Summary

Orla K., a writer who found herself unexpectedly in Portugal due to the Covid pandemic, uses her experience with boredom to encourage readers to engage in reflective thinking rather than seeking distractions, and plans to continue her exploration of boredom in future writings.

Abstract

Orla K. shares her personal journey of dealing with boredom during an extended stay in Portugal, a destination not originally in her travel plans. The pandemic disrupted her intentions to move to Malaysia or Singapore, leading her to seek refuge in Portugal. As the months passed, she turned to writing on Medium, setting a goal to write 100 articles, of which she has completed 94. Despite enjoying writing, she yearns for the freedom to engage in more action-based activities and is eager to leave Portugal soon, with plans to move after her niece's visit. Orla views the ongoing Covid restrictions as a challenge to her desire for mobility and social interaction. She advises others to confront boredom by reflecting on its causes rather than numbing it with distractions, and she hints at upcoming content on the topic of boredom.

Opinions

Orla K. expresses a sense of being stuck in Portugal due to the Covid pandemic, which has affected her original travel plans.
She has a positive view of writing as a way to cope with boredom but acknowledges it is not a complete substitute for the freedom of movement and social interaction she misses.
Orla values action and plans to resume traveling soon, indicating a proactive approach to life.
She believes in the importance of understanding the root causes of boredom rather than simply seeking escape through distractions.
Orla is optimistic about the future, looking forward to creating happy memories with her niece and possibly writing more content, including poems, from a new location in the south of Portugal.

Don’t Forget to Set Aside Thinking Time

Think your way out of boredom — don’t just numb it.

A few days ago I wrote a blog on Boredom and so now I am sharing my process with you as I walk through it.

I felt really bored. I came to Portugal as a stop-gap, I had no intentions of getting stuck here for a long time.

Don’t get me wrong, Portugal is a beautiful country and I am considering living here in the future, but it was not part of my current plan.

I got shifted here because of Covid. I was in Vietnam, but just before the pandemic, I was planning to go to Malaysia or Singapore for work.

I didn’t want to stay in Vietnam as I was finished with what I wanted to do there and besides, the visa extensions were expensive — $130 per month.

I decide to come to Portugal to wait a while and then go to Ireland, but the months are now dragging on and I’m still here.

Ireland is in lockdown and it’s not really what I want when I go home. I want to be free to drive around and catch up with my friends and family.

Medium became my saving grace and focusing on this little adventure kept my restlessness at bay.

My goal was to write 100 articles and I notice that I have 94 done!! Wow! I can’t believe it. I really must have been bored!

No, just kidding, I love writing, but I miss my freedom and I would like to mix my writing with more action-based activities.

So I hit a wall of boredom last week and it was hard to bear. The answer to the boredom was not to write more but to make my plans to get moving again.

I need to get out of here. My time is up and I hate when I stay longer than I want to.

My niece is coming to visit me on the weekend. I can't wait to see her. She is the one who is going to kick me into gear. After she leaves, I will leave too.

We will have our little catch-up in Porto and create nice memories together.

I am heading south…the south of Portugal. How far? I’m not sure yet, I will let you know when I book a flight. I feel better just knowing I will be going soon.

Covid is a drag and I won’t let it get the better of me. I will go where the sun shines brightly and the sky is blue!

I might write happy poems to you from the south of Portugal soon. :)

By the way, my boredom research is ongoing, so I will post that soon. This is all I feel like writing today.

Don’t numb your boredom with distractions, sit with it, and think about what is causing you to feel bored.

Let the answer come up in your spirit. You don’t have to force it. Just ask the question and wait.

Boredom

What is it anyway?

medium.com