We claim to be bored, but are we? Or does stillness simply make us uneasy? Lack of stimulation can be unnerving in a world that is always humming with notifications, content, background music, and the never-ending scroll of apps. However, what we frequently refer to as boredom may be a deeper issue—a fear of spending time by ourselves thinking.
It is not unexpected. Our focus is taken over as soon as we awaken. We browse social media while eating, check our phones before brushing our teeth, and use games, podcasts, and YouTube videos to pass the time during the day. Azurslot, which provides rapid enjoyment and the appearance of movement, is also easily accessible. We’re taught to stay active. Being silent is now seen as a sign of inaction and stagnation. However, what if all the real thing starts in silence?
Eliminating distractions forces us to face the underlying issues of anxiety, loneliness, confusion, and unresolved feelings. We divert ourselves under the pretense of boredom because these are the things we don’t want to deal with. Actually, we’re not bored. All we’re doing is avoiding the awkward silence.
However, silence should not be dreaded. Actually, we are in dire need of it. It’s the state where ideas can fully develop and where creativity can flourish. It’s the way we interpret life. Everything turns reactionary when there is no silence. Instead of truly absorbing or settling, we are simply bouncing from stimulus to stimulus.
Try shutting everything down. No conversations, no screens, no music. Simply sit. Take a breath. Be. Observe the speed at which your mind rebels, grabbing hold of your attention with ideas like “I need to do something,” “This is pointless,” and “I should check my messages.” Talking like that isn’t boredom. Resistance is that. And that resistance results from constantly being overstimulated to the point where we lose the ability to be with ourselves.
Silence begs us to pay attention. Not to a playlist, a podcast host, or anybody else, but to ourselves. And you don’t often hear that kind of thing. It requires practice. When you get past the first restlessness, you begin to notice things. It’s easy to mistake discomfort for boredom. Your body is so tense. What are the thoughts you have been neglecting? The sensation of your feelings when you’re not repressing them. Here’s where everything start to make sense. It doesn’t originate outside of you. The pause is the source of it.
Additionally, when we rush to fill stillness, we lose its richness. Quiet times can be comforting, calming, and even lovely. Imagine the stillness that follows a lengthy laugh, the silence that occurs while you watch a loved one sleep, or the silence that occurs when you are wandering by yourself in the outdoors. These are not moments of emptiness. They are completely occupied. However, they need to be present. Additionally, presence and continuous noise don’t mix well.
Perhaps the next time you’re bored, consider what you’re actually trying to avoid. Perhaps it’s a fear of what awaits you when everything else ceases, rather than a lack of activities. Silence is an invitation rather than an absence. Additionally, you will become less fearful of what lies within it the more you learn to sit with it.
You’re not bored. You simply deserve some genuine silence.
