07/26/2025
Boredom means I’m safe.
Circling back to that whole “quick dopamine” thing, I believe that we’ve lost our ability to be bored.
Sitting idly in the car for a few minutes —> picking up the phone to scroll.
Going for a walk in nature —> listening to a podcast or checking email every 50 steps.
I’m reminding myself that boredom is a very good thing because I can only feel bored if I’m also safe. Our bodies are not meant to be swung on the dopamine pendulum all day long.
Neutrality is okay. Boredom is okay. Boredom may feel like stagnancy because we’re so used to spikes of dopamine, but that doesn’t mean it is. For any of you that are super hard on yourselves, boredom can make us feel like we’re failing. Shouldn’t I be doing more?
But boredom, silence, stillness is what allows clarity to come through.
Meg Josephson, author of Are You Mad at Me?
Are you... - Constantly worried about what people think of you, if they like you, if they’re mad at you? - The eldest daughter and/or the angry daughter? - Anxious, a perfectionist, or an overachiever? - Always overextending yourself (and then resentful)? - Someone who avoids conflict a...
