I’ve recently read that being bored is good for your brain because it allows itself to wander instead of taking in information and noise all the time with podcasts, mindless articles, social media, etc. I’ve been filling my days with crap nonstop and haven’t had a chance to let my mind be “bored”.
I can’t even read certain books because of how “long” they are. I expect them to be a few pages or less like a news article. Our brains are now wired for quick bursts of information like 140 character tweets, 15-second videos, and Instagram/Snapchat Stories. We don’t have the patience to enjoy things like we used to. We can’t even wait to watch an episode a week of our favorite TV shows opting to binge watch them on Netflix instead.
So what can we (mainly me) do to fix this ever growing problem?
FOCUS
I’ve been meditating every day for the past two weeks, even if it’s only for a few minutes a day. This, in turn, has allowed me to focus on one thing at a time and brush everything else off especially the unwanted thoughts that pop into my head. I still have to work on my organization skills, which I will definitely write about in a later email but this is a start.
So, how do you start meditating?
Set a timer for a few minutes and sit still where you won’t be bothered. Focus on the air you breathe in and out. Your mind will start to think about different things, which is normal but allow yourself to come back to your breathing for those few minutes. That’s it! There isn’t any fancy tricks or anything. Just you focusing on your breathing.
Let me know how it goes!
What I’m Currently Into
Documentary: Dumb: The Story of Big Brother Magazine — Very cool documentary about the legendary Big Brother magazine. A much watch for skateboarding fans.
TV: Narcos — I didn’t think the writers could make the show any interesting since Pablo Escobar got killed at the end of last season but I was wrong.
Book: Last of the Giants — Great book about the complete history of Guns N Roses leading up to the start of their reunion tour earlier this year.
Article: Inside the black market for Instagram verification.
Bonus item — Watch this TedTalk by Manoush Zomorodi on how boredom can lead to your most brilliant ideas.
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