I know you are bored especially with the new stay at home rule, but what kind of boredom are you experiencing? Are you so bored that you are becoming depressed and/or unmotivated to do anything? Or are you so bored that you want to do something to bring you out of that mood even if it means creating something stupid?
Last night I thought within myself, 80% of individuals will go to sleep tonight and then wake up tomorrow morning to go through the same routine again. It is the season of Country lockdown and the routine for most people is simple - Eat, Work from home( for some), take care of the house, cook( for some), Spend hours on the phone, Sleep and Repeat.
The act of hanging out and/or having unprotected sex is not even safe for those who engage in this anymore at this present time. Some really close friends are even practicing social distancing, what could be more awkward than your friend telling you not to visit at the moment. Of course many are grateful for the gift of life and for good health but this restriction to movements abd social distancing is no longer funny.
Amidst all the funny memes and skits created on social media to alleviate panic and give comic relief this period, a funny meme appeared on my whassap status recently which really cracked me up but still sent a message. It read :
"Notice from Psychiatric Society"
"During lockdown, it is normal to talk to plants, pots, pans and things. Contact us only if you hear their reply"
As funny as this is,it drives home the fact that a lot of people may be mentally or psychologically affected by this compulsory stay at home and social distancing. A lot of people may be affected by the fact that they have to remain indoors and practice a routine that they have never been used to all their lives. A lot of people may become bored and not know what to do about it.
It is true that some people will get their needed rest and relaxation. For some it means that you will finally know who cares about you, for others it means that you can have more family time and you can try out new skills but are you immune to boredom? Do you know that there are levels of boredom? ever heard of Apathetic boredom?
Apathetic boredom is usually characterized by a lack of interest in life activities or interactions with others. The individual becomes so bored that he or she can't maintain relationships and enjoy life.
Everybody experiences apathy from time to time. There are times we feel unmotivated or uninterested in daily tasks. This type of situational apathy is normal.
However when Apathy becomes frequent and uncontrollable, it is a symptom of several psychiatric and neurological disorders. Some of which includes:
Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s disease
Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia, stroke
Etc
Boredom can drive one to the brink of insanity, at the same time it can birth creative ideas in individuals. It all depends on how you experience it.
Boredom can be a destructive feeling, leading people to depression yet in certain circumstances, boredom can be a force for good, something that starts a creative process or something that leads to greater self-reflection.
Boredom is an emotion that’s is underrated despite its being common in today’s society. I hope that in a time like this when the world is faced with plagues which has forced many to remain in seclusion, we can channel our boredom and isolation from the outside world into something great. I hope that we don't become people who suffer negative effects of boredom but rather people who bring out the good from sour situations.
