Some days seem harder than others. Boredom it seems, knows no age limit. Life can be drab at times if you succumb to feeling bored, unhappy or self absorbed. Boredom is a mental state that can occur at any age, but it seems that being older than 60 and having nothing to fill the days is the worst time of all.
When we were kids and complained of not having anything to do, our folks would tell us that there was no excuse for boredom. They also told us that if we couldn’t find something to entertain ourselves that they would do it for us. So we hid out and more often than not, found something magical to do. Mom was right; there really was a world of limitless possibilities out there. All we had to do was stretch our imaginations a little. Unless we have a therapist we probably don’t have that special person to give us a shake anymore. It is up to us find our own entertainment if we don’t want to wallow.
What is boredom anyway? Linda Mooney (Prevention Magazine: May 2,000) wrote that boredom is often a serious but undetected form of stress. Boredom manifests itself as ennui, malaise, the blahs, a rut, a big yawn and so on. It may just be a vague feeling that something is wrong. You may just being going through a patch where you feel unhappy, alone, helpless and well…old. Everyone has the blahs at times, but if it becomes a permanent state it is considerably harder to deal with.
Older people have more options today than ever before and changing a downward spiral is within everyone’s capabilities. There are programs and classes in the community to help you feel young and excited again. They are called lifelong learning or learning for life programs.
Learning for Life programs are aimed at keeping seniors mentally active and socially stimulated. Make a list (call it a bucket list if you wish) of things that interest you, and then start looking for ways to explore, learn, and put these interests to good use. Some researchers believe that keeping busy is the key for happiness. It isn’t enough to do things just to go through the motions. The reason for participating in an activity is as important as the activity itself, and people who engage in activities for social reasons do better than those who do things to just pass the time.
Comments