The guest post I ran on the blog this weekend got me thinking about boredom and hobbies.
See, I’ve had to do a lot of things to avoid boredom the past few years. Battling unemployment with part-time jobs, odd jobs and a massive job search can really mess with your mind. Anyone who has been in this situation can probably understand where I’m coming from.
Checking out community days/fairs/festivals is a good and inexpensive way to get out and avoid being bored overworked.
The funny part is, some of the things on that list I had never considered and I wish I had — such as reading free chapters for Kindle books. Talk about a way to see if there’s something you truly want to read.
But it also got me thinking about the human mind when it comes to boredom.
See, a lot of my time the past few years has been spent on the computer. It’s the bad part about being on a job hunt. Resumes. Cover letters. Search. Tweak resume. Write another cover. Search for another job. Repeat.
Over and over. And over. And over.
I’m sure you get it.
But doing that for many hours a day gets pretty boring. And it’s not that you don’t want to push forward, it’s that you can’t. Words start mashing together. You worry you’re writing to one person and putting a total different name in the spot. I can’t even say how many times I’ve woke up in the middle of the night worried I addressed a cover wrong. I’d quickly grab my phone and access Dropbox to see if I did it right. Thankfully, I’ve only had an error once — and I wonder if it hurt me.
Alas, I won’t dwell on that one. That was my stupid mistake and it involved a name that could be male or female. Yeah, I’m sure you know what happened there. I did e-mail the person soon after, apologizing. I even conceded in the letter that I probably ruined my chance for the job, accepted it and moved on. I haven’t made that mistake again.
But that boredom.
I call it computer eye. By that I mean I stare at a screen, trying to write a cover or tweak a resume and nothing works. Nothing at all. It’s not necessarily boredom, rather a block. So I’ve needed to do things to keep my mind focused.
My out has usually been some sort of a creative outlet.
From writing on the blog, to photos (many of which I still need to process), to just getting outside has been key for me. Utilizing creativity allows a mind to wander, to think, to focus. I usually can go back to cover letters and such within the next day and be good to go.
One thing that has been key is finding affordable or free things to keep busy. That’s something that isn’t underrated. And while blogging has been amazingly therapeutic — especially with creating many friends in this outstanding community — it doesn’t get you away from the computer.
Get out and find a place to hike or explore.
Geocaching (outside the GPS unit I bought several years ago) is a free hobby, for the most part. Hiking is free. Going out and snapping photos is free, again outside of the equipment I already owned. Playing board games with friends is free. Disc golf is free, as long as you have one disc and can get to courses. Letterboxing is free. Many parks are free. Heck, I visited a zoo in South New Jersey not too long ago that was by donation, so it could be done very inexpensively.
In the warmer months, many communities have festivals or fairs and a lot of them are free. You just have to look around and visit other communities. It’s well worth it.
It really makes you think outside the box.
Sure, there are online things one can do, but there are so many other things. Do some community service, or find a way to help people. I try and do work with Find-A-Grave as much as I can, which allows me to help people from all over by getting photos of long-lost relatives headstones. Maybe they are researching a family tree and those stones can often be very important.
That guest post also got me wondering — what do you all do to escape boredom or to clear your head when you really need it? Share in the comments below as it might help others looking for free/inexpensive ways to spend some time away from the computer.
Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!
I work on the house and the lawn. I have found free e-book downloads at the library. I am a video game junky. I probably waste too much time on silly stuff.
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But, sometimes wasting that time isn’t a bad thing. It avoids boredom!
I don’t have enough time to do all my non-computer things but here’s my list to beat the boredom:
– cleaning (and it’s amazing what a clean house does for the spirits)
– sewing
– baking (there’s always a reward at the end of it)
– knitting
– reading
– playing (lego, play dough, you name it)
– exercising (I have oodles of exercise DVDs – so I do the occasional Zumba, yoga, Tae Bo, etc.)
– go for a walk / play in a park
The best things in life really are free!
Wishing you a lovely day.
Jennifer | The Deliberate Mom recently posted..When Your Heart Aches
It really is amazing how some of those things you mentioned can take up time and cure boredom. Thanks for the thoughts!
As a middle school teacher, it frustrates me to no end when I hear a student say, “This is boring.” or “I’m bored.” I heard once, which doesn’t necessarily mean it’s true, but in German, the closest you can get to actually saying “I’m bored” is “I bore myself.” This, if true is quite telling. Everybody is responsible for their own level of boredom. It’s actually amazing how many FREE things there are to do to relieve the “boredom.”
On a side note, could you do me a favor please. Since changing my email, I’m wondering whether I’ve missed a setting somewhere on my blog. I’ve not received a single comment on either Challenge entries for the last two months. I went through this month and commented on everyone’s blog who posted on your HooHaa monthly challenge and have yet to receive a single comment back on my own blog. If you have the time, could you please comment on my last blog entry just so I can know whether it’s something I missed, or rather that I suck as a blogger. 😉
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I know when I was a kid, I probably said it many times. We always were told to go outside, and we did and the boredom soon ended. In current days, with all the things many kids have, I can’t imagine being bored!
Boredom? How could anyone be bored when there is cheese, shoes and alcohol in the world? 😉
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mmmm… Cheese.
Very good ideas for beating boredom for free. With six kids, I don’t get bored. Ever. But things we do to help them keep from getting bored are many of the things you already suggested. Going to different parks or towns to explore are favorites of ours.
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I can imagine six kids would really be something to keep boredom away! I love exploring parks as well and it’s a great way to get in touch with nature.
Great ideas to beat the Blahs. I tend to try and get outside and do something, weather permitting. The extension of my hand (camera) keeps me sane. Of course, then I plop down in front of the computer for processing. But it’s on my terms at that point. 🙂
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Being outside is often my choice as well, but I’ve also found I can’t stand it when it’s too cold anymore. I used to be able to handle it. Now? Not as much!
Good thing I love in NYC as there is so much to do here that it’s hard to get bored, and many are low cost or free if one looks hard enough.
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Amen to that, Phil!That is one major selling point for living in a city — so many things to do, and often times at all hours.
As one of those “creative minds,” I have to always stay busy. There are a multitude of projects that I always have in mind to start so I’m usually working on one of those when boredom strikes. Or I simply take a walk and enjoy some new scenery. I’ll bring my camera with me and find new photo opps. I also bake and clean if I’m not in the mood to venture outside. Life is never boring if you never let it be!
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I’m in agreement that I always like to stay busy. Sometimes it’s hard. And honestly, and I wouldn’t call it boredom, but sometimes I like to just flop on the couch and call it a day. 😉
I don’t generally experience boredom because I’m too busy freaking out about all the things I have to do… But if I’m engaged in the same task for too long, I will have to step away from it. Hiking does a lot for me physically and mentally. I’m going to make a point of going this weekend, it’s been too long.
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Hiking is a great way to touch base with a lot of things, I believe. And it really connects you to things. I’m the same way with projects, too — sometimes I just have to step away.