If You're Bored, Read This!
By Jenna Hanington
One of my teachers once told me that to be “bored” is to be “boring.” Talk about some eye-opening advice. Luckily, I’ve found that boredom is just about the only one of life’s problems that has an easy solution.
Have you ever found yourself wandering around with nothing to do? In middle school, this was a regular thing for me. Sure, I played soccer and did homework after school just like every other kid, but between activities I was—well, boring. When I finally made the transition from middle school to high school, I decided that boredom had to go.
At first, I spent a few boring hours trying to figure out how to not be boring. Then, I decided to get involved in some activities at my school. I’d always been pretty good at soccer, so I tried out for the soccer team. I was a decent runner, so I went out for the cross country team too. Student Council? Sure, why not? And while I was at it, I might as well join the yearbook club and the volunteer club too. All of a sudden, all of those hours that I had spent being bored dwindled down to nothing. I was constantly occupied, constantly entertained and constantly enthralled by this newfound “lack of boredom.”
Do you see how simple it is? Whenever you find yourself caught in a fit of boredom, it’s as easy as finding a way to occupy yourself. Try joining some clubs or teams at school, make a goal to finish a certain number of books by the end of the school year or call up some friends to hang out. Try not to spend idle hours in front of the TV or lying in bed. There are always things to do—it’s just up to you to go find them.
Jenna Hanington is a student at Georgia Tech studying Communications and Literature. She loves being physically active and spending time outdoors.