The Blahs
August 20, 2010
Intellectual boredom and a steady trickle of cash
Unlike Q2, which was characterized by steady spending, punctuated with a steady stream of irregularly sized freelance income, Q3 remains unpunctuated by any additional income. It’s just all outflow and that makes me antsy. Point of fact, this close to the fall and winter spending seasons, it makes me downright itchy.
Then too, everything is moving pretty normally in my finances and there’s nothing much for me to be done there, so that’s just boring.
Work is not so Zen because my six month review is pending and I intend to ask for a raise so I’m examining my list of accomplishments and performance.
The combination is doing nothing good for my state of mind.
The usual pastimes, reading, writing, cooking, plotting new menus, planning travel, chattering with online buds, browsing deals or tinkering with my finances are seriously lacking in color and verve, I’m lacking spice and verve. Even hosting giveaways isn’t entertaining me much.
Has the higher frequency of visits, company, friends in town, and going out inured me to the usual humdrum homebody life that I normally love? Do you s’pose I’m singing the flu blues? Or is it time for a really big shake-up?
And what kind of shake up should that be so as not to waste/spend money?
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Daytrip/picnic someplace scenic? Maybe you could go hiking on a gentle stroller path (like where you see parents with strollers) out near you. That’s something I like to do when we’re in the bay area.
I’ve found that usually when I get bored (which is almost never) it means that I need to make some change, or take something to the next level. I tend to think that boredom is our mind’s way of telling ourselves that we need more stimulation (well, duh, that’s pretty much the definition, right?) but I guess I mean more specifically, that we are guilty of avoiding something that we really should or could do but are not doing because of laziness, fear, anxiety, or some negative force like that. Wow, heavy thoughts, huh? Or are they dumb thoughts that don’t make much sense? Well, in my case, boredom is a front for putting off things I really should do that I don’t want to get to, like decluttering my house (when I say decluttering I mean heavy-duty like you see on “Clean House,” throwing out papers from 2003, not tidying up a bookshelf.) Or maybe thinking about my education or something large-scale like that. Your mileage may vary.
When I have the blahs, I call friends and just hang out – maybe a DVD night in at one of your places. I also like Bingo, but I’m a 70 year old in a 27 year old body…
hm. Maybe it’s time for a vacation? If you’ve only been there 6 months & are plotting a request for a raise, this may not be the best time.
Possibly a new exercise routine? Walking or biking someplace regularly?
New dog? Nothing like a puppy to shake up your life. 😉
It could be all of the extra company you had if it’s slowed down. I had a lot of social weekends and then decided to cut back. At first I was a bit bored/lonely/restless until I adjusted back to my normal routine.
when i get bored, i have to plan to do something new, that i’ve never done before, and soon.
but what? I’m not sure what to suggest for you, perhaps just a day trip to somewhere sort of nearby you’ve never explored?
Perhaps you’re in a rut. Or work is just getting to you, sucking the joy out of everything else? Just make sure you don’t stay in the ‘blahs’ too long.
I’m also having a slow freelance time, but that’s usually how it goes in the summers for me.
@Nicole: That actually does have some appeal, I tend to forget one doesn’t need to go charging up a trail to enjoy nature.
@444: Absolutely makes sense to me, that’s pretty much why I’m uncomfortable with boredom. Boredom is stagnation in my book; also, I get frustrated when I can’t effect the changes I want because I share a household and don’t get final say on everything.
@BFS: Part of that cure is to blame: I don’t have friends in the area I can just call up. They’re all on the East Coast or down south.
@FaM: Boss could just say no – but I’m not going to skip asking since he said upon job offer that while not routine, they’re open to raises at the 6-month review after excellent performance.
Who am I to fail to make an argument that I’ve done so? 🙂
Oh goodness, a new dog would be fab. But it’s not just the routine it’d shake up.
@Karen: I suspect you’re right. Even though I wasn’t thrilled about constantly having people around, their absence feels like a letdown of sorts.
@stackingpennies: Looks like our next weekends will soon be chock full of old stuff like visiting family, etc. But I should find *something* for the To Do list when I next have free time.
@Penny Frugalista: Yes, yes, and yes. A little of everything, I’d say. And the total absence of freelance work is getting my goat as well.