Isolation: The Blessings & Opportunities of "Boredom"

* Note: This article was published in March 2020 during the Corona Pandemic

Chances are you are currently being asked to isolate yourself. As I type this, events & gatherings around the world are being cancelled and people are being asked to quarantine themselves with their families. Whether you are suspected of having the Corona virus or not, your busy schedule is clearing up.

This time at home may be with family or it may be alone. And though it’s a lifestyle restriction, it’s also an opportunity.

Obviously it is an opportunity to converse & connect.

These are confusing times, and naturally a lot of conversation is centred around Corona and its knock-on effects such as social-distancing, food-shortages, etc.

And while it is necessary for us to talk about these things so that we can process our thoughts & expectations in what are unprecedented times for many of us, don’t miss this opportunity.

This is an opportunity to reconnect with our family or those close to us. You have the time & space to talk about some bigger life stuff that can get overlooked in the everyday hustle & bustle.

Not only that, you have the time to ponder it. What do you want from life? Are you who you want to be? What needs to change? What have you achieved that you need to appreciate?

“Sometimes you’ll discover nothing. Sometimes new worlds will open up to you.”

In this day & age of 24 hour entertainment and having the world’s resources on a gadget we can carry in our pocket, we rarely take the time to be bored.

But being bored can be a blessing.

Being bored is a great way to explore your own mind. It’s an opportunity to be creative or innovative, to produce ideas that others haven’t thought of before.

Stop. Turn the music off. Turn the TV off. Turn the phone off.

This foreign country may be disorientating at first. That’s the point.

Sometimes you’ll discover nothing. Sometimes new worlds will open up to you.

Soon enough, the world will resume as normal, and everyday distractions will occupy you. Who knows when you’ll have this opportunity again?

So return to the world having made the most of this opportunity for isolation & boredom. Go back with a deeper love & knowledge of your family or partner. Go back to the world with a bigger & clearer vision of who you want to be.

Let’s talk.