We all get bored. In fact, just before I started writing this post I was pondering whether I should just browse the internet aimlessly or actually do something productive.
Although the differences between being bored and being unmotivated are subtle, the underlying cause may be significantly different.
What is being bored?
Lacking something to do.
Repeatedly doing something that it becomes unchallenging.
What is being unmotivated?
Are you tired or exhausted from lack of sleep?
Is there some other event going on in your life that distracts our focus?
Do we have a lack of interest in something?
If you are finding yourself unmotivated, you need to look at what is going on in your life that could be causing you to feel this way.
If you are physically tired or exhausted – Get some sleep! If you are running on limited sleep you may experience some delusional highs, but eventually you will crash. If you get plenty of sleep you might want to look at your diet. Some foods will give you a temporary pick-me-up, only to cause you to have no energy shortly after (Redbull).
If you are having issues in your personal life, you will need resolve as soon as you can or else your focus will continue to be clouded. Most of us will have small issues that will always be on our minds (like a list of things that you need to do), but if you have issues that effect all aspects of your life you may want to seek professional help.
Not everything that you do will interest you (this includes work, school and personal life). If you can direct your focus on something that motivates you. This won’t be possible in all scenarios such as if you need to do something work-related and you have a deadline. By focusing you attention on something more motivating it might put you a different state of mind so that when you need to complete uninteresting task, you will be able to overcome a mundane task.
Feeling unmotivated may not be something you can fix immediately, like leaving work in the middle of the day to take a nap, but you can gradually make adjustments to keep you motivated.
Boredom is an opportunity
Under ideal circumstances, we should never feel bored. There are literally dozens of remedies to combat boredom, but here are a few that you can try the next time that you feel bored :
1. Go somewhere, anywhere.
Don’t allow yourself to be trapped in the house. Don’t get stuck sitting on the couch, watching TV, feeling like there is nothing on. There are plenty of places that you can go to break from your boredom: bookstore, mall, the park, the beach, etc. Get some fresh air and wake up your mind.
2. Learn something new.
If you are like me, you have a list of things that you want to accomplish (particularly if you are a geek – you might want to learn a new technology). This is the time to do it. It’s useful if you go somewhere else then where you are feeling bored. If you are currently using the computer, you might want to take a laptop and go somewhere else.
3. Break Out of Routine.
If your work is becoming repetitive and uninteresting try approaching it differently. You may be able to do this by accomplishing tasks in a different order (or time of day). I know in the development world, trying to devise ways to automate your routine is a good way to eliminate boredom and allow you to have more time to focus on things that interest you.
How to Distinguish Between Being Bored and Unmotivated
We all get bored. In fact, just before I started writing this post I was pondering whether I should just browse the internet aimlessly or actually do something productive.
Although the differences between being bored and being unmotivated are subtle, the underlying cause may be significantly different.
What is being bored?
What is being unmotivated?
If you are finding yourself unmotivated, you need to look at what is going on in your life that could be causing you to feel this way.
Feeling unmotivated may not be something you can fix immediately, like leaving work in the middle of the day to take a nap, but you can gradually make adjustments to keep you motivated.
Boredom is an opportunity
Under ideal circumstances, we should never feel bored. There are literally dozens of remedies to combat boredom, but here are a few that you can try the next time that you feel bored :
1. Go somewhere, anywhere.
Don’t allow yourself to be trapped in the house. Don’t get stuck sitting on the couch, watching TV, feeling like there is nothing on. There are plenty of places that you can go to break from your boredom: bookstore, mall, the park, the beach, etc. Get some fresh air and wake up your mind.
2. Learn something new.
If you are like me, you have a list of things that you want to accomplish (particularly if you are a geek – you might want to learn a new technology). This is the time to do it. It’s useful if you go somewhere else then where you are feeling bored. If you are currently using the computer, you might want to take a laptop and go somewhere else.
3. Break Out of Routine.
If your work is becoming repetitive and uninteresting try approaching it differently. You may be able to do this by accomplishing tasks in a different order (or time of day). I know in the development world, trying to devise ways to automate your routine is a good way to eliminate boredom and allow you to have more time to focus on things that interest you.
How have you overcome boredom?
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