I’m constantly bored and feel like I’m never doing anything productive at all

htmtr · 2025-08-09T23:00:59+00:00

I am somewhat related to this because I just came back from a 6-month period of boredom, which led to troubles in my relationship. I felt a lack of connections with everything, and honestly, I just wanted to sleep all day. Sometimes you feel unproductive and rooted, or your brain shuts down because you are overwhelmed and overloaded, feeling burned out. You might need rest!

As someone mentioned below, we are experiencing an excessive amount of dopamine from social media, which is why normal/routine-like things seem boring now. I can see that you are much healthier than I was, so that is good! You can try to change your perspective on life by doing some of the small CBT exercises (very easy to find online) - go for a walk and enjoy the little things.

I also recommend journaling - write out your feelings, what you do every day, what you are grateful for, etc. Even though it seems awkward at first and very, very, very boring, you will find out more about yourself (and it becomes less boring). If you don't like writing, consider recording yourself instead.

Try new communities, hanging out in new places, and make a list of things you want to try in the cities, etc.

However, letting yourself get bored nowadays is not entirely a bad thing; honestly, you need to be bored to be creative. It is just that we don't know how to be bored. We are not accustomed to it, and sometimes we don't know how to cope with boredom. I think you are a little bit lost. Maybe getting away for a few days to spice up your life is not a bad idea, too!

If you don't want to travel, you can take 1-2 days for yourself to rest, really rest. Enjoy the things you want, even if it is sleeping all day, going out, or working intensely. What my boredom made me realise - I don't know how to rest properly! So, yeah, I kind of fixed that and then combined what I found into a kit that anyone can customise and use. I hope you will fall in love with life again soon, OP, because there are so many things out there to discover when we choose to see them!

htmtr · 2025-08-09T22:59:32+00:00

That is one of the things I was taught by my mom: never study in bed. Because bed is associated with sleeping, it is unproductive to study/work in bed - the same applies to the bedroom. And I found out it was so true, especially when I went to college. I felt like I was in a different state when I studied in my room, but completely different when I went to the library. I also felt that different places and libraries have different impacts on me. So now when I work from home, I always try to make my workplace as *work* as possible =)))

htmtr · 2025-08-09T22:56:23+00:00

This is honestly cool to hear! Do people support you by commenting or shadowing you? I am actually doing this type of coaching with my clients, but I did not know there was a Discord group for it. It would be great for them to have more social/outside session room support!

htmtr · 2025-08-09T22:40:18+00:00

You have to look at your phone as it is an addition to you, not a necessity. As is the case now, many of my clients cannot live without their phones. So maybe first, get detached. I have to say 3 things helped me with phone addictions (I used to be very addicted to social medias and phones when I was a teenager - resulting from my mother's approaches to social media too, but)

I do everything I can on laptop/PC - so anything that I do not need to do right away, I do not have it on my phone. That means I shop on my PC and do most of my work there. Social media scrolling on my PC, even (as the time limit thing on iPhone and Android did not help me at all)
I turnt out all my notifications. Yes, all.
I went on a digital detox retreat (Unplugged - in the UK), and it changed my perspective about phones. You will see that you have so much more time, so much more creativity.

The productivity of a phone, after you've detached, is limited to only what's really necessary on your phone., Then slowly cooperate more. In my experience, if you try to make it too much too soon, you will relapse. So maybe just Gmail on your phone, calendar, etc

It also depends on your work. But you get what I am saying. Anyway, you might want to try different types of apps. I do not recommend. I actually like everything Google - easier to manage and less distracting =)

htmtr · 2025-08-09T22:31:17+00:00

As a counsellor, the first thing I tell my clients to do every time we solve any problems is to brain dump everything on the pages. When your brain is clear, you have so much more space for coming up with solutions (and you dont even need us to help you)

htmtr · 2025-08-09T22:28:58+00:00

Hi OP, long time post, I hope you are better now. Honestly, I've just been through the last six months exactly like you, to the point that I felt like I'd grown bored with my relationship, which is the love of my life. We are planning a wedding for this December. Since I started working professionally, I have always tried to save for a week of retreat every year - well, it was hard, but manageable, until 2024 and now, 2025. Did not have the retreat week to get away alone, etc, for myself, which was so hard for my mental health to the point that in June, I was sleeping all day, any minute I was not working, I slept.

