{"id":21923,"date":"2025-11-28T09:00:17","date_gmt":"2025-11-28T09:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/psychologistvietnam.com\/?p=21923"},"modified":"2025-12-03T08:47:40","modified_gmt":"2025-12-03T08:47:40","slug":"understanding-boredom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/psychologistvietnam.com\/vi\/understanding-boredom\/","title":{"rendered":"Understanding Boredom and How to Overcome It"},"content":{"rendered":"

Understanding the Feeling of \u201cBoredom\u201d and How to Change It<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Do you often find yourself feeling bored or unmotivated?
When boredom hits, many people instinctively reach for their phones, scroll through social media, or watch short videos. For a moment, it seems like the boredom disappears but soon after, they feel even more tired, empty, and disconnected.<\/p>\n

This cycle repeats day after day. The more we stimulate our brains with quick entertainment, the harder it becomes to sit with silence or focus on meaningful tasks. Eventually, people feel a need to \u201cdo something\u201d just to fill the uncomfortable gap that boredom creates and so they stay up late, scroll more, and feel worse.<\/p>\n

From a psychological perspective, boredom is not just a simple feeling. Research shows it can trigger addictive behaviors, reduce motivation, and even affect mental well-being. But understanding boredom correctly is the key to breaking this cycle.<\/p>\n

What Is Boredom? A Psychological Perspective<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Boredom might seem like \u201chaving nothing to do,\u201d but it\u2019s deeper than that.
In fact, psychologist Danckert (2005) defines boredom as:<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cAn unpleasant emotional state marked by low stimulation and low physiological arousal.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

This means boredom is not just about the environment, it also involves your internal experience.<\/p>\n

Two Types of Boredom<\/strong><\/h2>\n

1. Internal (Subjective) Boredom<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Caused by internal factors such as:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • \n

    Lack of goals<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    Lack of meaning<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    Low self-worth<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    This leads to feelings of emptiness, confusion, and loss of direction.<\/p>\n

    2. Environmental (Objective) Boredom<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    Caused by the environment, such as:<\/p>\n

      \n
    • \n

      Monotonous surroundings<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    • \n

      Repetitive information<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    • \n

      Low external stimulation<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Even enjoyable things can become boring if repeated endlessly.<\/p>\n

      Why Do We Feel Bored?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

      Boredom appears when there is a mismatch<\/strong> between what our inner world needs and what our outer world offers.<\/p>\n

      1. Internal Disharmony<\/strong><\/h3>\n

      \u2022 Low cognitive or emotional activation<\/strong><\/h3>\n

      You can\u2019t concentrate. Things feel meaningless. You\u2019re physically present but mentally absent.<\/p>\n

      \u2022 Loss of agency<\/strong><\/h3>\n

      When you feel you don\u2019t control your life or lack clear goals, emptiness grows.<\/p>\n

      \u2022 The cycle of desire<\/strong><\/h3>\n

      Tolstoy wrote:<\/p>\n

      \n

      \u201cBoredom is the desire for desire.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

      We feel bored when:<\/p>\n

        \n
      • \n

        We don\u2019t want what we have<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

      • \n

        We want what we cannot reach<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        This creates confusion, helplessness, and emotional discomfort.<\/p>\n

        2. Misalignment Between Self and Environment<\/strong><\/h3>\n

        \u2022 A repetitive or unstimulating environment<\/strong><\/h3>\n

        For example:<\/p>\n

          \n
        • \n

          Staying alone too long<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

        • \n

          Doing work that feels monotonous<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

        • \n

          Repeating the same \u201cscroll\u2013tap\u2013swipe\u201d pattern on your phone<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

          \u2022 Information imbalance<\/strong><\/h3>\n

          Both extremes create boredom:<\/p>\n

            \n
          • \n

            Information overload:<\/strong> absorbing a lot, understanding nothing<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

          • \n

            Information scarcity:<\/strong> repetitive content, no novelty<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

            How to Break the Cycle of Boredom<\/strong><\/h2>\n

            You can\u2019t eliminate boredom forever but you can transform your relationship with it.<\/p>\n

            1. Identify the Real Cause<\/strong><\/h3>\n

            Your first step is understanding what triggers your boredom:<\/p>\n

              \n
            • \n

              Is it internal<\/strong> (lack of goals, meaning, direction)?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

            • \n

              Is it environmental<\/strong> (monotony, overstimulation, repetitive tasks)?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

              For example, joining a competition where others have a much higher skill level may cause you to lose motivation and feel out of control\u2014leading to boredom.<\/p>\n

              2. Take Controllable, Meaningful Action<\/strong><\/h3>\n

              To change your mental state, start with what you can control.<\/p>\n

              If you\u2019re stuck in a cycle of short videos:<\/p>\n

                \n
              • \n

                Step away from the phone<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

              • \n

                Move your body<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

              • \n

                Take a walk<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

              • \n

                Talk to a friend<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

              • \n

                Engage in a simple physical task<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                You can also:<\/p>\n

                  \n
                • \n

                  Create a study plan<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

                • \n

                  Set small training goals<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

                • \n

                  Build a daily routine<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                  Clear goals reduce the chances of falling into passive boredom.<\/p>\n

                  If boredom persists for a long time, consider seeking help from:<\/p>\n

                    \n
                  • \n

                    Family<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

                  • \n

                    Friends<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

                  • \n

                    A mental health professional<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                    3. Create Conditions for \u201cFlow\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n

                    Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi introduced the concept of Flow, <\/strong>a state where you are deeply engaged in a meaningful and appropriately challenging task.<\/p>\n

                    Flow feels like:<\/h3>\n
                      \n
                    • \n

                      M\u1ea5t kh\u00e1i ni\u1ec7m v\u1ec1 th\u1eddi gian<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

                    • \n

                      High focus<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

                    • \n

                      Deep satisfaction<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                      To cultivate flow:<\/p>\n

                        \n
                      • \n

                        Choose activities with increasing difficulty<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

                      • \n

                        Set specific goals<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

                      • \n

                        Remove distractions<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

                      • \n

                        Stay curious and open to new experiences<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                        Curiosity is one of the most powerful antidotes to boredom.<\/p>\n

                        Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n

                        Boredom is not a flaw. It\u2019s not a sign of laziness or lack of discipline.
                        It is a natural emotional signal that tells you something important:<\/p>\n

                        \ud83d\udc49 You need new goals.
                        \ud83d\udc49 You need meaningful engagement.
                        \ud83d\udc49 You need alignment between your inner world and your environment.<\/p>\n

                        If we learn to understand and face boredom instead of escaping it, the feeling transforms from a discomfort into an opportunity, an opening for growth, creativity, exploration, and personal change.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                        Understanding the Feeling of \u201cBoredom\u201d and How to Change It Do you often find yourself feeling bored or unmotivated?When boredom hits, many people instinctively reach for their phones, scroll through social media, or watch short videos. For a moment, it seems like the boredom disappears but soon after, they feel even more tired, empty, and […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":21924,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_siteseo_robots_primary_cat":"187","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21923","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/psychologistvietnam.com\/vi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21923","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/psychologistvietnam.com\/vi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/psychologistvietnam.com\/vi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/psychologistvietnam.com\/vi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/psychologistvietnam.com\/vi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21923"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/psychologistvietnam.com\/vi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21923\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/psychologistvietnam.com\/vi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21924"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/psychologistvietnam.com\/vi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21923"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/psychologistvietnam.com\/vi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21923"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/psychologistvietnam.com\/vi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21923"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}