We’ve all felt it before. You scroll through Netflix for half an hour, only to find you aren’t in the mood to watch anything. You stare in your fridge and decide there is nothing to eat, only to come back and stare at it again. You load up video game after video game but can’t seem to get any of them. You’re bored!

Most of us don’t view boredom as a dream-killer. We see it more like a thing that just happens and eventually goes away. However, boredom is a symptom of a greater problem. When you feel bored, there is a lack of passion and purpose in your life. It shows a need to find motivation and build up the mental strength to get excited about your life and the goals you are working towards. Boredom sucks on your passive energy, so to beat it, we need to be active. Here are five ways to crush your boredom and keep your dreams alive and well!

1) MOVE! It is difficult to feel bored if your heart rate is up. Whenever you feel bored, get up and start exercising. Don’t wait and think about what type of exercise to do or where to do it, or you will continue to sit in place and feel bored. Have go-to exercises that you enjoy doing so you can spring to action right away. 
2) Vision Board – Visuals are very effective in centering our mind and regaining focus. Create a vision board that displays the goals you have and accomplishments you hope to achieve. When you feel bored, look at it and remember the vision you have for your future. Still feeling bored? Add a few more pictures to your display. 
3) Infuse Passion – When you are not bored, write down a list of things that you are passionate about and why you are passionate about them. It could be school subjects, hobbies, sports, extra-curriculars, religious beliefs, philosophies, family, friends, or anything else that makes you tick. Then, when you are feeling bored, review your list. Add a few more reasons. Realizing what makes you feel passionate will help you spring into action and out of boredom.
4) Serve – When you are bored, you are typically stuck in your own head. The best way out is to help someone else out! Go serve your family, your friends, your community… Being helpful is productive on many levels and will kick your boredom in a way that will make you proud. It will even create some lasting memories.
5) Have a feel good box/folder – Boredom causes you to forget the best qualities you possess and the great, positive influence you can have on the world. In those moments, keep either a physical folder or a digital file filled with praise you’ve received. Letters / texts from people special to you saying what you mean to them, tests with high scores on them, trophies/medals, and any other memory that shows your value should all be kept in one place. Any time you feel bored, pull that box out, look through what other people have said about you, and kick your boredom so you can continue living up to the best qualities that people see in you!

Boredom is a slow and silent dream-killer. It feasts on inaction and laziness. Kill it with energy and liveliness, and continue to live out the life you have always dreamed of!