I'm bored!

That ‘I'm bored' feeling hits all of us from time to time. Whatever stage in life you are at - be it student at college or full time worker - doing the same old routine day in-day out can really get to you at times.

It is perfectly normal to say to yourself ‘I'm bored' every now and again - not everything in life can be exciting or stimulating all of the time. However, if you are someone who finds yourself saying ‘I'm bored' on a frequent basis it may be time to take some positive action and do something about it. Many people who are constantly saying ‘I'm bored' to themselves tend to live simply for the weekends or the times that they're on holiday - and they use these times as an excuse not to do anything about the fact that they are continually saying ‘I'm bored.' This attitude, however, of only enjoying you spare time is effectively ‘wishing your life away'. Saying ‘I'm bored' almost every day at work or college simply isn't healthy and it is important to act on what your mind is telling you rather than simply ignoring the problem.

I'm bored. What can I do about it?

If you are constantly saying to yourself ‘I'm bored' to an unhealthy degree the important thing is to acknowledge that it is a problem. You can then give some serious thought as to exactly why you are constantly saying ‘I'm bored' and start coming up with some ideas on how to improve the situation. People find themselves saying ‘I'm bored' for a huge variety of different reasons and obviously no two people are the same. However, a common reason why many people constantly find themselves saying ‘I'm bored' is that they have never allowed themselves an extended break away from the constant pressures of everyday life. If you are someone who is always saying ‘I'm bored' and fit in to this category then taking a gap year or career break could be an ideal solution.

I'm bored. How is taking a gap year going to help?

Taking a gap year or career break is an ideal way to beat those constant ‘I'm bored' blues for a number of reasons. For a start taking a gap year allows you the time away from normal everyday life to give some adequate thought as to why you are always saying ‘I'm bored' - something that isn't always easy at home, college or work. It may be that you simply needed a change of scenery for a while, or you may be decide while you are away that more radical long-term measures are required - such as you focussing on a new challenge or career when you eventually return home. Travelling to new places and experiencing different things is the best possible way to put things in perspective. For example many people who take a gap year decide to do some volunteer work for all or part of their time away. Working on a rewarding project such as helping impoverished children in the Third World or caring for endangered animals is hugely satisfying - and it's impossible to work on this type of gap year programme and say ‘I'm bored.' Many volunteers also return from their particular project having acquired a host of new skills and experiences, and with a clearer idea of the type of future career path they would ideally like to follow.

The most obvious and important benefit of taking a gap year or career break for anyone who's always saying ‘I'm bored', however, is that they are a lot of fun! One of the great things about a gap year abroad is that they are entirely a matter of personal choice and almost anything is possible. You can visit the countries you most want to see and do the things you most want to do - it is highly unlikely you'll be finding yourself saying ‘I'm bored' much of the time. Whether or not you want to fit in some volunteer work on your gap year, if you want to do some serious travelling - taking in a large number of countries - then buying a round the world ticket is the best option. Read Real Gap's ‘Your Complete Gap Year - Volunteer work and travel the world' page to give you an idea of the kind of itinerary that's possible. Travelling round the world you will meet loads of new people and see loads of new places - the thought ‘I'm bored' will definitely become a thing of the past.

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