Electronics vs. Boredom

The dog days of summer are upon us, so the challenge is to find a balance between how to stay off phones and electronics and how to become bored. Yes, BORED, the old tried and true remedy to confirming summer is officially here. We all tend to reminisce about the good old days of when we were children, and how we suffered through summer trying to figure out ways to combat boredom, but for the most part, those memories of kicking the can or catching fireflies light up my mind much greater than what the beginning dread of the boredom felt like. 

No matter your age, it is a tough thing to put away the electronics. We tend to think the electronics NEED us, in order to get work done or to answer someone’s plea on a social media outlet, but truly, putting the phone down and giving it a rest, even for a short period, allows for rejuvenation and fresh thoughts. 

I am engaging in this topic because recently, I forgot my phone at home when our family was leaving on a trip. My first thought was anger, which then led to frustration, then resignation, and finally a sense of freedom. The freedom came because I was on a vacation with my family, the people I love, and by being present with them, I realized that was the most important part of a vacation. Although we had a friend FedEx my phone to me and it arrived early the next morning, the other important thing I learned was that even though there were things that I could tend to on my phone (emails, texts, etc.) none of it was urgent, and couldn’t be taken care of when we returned from our vacation, so the remainder of the trip, I did my best to leave my phone behind on our vacation and focus on the time spent with family and friends. 

Here are a few things that may help out, even for a little bit, to keep your phone and technology at bay. In the car, whether driving or riding, stick your phone in the glove compartment, especially on road trips. The very meaning of a road trip is to stare out the window and look at things in a different way while you mosey along your journey. At home, move your phone elsewhere when you watch TV or read. Try treating your phone like the “home phone” when you get home, plug it into a specific spot, and let it stay there. It is not an appendage and doesn’t need to go with you wherever you go. Turning off notifications is also helpful. Notifications can be important, and you can choose what could need your instant attention, but for the most part, the apps that suck you in are the ones that have the notifications. If you do want or need to look at apps, you can also set a time that you are willing to spend browsing before putting the phone away. Set a timer, and stick to it. We are all guilty of bringing out our phones while waiting in line. Try to stop using your phone when you are standing in line, or waiting for someone. It is a crutch. Use that time to practice random breathing exercises, or make up stories about the person standing in line in front or behind you. Kick your phone out of bed. Go old school and buy an alarm clock instead of using your phone as your alarm. Break the “checking” cycle. Once you have checked email, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, etc, it is tempting to circle back and do the round again. Train yourself to put your phone down after the intended action and keep the phone a healthy distance from your bed. 

It is difficult to find a happy medium of how to resourcefully use all the electronics that are so easy to come by and use and put away. We have a dedicated phone table that our family puts their phones on at night every night at a certain time, but that doesn’t keep the computer, Apple watch, and Kindle from being used directly after the phones are put away. It is a struggle because there are so many electronic options, but the gift of releasing them into the netherworld and allowing for free thought and perhaps full-blown boredom to creep in is a gift you can give yourself, and the presence of your full attention to those around you the gift that keeps on giving.