This is my latest Newsletter that went out yesterday. I decided to post here because there is so much truth to it especially now, in this time in history. No matter where each of us live, or what type of work we do, there is
more in common among us that has ever been before. So, when my days are gloomy even when the sun is shinning so bright outside, it helps to remember that we are all in this together.
Nowadays I experience all the above. Have you noticed that when your mind is full, you try to be mindful? When you are mindful, you feel calm and more relaxed. Now, when do you let your mind wander? Never! The moment we feel that uncomfortable feeling creeping in, aka Boredom, we reach desperately for the remote control, for the refrigerator door, or more often, for the phone. Smartphone, I mean. And we start ‘scrolling’. (Isn't it amazing you read the word scrolling and you don’t think of a parchment paper?). Technology has been designed around that. It’s designed to make full use of that split second where you decide: Should I look at my phone? Yeah!
I got trapped in the social media hole for a while. It’s really crazy how you can loose a day following the rabbit hole! Mind you, it’s a pretty hole and quite exciting. I even reconnected with people from my childhood. It was great! But I also lost precious time with my family. And that was not good. I felt a pressure of having to make a presence in the virtual world spreading my message of mentorship and coaching. I know that is necessary, but the feeling of guilt that came afterwords, was a sign that I needed to embrace the internet with a plan and being clear about my goals and priorities. I couldn’t get as creative as I usually am. And that was because I was not allowing enough time for my brain to recharge. And I can only do that when I let my mind wander. No tasks…. Just a little bit of boredom.
An amazing thing happens when we allow our mind to wander and boredom is the gateway to mind wandering. It happens when you are not focused on an activity, but you are either lounging or doing something very repetitive that doesn’t need your brain to be engaged, like folding laundry (without the TV on). You ignite this network in your brain called the default mode. The neuroscientists know that this is when you do your most original thinking. Is when you do your problem solving. Is when you have imagination and where you have empathy. Your brain does something like time traveling. You go back in time and think of things that happened and you extract lessons from them. You can also imagine yourself in the future doing something like performing on the stage, speaking in public, and you process the situation. You don’t feel anxious all the time. I like to call it “marinating” the ideas. I know that, if I let the 10 scenarios that play in my head about a future event like teaching a seminar, just marinate along with other juices like time, imagination and playfulness, somehow I feel prepare without having to memorize anything.
How to exercise the boredom muscle? Practicing to go through the uncomfortable part of being bored more quickly. As in mowing the lawn -It’s loud which makes it hard to listen to music or anything else. Or walk/run without the ear pods, etc. At first it's uncomfortable. Just stay with it and soon your mind replays a bunch of things and then you’ll start to process it.
A Project called Bored and Brilliant by Manoush Zomorodi investigates cutting-edge research as well as compelling (and often funny) real-life examples to demonstrate that boredom is actually a crucial tool for making our lives happier, more productive, and more creative. A good dose of boredom shouldn’t be viewed as a bad circumstance but rather as an opportunity to unplug, daydream, and let your creative juices flow.
So, next time you catch yourself binging on Netflix, sit by the window and let your mind wander for a while. Your brain needs time to get weird. To think!
We are all in this together
Whether you stay focused on a task, or wandering and feeling distracted, or mindfully allowing each breath to move you… know that you are exactly where you’re supposed to be. Take time to observe what goes beyond the window looking out and looking in.
Besides being a Ballet Mentor/Teacher, my passion is also being an Integrative Health Coach for Dancers. Being a dancer from another country, I know first hand the struggles of trying to FIT IN into a different culture and into the world of dance. Perhaps the key is to FIT OUT.
And how do you do it? Digging In!
Let me know if you would like to schedule a free consultation with me. It’s basically a great conversation! Reach out! I’d love to help.
#mindwandering ##boredomcreativity
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