“Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do…” (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland)
In life as in art, there is no good reason to stay bored.
Bored at home? Rearrange the furniture, take a walk, or take up a hobby. Bored in our relationship? Spice things up or, worst case, try a new dish (after respectfully sending the old dish back to the kitchen). Bored of ourselves? Time to get soul-searching. I recommend meditation.
But if we're bored at work, we can’t just take a nap under the desk. It may be time to go down the rabbit hole. There are practical realities, of course. Even Alice, or at least her husband, eventually had to pay the bills.
But as adults, we have choices. There is no state-mandated curriculum for our daily grind (unless you are a teacher—thank you for your service!). Ask the boss for a new challenge or solve an old problem in a new way. After a few serious talks with yourself, if you determine it is time to make an exit from your daily grind, you’ll probably want to form a plan before you go off chasing white rabbits. Only you know what your situation requires.
My point is this: whoever you are, whatever your situation, you get to choose your own adventure. I know—we all have various degrees of privilege and free agency. This is a broad generalization meant as encouragement. Caveat aside, if you don’t like your current options, create new ones. If you’re not sure where to go next, pick a path and try it. You don’t have to keep walking in that same direction forever. Even in circumstances we seemingly can’t change, such as chronic illness or family pressures, we can still change the way we feel about where we are. Change it, chuck it, or choose to love it.
Finding your next right step may take time, but there are many ways to just feel better:
Try a new route to work.
Find new work.
Learn a language or skill. Recently, I learned to code!
Actually take your lunch break. Nothing kills joy like a sad desk lunch.
Take a trip, or plan a trip for a better season.
Stay local but explore a new part of town.
Dance to upbeat music. Or sad music. Whatever works for you.
Sit still and listen to the silence.
Go to the library and choose a book at random.
Start a conversation with a stranger. (Be wary if the stranger is smoking a pipe.)
Wear your fancy clothes and throw yourself a party. Guests optional.
Explore a passion project.
If you need to, take the nap.
Try something. Anything.
These are just a few suggestions for finding your Alice. If you’re not sure where your happy is, ask her. Your inner child has probably known all along. Follow your curiosity, for rabbit’s sake—life is just too short.
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