Boredom: Cause or consequence of depression?

[harasgenster]

Anybody else feel chronically bored? I think it's been part of me for a long time because my dad always complained that I was a 'jack of all trades, master of none' because when I was a kid I would ditch activities for others as soon as the challenge was starting to go out of them (so I'd learn an instrument, but once I was adequate and it was getting easier I'd get bored and learn a new one).

It's been particularly bad since graduating from university. I was immediately disappointed by life when I graduated because the challenge went out of it and there was no stimulation anymore (I enjoyed both academia and the creative projects we did - creative writing etc.)

I've tried to bring challenge and excitement into my life. I did stand-up comedy for a while, I'm in a band, I have a 'professional' career but to be honest the challenge has gone right out of it and I'm bored now. I'm about to start a new job but it sounds just as boring as the last one (it's paid twice as much though and I need the money). I try to keep up with creative writing and I'd like to make it my career one day, but it's difficult to get the concentration after work. I've tried learning to tap dance, organising hikes, learning to ski, going Go Karting, going to festivals....I'm still very bored.

It feels like I get depressed BECAUSE life is boring. But I wonder if it's the other way round - does being depressed make you chronically bored? Anyone else feel bored all the time? It seemed like after therapy the obvious thing to do was to change my life to make it less boring, but I'm actually finding it quite hard to do that. It would mean finding new friends, it would cost a lot of money, it would require a huge amount of effort, and it would mean doing a lot of things on my own (my friends/boyfriend don't have quite as broad interests to it's hard to find someone to accompany me to everything I do).

I've heard that the need for constant stimulation/novelty/challenge can just be part of your personality - it's essentially just 'curiosity' I suppose. But I hope not, because that makes me feel doomed!

[MrAndy]

I get very bored at work which makes my anxiety go sky high,i try and be pro active in work to stop the boredom.I am in sales so anything that isnt fast paced bores me to death

[harasgenster]

I get very bored at work which makes my anxiety go sky high,i try and be pro active in work to stop the boredom.I am in sales so anything that isnt fast paced bores me to death

Thanks for your reply, Andy. Do you find that you're able to stave off the boredom if you change what you're doing? And do you think that your boredom is due to an extreme in your personality (like you have to things fast-paced) or do you think it's depression? I'm not sure whether I'm just very easily bored or if it's depression - I seem to have a pretty good attention span while things are still interesting, so I'm not sure if this is something I can change about myself or not.

[MrAndy]

ive always got bored easily since i was a kid but it then turns into depression and anxiety,i need to change jobs really but havent got the balls to do it at the moment.One thing I have to do is stop constantly thinking about anxiety,i havent conquered that yet.Coming on here helps but also reminds me anxiety to much so a double edged sword

[PanchoGoz]

Yes I have this too. When an empty day stretches ahead I feel quite worried. Emptiness can be quite scary, as an the idea of stopping in fast paced life. Maybe you must learn to love boredom!

[Anti-socialbutterfly]

I'm exactly like this too! I get 'itchy feet' every two/three tears and have to change my job. Going through this at the moment and almost handed my notice in at work on Thursday (had the letter typed out and in my handbag when I went in). I think I've actually always been this way too, and it's not just boredom for me. It's a kind of emptiness, a feeling that everything is completely pointless and that nothing I do in any respe t is meaningful. This obviously causes depressive feelings and its a vicious circle effect!
You're not alone!

[harasgenster]

I'm exactly like this too! I get 'itchy feet' every two/three tears and have to change my job. Going through this at the moment and almost handed my notice in at work on Thursday (had the letter typed out and in my handbag when I went in). I think I've actually always been this way too, and it's not just boredom for me. It's a kind of emptiness, a feeling that everything is completely pointless and that nothing I do in any respe t is meaningful. This obviously causes depressive feelings and its a vicious circle effect!
You're not alone!

This sounds just like me....although I know what I want to do for a living and I think I would be happy with it but it's going to take a lot of work to get there, if I ever do.

Some people just aren't suited to the whole 9-5 job for life, settle down have kids, eventually retire life I think. Most people I know want that - it's an 'easy life' if you see what I mean - but I just feel empty when I think of that. I'm bored of my city and want to go elsewhere, I'd like to move abroad for a year and learn a new language, and I want to be self-employed in a creative field so that I can work like I did in uni (i.e. in the morning, break in the afternoon, work in the evening). It just really suits me better.

