Embracing Boredom

Boredom is one of life's very serious challenges that we can neither run away from nor get rid of. In fact, boredom is one thing a lot of people can't wrap their heads around because it poses more questions than answers. Also, boredom comes in various dimensions and forms, thus making it hard to find a lasting cure for it. Heck, a lot of people can't even decode when they are bored or not. It can be annoying and elusive at the same time.

One of the things that makes boredom such a bother is its deep correlation with loneliness. A lonely person will regularly get bored, and this impacts the mental and, maybe, physical health of the person. However, boredom is not only around when loneliness strikes, but a person can also be in the midst of a bustling crowd and still be bored. It is the feeling of emptiness and lack of interest that takes control when one is not in the right frame of mind.

Throughout my adult life, I've had to battle boredom on occasion. At times, its presence may be because of finding myself in a new environment where communication was difficult. One of those that instantly comes to mind was during my youth corps day. Though I was in a community where I couldn't get to grips with what they were saying, funnily enough, the language barrier wasn't the problem. The source of consternation was the way of life I was expected to live in the environment.

I never knew religious shelter could be frustrating until I stayed at one in Akpabuyo. The rules were so unbelievable that I walked around feeling like a certified sinner of some sort. Don't listen to worldly music. Always dress fully before leaving your room. You must wake up by 5 am for daily devotion. You must attend all fellowship activities, whether you are cool with it or not. Men, the list goes on and on. At a point, I couldn't take it anymore after getting openly condemned for choosing to leave early from an evening fellowship I wasn't interested in to go watch Van Persie get a guard of honour from disgruntled former teammates. That was it for me as I packed my bag that week and headed to a new place of abode.

Now, this is not to shade the place; however, I got so bored despite living amidst people to the point that I had to turn to playing games heavily to escape the reality I was living in. Then, I'd play games from 10 pm till 2 am the next day. I was waiting for my letter of relocation, so I wasn't really visiting my PPA. So I needed something to occupy me during the daytime when the religious ones were going about their business. Playing games at night and sleeping by day became my mode of escape. However, it messed me up.

Nowadays, I tackle boredom with activities that I believe could add value. And of course, I still play different games when I'm not feeling like doing anything. It has proved effective in tackling boredom caused by different scenarios.

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