What a guaranteed way to get depressed? Get and stay bored. As any teacher will attest, when children get bored, misbehaviors start to escalate. It is no different with adults. However, those “misbehaviors” look different.

When we are bored, we want to do things to increase our stimulation. Those choices may not always be healthy. For instance, have you ever sat down and over eaten just because you were bored? Or drank too much? Or bought too much? These are all very common behaviors. We may make other choices, like hanging out with people who can cause problems for us, just to stop the boredom.

And yes, we can get depressed. Very, very depressed. We need stimulation. If we do not get it, it can send us down a vortex of depression. One client that I was working with was able to lift his depression by starting back at school and getting his brain engaged again.

There are many ways to combat boredom that are healthy. First, find some things that you are interested in. These do not need to be on the level of Disneyland or going to Paris. It could be gardening, going on a hike, reading a good book, volunteering, or, like my client, signing up for a class. While some of these boredom-busters may be found on our smart phones, I do want to encourage you to actually get out and interact with real people. We, as humans, do better when we have real contact with other humans.

So! Fight depression! Fight boredom! Start a hobby! You will be amazed at how much better you feel! And, as always, enjoy the journey!