Beat Summer Boredom
Summer break has just begun and as much as we’ve all looked forward to long, lazy days with little routine or scheduled activities, our downtime can also come with long stretches of…boredom. So, what exactly is boredom? Well, when we’re bored, we’re in a state of being disinterested with the world around us. Maybe you're thinking of things you want to do but can't right now, or things you feel like you should be doing but lack the interest or motivation to get done, or maybe you have run out of activities to do. One universal trait of boredom is that you are not engaging with your environment. So, let's change that!
Mindfulness is a skill that reconnects us to the world around us. It pulls us out of our heads and into our bodies, focusing on the environment and staying actively engaged in the here and now. Mindfulness activities can be short or long. You get to decide. Whether you are bored with Zoom calls and want to step outside and feel connected with the summer sun, or your kids have been bugging you endlessly about having nothing to do. This mindfulness activity works for everyone! Mindfulness engages our five senses: sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste. Here is a mindfulness activity that gets you out of the house, engages all your senses, and works for any age.
Preparing: Get your walking shoes on, make a water or lemonade, and if you are bringing kids along grab the stroller and fill a spray bottle with water (this will help engage the kids). Maybe try downloading a plant identification app like “Picture This” or “Plant Snap” to learn more about the plants and flowers you find.
Activity: Go for a walk around your neighborhood or local park. For this activity, the mindfulness goal is to find and observe all the plants and flowers in your environment that you can. Here is how to engage all of your senses while you explore the plants and flowers.
Sight: As you walk around, try to notice all the plants you pass. What color are they, what size are they, what type are they, are they in full bloom or just starting, are they all the same or is there a variation within the plant, are they in the sunlight or the shade, are they swaying in the wind or are they still, do they look thirsty? How many shades of green do you see? Have your child use the spray bottle to water the plants and tell them about how the water helps the plants grow.
Smell: What do the plants smell like? Do they smell different up close than they do far away? Does the smell remind you of anything else? As you walk around finding plants and flowers, what else can you smell?
Sound: As you walk, what all do you hear? Can you identify the sounds of birds or animals? Are there cars, bikes, or walkers around? Do you have music or a podcast playing?
Touch: Lightly feel the plants you pass, notice if the plants are scratchy, sharp, smooth, or soft. Notice the wind and how it feels on your skin as it blows, or maybe it's super-hot and you notice the feeling of the sun beating down on you. Are you sweating?
Taste: Being outside makes us work up a thirst. Good thing you packed a drink! As you take a sip, pause and notice -- what do you taste? Did you pack ice cold water or a sweet lemonade? Where do you feel the taste on your tongue? Is the taste refreshing? Tart? Sweet? Cool?
As you go through summer break, just remember that when you start to feel bored it means you are feeling disinterested in the environment around you. The quickest way to beat it is to engage with it in a new way. There are tons of ways to engage in mindfulness activities and help us hit the reset button on our thoughts and feelings.
