Many obligations in one's life are bound to be time-consuming, repetitious, routine and/or boring. In some ways, all of this boredom helps to enhance the experience of doing something more exciting when the opportunity presents itself. There is no single way to cure boredom, but it is possible to do something about the symptoms. Sometimes all that is required to cure boredom is a change of attitude towards the task at hand.
Many people combat boredom by keeping busy during the downtime. A lull at work can be the perfect opportunity to balance your checkbook, call a friend or surf the Internet for a new game to play or website to read. If none of those options are available, you could take a short walk for exercise or talk with a co-worker. The idea is to keep your mind occupied until things get back up to speed.
Another way to cure boredom is to assume a more proactive mindset while performing routine or menial tasks. This might involve challenging yourself to beat a personal production record, producing more parts in an hour or getting the job done fifteen minutes faster, for example. You could pretend your life is in danger if you don't get this job finished on time, or the safety of the free world is at stake if you slow down. Any mental image that gives you the incentive to get done with a routine or boring task faster can help cure boredom.
Some find that cross-training for other responsibilities can help them avoid boredom and frustration. Performing exactly the same tasks every day can have a detrimental effect on a worker over time, both physically and mentally. By cross-training, a person can add some variety to his or her workday and also give employers more options when it comes to work assignments and staffing.
One way to cure boredom in your personal life is to search through local newspapers for interesting events in the area. If you enjoy singing, for instance, there may be listings for karaoke clubs in the area. Movie buffs may choose to attend showings at a real movie theater instead of watching heavily edited versions at home. Sports enthusiasts could find a game being played locally or a club that offers organized sporting events on the weekends. Any activity which offers the chance to get out of a dull routine at home is bound to cure boredom.
Perhaps an internal change in attitude can help relieve boredom as well. Some people feel better about performing routine or menial tasks if they assign a higher purpose to them. Your job may not seem exciting at times, but the end result of your efforts could be rewarding to others. Spending all day in school may seem boring, but the end result is a better education and more opportunities in life. If you make an honest effort to see the greater good in whatever you're doing, there is less of an opportunity to become bored or burned out.
