Several months ago, a friend asked me, “What’s something you own that you wish you didn’t?” It was an amusing question and quite timely. During lock-down, a source of fun was rediscovering treasures I forgot I even owned and items I was puzzled to have accumulated. It didn’t take long to think of my answer.
“Paperclips,” I replied and further explained that while I appreciated their utility, nothing was exciting about them, and they hadn’t changed much since their invention.
Over the past year, many of us have experienced days that haven’t felt exciting and haven’t seemed to change much, either. We may have felt the type of boredom that transforms daily routines into daily ruts.
How can we break out of these ruts? Just as doodling, daydreaming, and people-watching have done to stoke our imaginations, boredom can spark curiosity and creativity.
The following are things you can consider in your quest to shake things up:
With a new semester comes new routines. To prevent them from slipping into ruts, take some time to reimagine boredom. Your ingenuity will freshen the ordinary and awaken your imagination.
In my case, my friend’s question propelled me to think of other items that bored me, such as the many pennies strewn across my house. Between the paperclips and pennies, I’ve got a fun sculpture in the works!
Abrar Hammoud
Abrar Hammoud is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Technology Leadership and Innovation. Her research explores resilience in collaborative teams, particularly connections between artistic expressions of failure, belonging, and willingness to take creative design risks. Be sure to check back each week for another wellness tip of the week!
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