Put down your phone and let yourself be bored.
When was the last time you were bored and didn't pick up your phone to mindlessly scroll through social media feeds? When did you last stare out the train window and let your mind wander, let it dance over the tree-tops and houses?
We have so many easy entertainment options available to us, and we have become afraid of having nothing to do—being 'busy' is a badge we wear proudly. But our minds need space.
Just like how you crave personal physical space, your mind needs some mental space away from all of the alerts and pop-ups and noise of the online world.
Lately I have been allowing myself to be bored. Sometimes I put down my devices and pretend it is the early 90s. I stare out the window while eating breakfast and ponder the day ahead instead of checking emails. I'll create something in the kitchen, or do some colouring in instead of playing games on my phone.
With all of this I'm giving my mind a chance to stop consuming, allowing it to process all the information I have taken in over the day and to come up with new ideas.
It's like my mind gets to exhale and make space. I don't feel like I need to respond to all of the stimuli all of the time, and it stops me feeling like my attention is constantly being pulled in all directions.
So if you've been feeling drained and craving space, maybe start by distancing yourself from your phone for a little bit each day. Invite in boredom—that beautiful relic from days gone by—and see what it creates within you.