School is out, AP scores are back, and the ACT is over. That can only mean one thing: Junior Year is over. It’s truly summer. This summer, I decided to take a part time job to make a little money but still have plenty of time to be bored. There’s so much value in being able to relax your mind and just let it go wherever it wants.
That’s why I think everyone should take some time to be bored, especially in the summer when you can go for walks and just enjoy time outside. The outdoors are so healing and rejuvenating, even if you aren’t bored, you should still spend some time outside.
One thing I’ve loved is taking pictures around my neighborhood with my camera. It’s such a good excuse to go outside and appreciate the world right outside your door. Even if you don’t have a camera, using your cellphone will still force you to get outside and look closer at little things like a baby bird that you might’ve missed had you not been taking photos.
Also, you could just enjoy the silence. Don’t listen to music, podcasts, or whatever else as you walk around and see how you decide to entertain yourself. This is how I’ve come up with some of my best ideas. The ability to entertain yourself by simply thinking is a great skill, and one that I’ve used a lot.
With all the advertisements, media, and near constant input from the world around us, it can be useful to just be bored for a while. I find that the best way to calm my nervous system is to just shut everything off and sit in the emptiness for a while. It’s uncomfortable at first, but once I commit to doing it for even five minutes, I feel so much better.
Until Next Time,
Ella Greene
