How can you be okay with being bored?

Just going for walks in nature lowkey saved me so much
I still get distracted but Ive kind of started to appreciate just doing nothing
I add “buffer time” inbetween certain tasks where im forced to sit and wait
It kind of weaponized that excruciating boredom
Because I would rather do ANYTHING than do nothing at all
That anything includes productive work
Like when I get done showering I stand there for a minute and 30 seconds
Or before I do any work I sit outside and stare at the sky for 5 minutes

The longer you stay bored the more your mind will adapt to it, the same way it adapted to that constant stream of dopamine from doomscrolling. It sounds to me like the discomfort you feel is dopamine withdrawal, which is completely natural.

I tend to believe it’s why many people no longer read books, myself included! But I’m picking up Atomic Habits again today.

Look for low-dopamine activities to help gauge where your levels are. If it’s unbearable, then you’re still in the midst of withdrawal. If it’s annoying but doable, you’re getting there, if you can do it without it affecting your mood, you’re golden. At that point you will probably find you’re not as bored as you were, even though you are doing menial things.

Also look up things that cause huge spikes in dopamine and avoid doing them, unless you leverage them as a reward. (“If I clean the dishes and there’s enough time in my schedule, I will play a video game.”) This strategy will make sure you don’t go through withdrawals again