I think we can all admit our smartphones and tablets have created some ease in our life, whether it’s from quickly being able to search what the tallest building in the world is to prove your spouse wrong, keeping track of our daily walks/runs, or just sending friends funny videos of yourself with a dog filter on; They have also created some issues. The main one being they are HIGHLY addictive! It’s not your fault that at the first second of boredom you are reaching for your phone, let’s be honest boredom is kind of painful, but it’s also actually pretty necessary.
One of my favorite books that addresses this is ‘Bored and Brilliant: How Spacing out can unlock your most productive and creative self’ by Manoush Zomorodi, which you can listen to the audiobook for free using the apps hoopla/Libby/Overdrive on your smartphone! (Yes I do understand and appreciate irony)
I love this book because it reminds us of how important it is to zone out and daydream, it generates happiness and helps us to be creative. Tapping our phones constantly stimulates dopamine, which may sound like a good thing but the problem is that you’re now wasting dopamine on checking your email, yuck! that dopamine could be generated from coloring with your kids or a picnic with a friend. Now you aren’t even needing to interact with those you love because guess what you can just tap on your phone open up amazon and buy something you don’t need and voila now you are flooded with all the feel good hormones. This process is intensifying loneliness and isolation in our society. Which brings us to COMMUNITY acupuncture.
One of my favorite parts of acupuncture is the fact that it’s typically 30 minutes without anything to distract you from sitting in stillness, feeling your body, and being bored. If you get enough acupuncture you’ll be taking quick cat naps in no time, you’ll be falling asleep after the first needle and you’ll wake up feeling refreshed. This downtime will help you be more creative, playful, and easy going.
You’ll also be in a room with other people from your community. Humans are mostly social creatures, we thrive by having community. It’s absolutely magical to witness the healing power of several people unknowingly and subconsciously working together to heal themselves.
So come and be bored with us!