Dare to be Bored

I never used to get bored.  I could find something to do no matter where I was - and if there was nothing to do, I would whisk out the book I never forgot to bring with me.  As I've grown older, I have found myself getting bored far more often.  

I thought this was a sign of age or stagnation or even the natural progression of life, but I recently read an article about boredom that was (ironically) really interesting.  There is one little statement in it that made me feel much better about my bouts of boredom:  

people are more likely to be bored when they don't have autonomy over what they're doing.  

The article suggests that people are more likely to be bored at work or school - not necessarily because the tasks they're doing are not engaging, but because they have little choice about whether or not they take on these tasks.  That explains a lot.

It also makes quotations such as this one quite annoying.  My brainpower and attention are commandeered between eight and four every weekday, and I have very little choice about it.  That, according to the article, IS an excuse for boredom. So there.

Thanks, Washington Post.  I feel much better now.