Two years ago, I wrote about the importance of being nimble as we returned to school. Being nimble is particularly important, but I feel that our focus has shifted to paying attention to healing and recovery. It is my hope that during this summer break, you have had time to relax, rejuvenate, and recover, but as we move forward, we all need to be aware of what our bodies are telling us and take time to listen and respond. One way we can promote healing and recovery is to practice boredom. Yes, you read that right, boredom! Let me take a moment to explain how and why this works.    

I had the opportunity to chat with Lynnette Ondeck, SNC who had the opportunity to attend the National Association of School Nurses Annual Conference this summer. Lynnette mentioned that one of the speakers spoke about Restart: Designing a Healthy Post Pandemic Life. One of the key takeaways was that we need to work toward post-pandemic norms. She laid out a 4-step plan: 

  1. Slow down– only do one task at a time 
  2. Love what and whom you would like and be mindful to live your life based on these loves. 
  3. Improve your communications skills- say no when you need to and yes when you can commit to a project 
  4. Make and keep self-care routines.  

I have heard a lot of ideas for self-care, but one from this presentation stood out; the importance of taking 10 minutes a day to practice boredom. Boredom promotes activity in the pre-frontal cortex, the part of the brain that plays a key role in cognitive control functions, so being bored may be a mechanism to increase our productivity, refill dwindling reserves and promote creativity. 

So, how do we practice boredom?  It was suggested that in addition to your “to do” list that you create a “to be list.”  Things that could be included on this list include- taking a minute to breathe between appointments/meetings, walking around the block or garden to clear your head, watching the grass grow, watching the birds soar, looking for shapes in the clouds, sorting things, and the list goes on.  

The 2022-2023 school year is going to start soon, and it is important that we keep our reserves full so we can manage whatever comes our way. I encourage all of you to find a self-care practice that you can commit to and practice daily and if you see people wandering around outside smelling the flowers or sorting paper clips, know that they are practicing boredom to refill their reserves. 

Resources: 

5 Benefits of Boredom -boredom
40 Productive Things to do When You Are Bored. 
Turning mindless into mindful: why boredom is unbearably great 

Reference:  

Dodgen-Magee, D. Restart: Designing a Healthy Post Pandemic Life. Presented at NASN Annual Conference on June 28, 2022.