Between work, hanging out with friends, exercising, and checking social media, I often find myself constantly consumed with something. There’s rarely a day when I have absolutely nothing to do (which doesn’t mean I’m filling my time with things worth doing) and normally I love it. I like being busy and pretending that all busyness means productivity, even though realistically I spend much of my time being unproductive and filling my time with nonsense. During my months at home I found that there’s a lot of power in boredom. That may sound strange and totally goes against everything we have been taught in our society, but sometimes boredom propels you further than being busy.

In times of boredom we ask ourselves questions and find out who we are.

I’ve found that so much beauty happens in quiet moments. You find out who you are, where you want to go, and what makes you feel alive. If you’re constantly going from one thing to another, you’ll never find the time to slow down and ponder what’s important. For so long I was in a job that I saw no future in. I knew I didn’t want to stay in this position long term, yet I was too busy going through the motions of everyday life to actually work towards changing my situation. It wasn’t until quarantine forced me to stay home that I realized that I was filling my days with too much noise and not working towards any of my goals. If you want to get more in touch with yourself and embrace the beauty of boredom you can:

Delete social media

Deleting social media is a very freeing experience. Every time I have deleted Instagram I have found that I think more clearly, have more confidence and work more towards my goals. Social media is a major distraction. You may be surprised to see how much time you have wasted mindlessly scrolling on apps every second you get. Constant entertainment leads to lazy minds, if you want to think and create more than you consume, make an effort to stay off of social media.

Related: HOW TO DITCH YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA ADDICTION SO YOU CAN LIVE BETTER

Take a mental health day

Taking time away from the busyness and noise of everyday life is a great way to get more in touch with yourself and your emotions. My pre-coronavirus routine consisted of running from work to dinner to the gym and back home to watch a show before bed. There was no time to settle down and spend time with myself without a million distractions and things to do. Now that I have been embracing a more simple lifestyle, I have found that I am more creative and lend more time to what truly matters. Every once in awhile it’s important to forget the everyday race and get back to your roots by focusing on what you want for your life and the direction that you are going in.

Take a walk or go to a park without your phone

These days no one goes for a walk without bringing their phone. Everyone is either plugged into music or talking on the phone while they walk. Try to take some time to go out in nature without bringing any distractions like a phone or even a friend. Spending time alone, especially in nature will give you to opportunity to think and let your mind wander.

We live in a society that is always trying to consume media and constantly be entertained. There is so much good in taking a break and allowing yourself to be quiet and focused on yourself and the world around you. Only good can come from spending meditative time with yourself.

Connect with me on Instagram:

@vitamincgreentea

@gabbywalters13