I've heard this described as the mid-twenties crisis. Realising that life is a lot more boring and less fulfilling than expected and getting itchy feet as a result.

[Tessar]

Anybody else feel chronically bored? YES!!!!!

I read somewhere else recently just what you say .... "It feels like I get depressed BECAUSE life is boring. But I wonder if it's the other way round - does being depressed make you chronically bored?"

Until I read this the other day, it hadn't occurred to me to turn this on its head..... but I totally agree. Until this realisation, I interpreted my boredom as equating to laziness. I have been busying myself with negative labels like this for such a long time, I don't think realistic thinking was remotely possible.

The trouble with depression is it distorts your thinking to the point its impossible to think clearly or realistically. This is why I find reading up on depression (be it self-help books, online articles etc) is so very helpful. Including reading other people's posts here.

Harasgenster, the stuff you said in your original post about "changing your life to make it less boring" & "finding it quite hard to do that. It would mean finding new friends, it would cost a lot of money, it would require a huge amount of effort, and it would mean doing a lot of things on my own"

That does ring true with me..... Though luckily I have been able to push myself to do some stuff on my own. I reckon you can do it but it's necessary to push yourself hard and maybe feel a bit uncomfortable here & there bit the more you do it, the better it gets.

I doubt you are doomed & there's nothing wrong with needing stimulation, novelty, challenge. they are probably what keeps our interests up in life but sometimes dong what is necessary to meet those needs/desires is not always easy. Things can get in the way. It's then that we find life difficult. It can feel like a struggle but ultimately if you keep battling on.... You can get there. Alongside that, you can learn new things & meet new challenges. That certainly has been my experience.

[SlowShow]

Anybody else feel chronically bored? I think it's been part of me for a long time because my dad always complained that I was a 'jack of all trades, master of none' because when I was a kid I would ditch activities for others as soon as the challenge was starting to go out of them (so I'd learn an instrument, but once I was adequate and it was getting easier I'd get bored and learn a new one).

It's been particularly bad since graduating from university. I was immediately disappointed by life when I graduated because the challenge went out of it and there was no stimulation anymore (I enjoyed both academia and the creative projects we did - creative writing etc.)

I've tried to bring challenge and excitement into my life. I did stand-up comedy for a while, I'm in a band, I have a 'professional' career but to be honest the challenge has gone right out of it and I'm bored now. I'm about to start a new job but it sounds just as boring as the last one (it's paid twice as much though and I need the money). I try to keep up with creative writing and I'd like to make it my career one day, but it's difficult to get the concentration after work. I've tried learning to tap dance, organising hikes, learning to ski, going Go Karting, going to festivals....I'm still very bored.

It feels like I get depressed BECAUSE life is boring. But I wonder if it's the other way round - does being depressed make you chronically bored? Anyone else feel bored all the time? It seemed like after therapy the obvious thing to do was to change my life to make it less boring, but I'm actually finding it quite hard to do that. It would mean finding new friends, it would cost a lot of money, it would require a huge amount of effort, and it would mean doing a lot of things on my own (my friends/boyfriend don't have quite as broad interests to it's hard to find someone to accompany me to everything I do).

I've heard that the need for constant stimulation/novelty/challenge can just be part of your personality - it's essentially just 'curiosity' I suppose. But I hope not, because that makes me feel doomed!

Wow. YES. To all of this! (Minus the having a stable relationship thing, which I never actually managed...) Right down to "I should just sit down and write that crime novel I keep thinking of..."

I've been going through a flurry of job applications lately, which has caused my anxiety levels to spike. I used to *love* the idea of moving to a new country, changing jobs every 1-2 years, but now I do research into moving to London and research on top of research about the industry/position and all I feel is more anxiety because I worry it's a lot of work for something that will become dull quickly...

[fduop]

I typed boredom into the search column and get these posts. For the last several weeks I have really been dreading the weekends. I've found that my anxiety grows up quite a bit on the weekends as opposed to the weekdays.

I've been thinking it's just the lack of routine during the weekend, that my days just seem to drag on over Saturday and Sunday. This weekend is a holiday weekend with Monday being a holiday here. So I'm trying to drag my school work out to give me something to do.

But like many of you, I wonder if the boredom or something else is causing the anxiety, boredom, or both?