a note or two on a piece of paper.
  Books can be a profitable and/or entertaining escape from boredom, but some people have trouble with reading, concentrating and sitting still.    If I am near a computer, I often search for humor and jokes or cartoons, but even the computer can become boring because of the lack of physical activity.
  If I am waiting in a public place, I watch people and think about what their lives are like.

 If I am alone, I think about the meaning of life, the meaning of my personal life, and what I want to accomplish in my lifetime.

 I have a list of about 100 different topics that I want to learn more about and sometimes I will just scan through the list and pick one and Google it.
 When all else fails, I search for "real" but unusual or funny church names like "Loco United Methodist Church" or "Hooker Church of Christ" or "Croom-A-Coochee Baptist", or "Boring United Methodist Church".   I've collected hundreds and posted them at:

http://www.geocities.com/changes1611/index.html

We hope this answers your question which we assumed to be a request for suggestions.  If not, please clarify and ask again.
Sincerely,
Mel and Guyna