Mirror Magazine

Mirror Magazine

Are you bored stiff?
By N. Dilshath Banu
We all know those days when we just don’t feel like doing anything at all. Worst of all, during these days time never moves fast enough. You check your watch minute by minute, and sigh and mutter, contrary to the usual ‘time flies’ feeling.

Whether it’s a cosmic or chemical reaction that is making you feel really dipped in energy, and not wanting to do anything, you’ve got to admit that you have gone through this same phase on and off. No one is free of the charge of feeling BORED!

If you’re trying to get rid of that itchy feeling – hey, calm down! You are not the only one who’s running the race; down the line so many have tried to find a cure for this disease, which is commonly known as ‘boredom.’
Different individuals get bored on different occasions and circumstances. For some, not having their friends beside them would make them bored, and for others, rain brings on their boredom. There’s no one particular reason how or why one gets bored, but whatever the reason, getting out of it is quite formulaic.

At home? Simple. You have the choice to do whatever you want to get rid of the feeling of boredom. You can hang on the phone with your friends, or like most of us, enjoy music or watch the ‘idiot-box,’ which at times is possibly the best thing ever invented.

But if you are in school/office, when your mood starts to dip – although it seems kind of scary – most of us do have some quick fix to that familiar mood swing.

Jaya (21) says that once he finishes reading all the newspapers and surfed the net to his heart’s content, he just has one more thing to do. “I go to a corner where there is a telephone, flip my telephone book and try to have a chat with the people I haven’t been in touch with for a long time. It’s not necessarily my friends I chat with; sometimes it could be one of my lecturers, school teachers, former boss or any one who I haven’t been able to get through to for a long time. Once I have a few chats, I’m able to continue my normal activities.”

Shiraza (20) says, “Usually, I try to chat with anyone, especially my friends. If not, I sit and scribble something; most of the time it’s poems about nothing at all. After sometime when I am bored again, I read what I have scribbled previously, and try to make sense out of it. Although, no one reads it or it’s never going to be published, I still love scribbling when I am bored, as it helps me to overcome that lost feeling of not quite knowing what to do.”

Twenty-one-year-old Anuri says, “When I am bored, I usually go shopping and buy something expensive. Most of the time, I buy jewellery, some cute looking teddy bears, any kind of dress that looks nice on me, shoes… the list has no end. The things I buy are not things I may desperately need, and I usually figure this out once I’m back home. I sometimes really finish my cash as a result of this habit. But I enjoy the spur of the moment decision to buy whatever I want to, when I am feeling bored. It’s worth satisfying yourself when you are feeling bored, sometimes.”

While some of us are filling up those listless hours with some kind of activity, there are by others who celebrate by taking it slow and really savouring the time. Susy (22) says, “Food really makes me high. If I am having a boring day, then if it’s closer to lunch, I’ll buy something like a buriyani or something really tasty and different from my normal diet. If not, I may add a chocolate, ice cream, biscuits or whatever my friends have in their bag.”

Iraj (yes that Hip-Hop Iraj we all know) says, “Take a Break – Have a KIT-KAT,” and that’s exactly what he does when he gets bored, while experimenting with music. “That’s just a simple way of getting back on track,” he says.

Twenty-one-year-old Kalani says that when things are not at all good, she just sips those café delights – iced coffee! ‘Iced coffee will give me an instant boost! I don’t know why the iced coffee makes me feel good, maybe it’s the natural ingredients in it.”

Being happy about having no-restrictions on her office time, Tania says that when she’s bored, she tries to take a walk, just ten minutes out of the office. ‘I’m very fortunate that I can go out of the office, whenever I want, for a short time. So I walk and walk and walk. I usually try to walk along calm roads, or sometimes near shopping malls, staring at the things that are displayed in the stores. Once I’m back in office after my short walk, I feel relaxed and eager to resume my work again.”

Next time, when you feel the urge, and actually do yawn more than twice while in a tight situation, where there is no escape, figure out what makes you tick! And then, what are you waiting for, APPLY IT!

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