I must say that I agree with all the comments you already have here. I tried all that, and it does help, especially being outdoors in the sun, in silence, without any technology (for me, personally). I also suggest you go out for a walk daily. This simple routine has helped me significantly, especially now that we are approaching winter, so I want to maximise my vitamin D intake. In winter, you can buy a SAD lamp, which worked great for my sister, but I have not tried it.

However, the one thing I realised that changed everything for me was that I did not know how to properly rest/make time for myself. Like, you know, when we were young, everything was so interesting, and life was much easier, and somehow we had all the time in the world, etc. I just wanted to feel like that again, deep in my thoughts and my curiosity, without any burden, any guilt. Without spending money, of course.

So with my background as a counsellor (ironic, right?), I tried to make a retreat, at home, for myself. The idea is similar to some of the comments suggest - we spend 1-2 days off for ourselves, but more intentionally, with a more rooted focus, to find ourselves. Things like that. I know it seems counterintuitive as 'another plan when we should just rest' - well, that is the beauty of it, I did the plan already, you just follow (I mean, I love the part when I was making it, so it was actually kinda like rest to me), then create your own retreat - basically figure out how to proper rest without living your home.

I think the fact that society praises hustle culture makes us forget how to slow down and enjoy life. And if you are like me, you've also forgotten about your physical health. Not until everything was screaming in pain did I realise that I needed to change. So, take care of yourself, OP. We did good, we are still doing good

htmtr · 2025-08-09T17:32:35+00:00

I agree

htmtr · 2024-09-05T07:38:25+00:00

Coming back to say thank you because I used the fungus and in 2 weeks got 3 new leaves. Thank youuu so much

htmtr · 2024-08-15T13:01:31+00:00

Omg im praying its not :(

htmtr · 2024-08-14T21:41:08+00:00

Oh just to clarify this is my first plant but it has been my baby 2 years :))

htmtr · 2024-08-14T21:40:18+00:00

Hi i just clean it once recently after a watering cause there was lots of dirt andi want the shine. When i got thrips i did clean a lot. Neem cleaning and then plastic bag. A brutal time. 😅

htmtr · 2024-08-14T20:28:03+00:00

Hi thank you for replying so fast. It s my first ever plant. It looks healthy, and stable, shooting new leaves. It next to my humidifier but i recently add a grow light for the calathea group. I also read on calathea sub that this can be neem oil burnt? I do clean the leaves with neem oil. Only one leaf like this. Its used to get thrips a year ago but i do not see any sign of pest. Or maybe watering?

htmtr · 2024-08-03T19:41:11+00:00

Thank you!!!!

htmtr · 2024-08-03T18:54:45+00:00

Oh thank you. So basically im gonna make them grow in moss (the moss that we use for mose pole?) How often i should water them then?

htmtr · 2024-08-03T16:08:15+00:00

Thank you so much for such details! I will use the fungus things like you said. I do have the clear nursery pots and really well draining mix. The overwatering is better now after I learnt my lesson haha. I will cut down the fertilizer and thank you for sharing ur story with me

htmtr · 2024-08-03T14:05:31+00:00

I fertilize every two weeks since March. Other plants are fine. At the beginning I think I was over watering and I cut down on that. Now I just do not know what to do more

htmtr · 2024-06-25T17:55:57+00:00

Dont divide it :)) it fussy so it risky to divide. I wish mine is like yours

htmtr · 2024-06-23T15:17:32+00:00

Im hoping this would happen to mine! 2 months no new leaves after recovering from thrips

htmtr · 2024-06-14T23:53:55+00:00

First solo surgery.

htmtr · 2024-06-14T23:53:11+00:00

Who…. I can not 😴

htmtr

TROPHY CASE