Pearl One
Back in the day food was my entertainment. In my book, there was nothing worse than being bored. Food was the answer to any kind of boredom. Life gives everyone highs and lows, but in between it all, boredom is the featured guest. It’s boring to get my car tags every year. It’s boring to work out on a constant basis (at least for me). But the most boring of all is getting my teeth cleaned twice a year.
Turns out, feeling bored was never meant to signal us to absentmindedly eat handfuls of M&M’s out of large bag while staring at our phones (sounds fun, though, doesn’t it?).
I recently heard one prominent woman say essentially that life isn’t meant to be one firework show after another. It was good to hear from her because her life has had many spectacular moments so if she gets bored, everyone gets bored. It’s a human thing and it’s also a human thing to find solutions to the annoyance of boredom. Some thoughts on this often unaddressed subject.
For starters, I learned to accept — not like, accept — that getting bored is a huge part of everyday human life. Now, before I eat, I always ask myself, “Am I really hungry?” If the answer is no, I find something else to do.
Of course, I prep myself for potential boredom eating saying “I don’t eat like that anymore, I don’t eat out of boredom, let’s crack a book.” In the beginning I said these thoughts to myself all the time.
Feeling bored challenges us to sit and daydream, write and even doodle in our journal and cuddle our fur-kids while we stare off into space.
Boredom isn’t the enemy. When we’re bored for a bit, our brains start wandering, new ideas pop up, and we even think about what matters most to us in life. It’s like giving our mind a mini vacation.
The power of boredom has been studied and all conclude that short-term boredom is good for us, that allowing our minds to free float is beneficial. It’s the chronic boredom that can lead to depression, overeating and risky behavior. Boredom isn’t wasted time, it’s our brain’s way of hitting “refresh.” Embrace boredom and let your mind wander, and watch creativity and insight flow through your pen onto your journal. ❄️
Pearl Two
Our journal-writing pearl.
- What kind of relationship have you had with boredom?
- Do you think that food and boredom can go together?
- What do you think about getting bored for ten minutes a day working up to more as you go (meaning no screens, not even a book, only your journal and a furry someone).
- If you think about boredom as being a friend instead of an annoyance, how could this perspective change the way you spend down time?
- Reflect on the thoughts about yourself or your life that tend to surface when you’re bored. What patterns or appear when your mind is quiet?
- Would you say that boredom is more short-term or chronic for you? ❄️
Pearl Three
Sequencing is taken directly from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). The purpose of sequences is to help us move from reacting to circumstances to responding. I encourage you to do a sequence a day in your journal. Powerful stuff. Apply to your own life.
Initial Sequence
- Situation (be very concrete): Maisy is 72. Her parents both passed in their mid-80s. Maisy has five cats. Her daughter lives in Europe.
- Thought: “If I die, what will happen to my babies? I don’t know a soul here who’d take them.”
- Feeling: Maisy feels overcome with grief and is very upset on a daily basis.
- Action: She does a lot of worrying and hand wringing.
- Result: She continues to not have a plan for her kitties.
Chosen Sequence
- Situation (be very concrete): Maisy is 72. Her parents both passed in their mid-80s. Maisy has five cats. Her daughter lives in Europe.
- Chosen thought: “I’m trying something new. I’m researching and staying open to new ideas. Two of my cats are elderly and will likely cross the rainbow bridge before I do. But three are young. I need to stay chill. That’s my aim: to be chill, I can do this.”
- Feeling: She pointedly tells herself that she needs to pump herself up every day. She also tells herself that this part of life isn’t fun for anyone and might take many months of research before she picks the right path.
- Action: She talks the situation over with her vet and asks what others do. She writes on her Facebook page asking for feedback on what she should do. She’s gathering ideas and possible solutions. She even asks for suggestions from a neighbor.
- Result: Maisy makes a decision to visit her lawyer and puts her five cats into her will adding ample money so they’ll be fed and cared for. After talking with the local kitty rescue, she met one woman in her forties who heard her story and said, “I’m your back-up, I’ve got you.” Maisy now has a new friend who visits for food and talk about once a month. Plus her new friend gets to know the kitties. ❄️
Pearl Four
I tried, but while I dipped into several books that looked promising, all fell short for one reason or another. So the books that I’m bringing you today are two of my favorites.
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles. I love novels that aren’t just an absorbing read, but also have a current or two streaming under the actual story. I turn the last page of an Amor Towles’ novel a better person or parent or friend; and definitely a more knowledgeable student of history. His other fun book (not quite as awesome as Moscow, but it holds its own: Rules of Civility. ❄️
Pearl Five
First forget inspiration. Habit is more dependable. Habit will sustain you whether you’re inspired or not.” ❄️
Octavia Butler
We were on the outskirts of the ice storm in Atlanta and thankfully didn’t get much snow or ice, but the trees all look lined in diamonds. Nature’s Christmas ornament! Really pretty.
I hope you have a really boring week! lol.
♥, Wendy
You know the scoop: I’m an Amazon affiliate. If you buy from a link in my post, I’ll receive money, but the arrangement won’t cost you a dime.
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I am not an expert, doctor, surgeon, nurse, dietician, or nutritionist: the information within TheInspiredEater.com is based solely on my personal experience and is not intended to be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
