One of the most fun things I owned as a child was a well-worn notebook and a pencil. Not that my Barbies weren’t also a good time, but this book was where I kept all my stories. From the moment I could write, whenever I felt the familiar pangs of boredom set in I would often find myself scribbling stories into said book, escaping into my own rich fantasy world, far, far away from the top bunk in the bedroom I shared with my little sister, and the tedium of having nothing to do.
Growing up, my parents were of the approach that kids didn’t need to be bombarded with constant activities or outings (and being new to the country, they also had their hands full working and building a new life for my sister and I). Ultimately this meant that a huge chunk of my childhood was spent grappling with boredom, and trying to find my own way of filling the hours whether it was the weekend or during school holidays. While it felt quite torturous at the time, in hindsight I think it was one of the best things my parents could have done for me.
Boredom is without a doubt an uncomfortable feeling but it’s arguably character building.
Boredom is without a doubt an uncomfortable feeling but it’s arguably character building. . From my perspective, it has also been the catalyst for some of the best things in my life. My writing career certainly wouldn’t exist without it. All those hours honing my writing, playing with words and falling in love with the craft, ultimately led me to my current career. Being a writer is a critical part of my identity, and it has also given me the gift of being able to do something I genuinely love and call it work.
Beyond childhood, boredom doesn’t leave you, of course. In fact, it can sometimes be even harder to grapple with when coupled with the constant pull to be doing something interesting or productive at all times as an adult. And as most of us know, adulthood isn’t always either of those things. While the circumstances which fuel our feelings of boredom change as we grow older, the feelings stay the same. And I’ve found the much honed skills of a childhood dealing with bouts of boredom has enabled me to be comfortable enough to sit with those feelings. By doing so, I’ve been able to push through many a boring situation to reach a bigger goal. From the long bouts of study I committed to week in and week out to get into university to staying in jobs which had become mind numbingly boring in order to wait for the right next move, being well versed in boredom enabled me to manoeuvre my way through all of it -and get creative with ways to make it just that little bit more interesting…
"A huge chunk of my childhood was spent grappling with boredom, and trying to find my own way of filling the hours," says Tania Gomez. Source: Supplied
Unexpectedly, being well versed in boredom has also helped me with motherhood. Monotony often goes hand in hand with parenting, and while I love my boys dearly, our days are quite often spent in a near constant loop sprinkled with a heavy dose of predictability. So, I’ve tried to lean in to it rather than avoid it. Instead when I’m feeling boredom set in after the umpteenth reading of The Gruffalo or an afternoon of playing the exact same thing we’ve played the entire week, I try and use it as an opportunity to get creative and inject a little freshness into our routine. Whether it’s asking the kids to tell me their own version of a story or flipping a well-loved game on its head by tweaking the rules. It doesn’t always result in breaking through our overly familiar routine, but occasionally, it does inject a little novelty into our day.
While being alone is not something I get very often these days, I think boredom trained me to be content in my own company and to look internally for ways to spend my time.
While being alone is not something I get very often these days, I think boredom trained me to be content in my own company and to look internally for ways to spend my time. During my years of being single, there were times I would have to contend with the uncomfortableness of having hours to myself with nowhere to be. And while I can’t say it was always fun, it allowed me to discover new interests, and ultimately it also meant I wasn’t scared to be alone. When men came along that may not have been the most compatible of matches, I didn’t hesitate to choose the path of being solo. So when the right person did eventually enter my life, I knew I was getting into a relationship for all the right reasons.
More and more, boredom seems to be something many of us are trying to distance ourselves from (we sure have enough ways to plug it after all) but I’ve found it to be something that often drives you to action. If you allow yourself to sit with it for long enough and emerge on the other side, often you’ll be struck with a moment of inspiration, learn something new, or galvanise your resolve to pursue a goal. It’s a powerful pause - and something many of us could welcome into our lives more often.
If the past few years have taught us anything, it’s that being idle isn’t always a bad thing. In fact, it’s sometimes the catalyst for something truly great around the corner.
