Feeling bored but not bored

[mystic3178]

Hi Folks..

Back again to get some advice. Since leaving the rescue services, I seem to have managed getting passed the anxiety problems to a certain degree but for some reason, at times I seem to be in some sort of void.

The void seems to be that in order to feel 'relaxed', I need to be doing something but, I don't want to actually do anything which sometimes introduce a bit of anxiety.

I'm off at the moment on holiday and at times feel fine sitting about reading and watching a bit of TV then all of a sudden, I get this strong urge that I need to get up and do something. Some times a short walk 'cures' it but it is so frustrating. It also happens when my wife and I are just relaxing. I then feel this urge that we should be doing something and I don't quite know how to get passed this feeling.

Whether it is the fact that I was always 'on the go' that my mind can't quite handle this 'relaxation' I'm not sure. We both at times feel 'lazy' and guilty for it whereas my father in law has told us to 'slow down and relax'. As you can see, I'm not sure what to make of the situation

Any advice appreciated :unsure:

Mystic3178

[gypsywomen]

Funny you should post this as i often feel the same way ,,i think of stuff to do then so bored cant be botherd,,,it must be part of anxiety but its not nice to feel that way..

[Bill]

You say you were in the rescue services which would presumably mean you were always prepared for action at the drop of a hat. I can imagine that the fighter pilots during the war might have felt the same.

My guess therefore is that your mind is still subconsciously preparing you by pumping adrenalin because that's how it's been trained to think by your work. In other words, you know you're no longer with the rescue services but your subconscious mind is still working because it's become so used to thinking in that way.

One possible solution is exercise. Perhaps if you go for a swim or a run you'll burn off this excess adrenalin so be able to relax better.

That's my guess anyway.:shrug:

[mystic3178]

Hi Bill & Gipsywoman

Many thanks for the replies. I also think it is is part of my makeup. I have always been 'active'. I suppose after approx 17 years of giving service to the community, it is hard to let go as sometimes I feel that I have failed when in fact I know I haven't. If things go to plan I hope to rejoin a previous organisation I thoroughly enjoyed. Now that I know the pitfalls I fell into in my last job, I'll be more 'alert' so that I won't (hopefully) take a backward step.

I'm taking my time at rehabilitating myself and so far it has worked well without any major meds. The feeling of being bored I think is just related to how I was so active. As you say Bill, the brain hasn't quite got to grips with not having to be on a high state of alert. In saying that though, my problems weren't related to the actual casualty work. It was the failure of my colleagues to pull their weight. 80% of the work was being done by 20% of the team - a shocking statistic that I have since discovered in a lot of organisations. In the end, I just burned myself out trying to juggle all the roles (work, home & community)

I'll get there. I'm still young and have a lot still to offer but my experiences have made me more focused and determined never to get into that state again. If I rejoin the organisation I enjoyed, things WILL be different. I won't accept people stacking or heaping all the work onto a small group. As the saying goes, there is no 'I' in team which is where I fell down - only in reverse.

Mystic3178

[Kieran]

I get this sometimes too.

It often helps, as you said, if I go for a bit of a walk. If you have something like a sudoku book or crosswords that you can do - that helps loads to engage your mind in something else.

[melvin]

i to get this i am self employed gas eng i had a big contract with a insurance company homeserve i worked 7 days awk for 4 yrs then they just dropped me to go franchise the work out to bigger firms anyway now days i find i have loads of time to myself my mind still races ahead i feel i can't sit still and yet i have nothing to do and if i do i cant be bothered i get bored very easy