Are you bored of yourself?

We all know the world’s resources are finite. The first time I heard the word ‘finite’ was in Mrs. Wilson’s grade 7 Geography class. At that time, my understanding of the term was limited to things in my life like my Hallowe’en candy, the number of cookies left in the cookie jar and squeezing the last bit of toothpaste from its tube. Through my experiences, I’ve come to realize that the most valuable finite resource is something more obscure than any tangible thing I can touch or feel, TIME.We take time for granted. In his book, Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals, Oliver Burkeman offers a counterintuitive perspective on how to view and use time. Instead of focusing on traditional time management strategies to maximize productivity, the book challenges you to confront the finite nature of human existence and rethink your relationship with time.“At some point, the only time you’ll have to worry about is the time you’ve wasted.”– Seth GodinIf your parents live in another province or country, consider how many times you see them a year. Maybe you visit on their birthday, Thanksgiving, the holidays, and a family vacation. That’s four times a year. Depending on their age and assuming they live until the average life expectancy in Canada, that may be another 10 years. That’s 40 more times you will see them. If you knew when the last time you would see them would be, would you change how you interacted? Would you let some things go, and share gratitude more freely?Four thousand weeks is the approximate number of weeks in an 80-year lifespan, emphasizing how short life is. Time is often treated as a resource to be optimized and controlled, as Oliver Burkeman writes. But this inevitably leads to frustration and anxiety.1 As pharmacists, we can’t control how busy we’ll be on any given day because that is dictated by patient patterns and the timing and volume of scripts sent to the pharmacy. This lack of control over our workload and schedule leads many of us to overcompensate by trying to tightly control the things we can control in our lives. Think about it, even our leisure time needs to be scheduled into a time-oriented activity. Isn’t that absurd? All this leads to the ‘efficiency trap’ where trying to save time leads to feeling more rushed and overwhelmed. We need to embrace the reality that time is finite. When we realize we can’t get everything done, we can focus on fewer, more meaningful pursuits.Once we reach this point, it is amazing how quickly the stress around managing time can dissipate. When we realize it’s impossible to experience everything, it frees us from the pressure of endless options and allows us to find meaning in what we choose to spend time doing.With time, things pass. Eventually, your crying 2-year-old will stop crying, the tech who just gave you notice will be replaced, and the busy lunchtime rush will end at 1 pm. What is clear is that if we can stay in awareness during these stressful times, we can remind ourselves to stay regulated and see them through. Physiological sighs or box breathing are two of the most effective breathwork techniques that I use to stay present.Another fascinating aspect of time is the change in who we spend our time with over our lifetimes. This graph shows recognizable trends, but comparing them visually is insightful. As you age, you will spend more time alone. I remember feeling bored as a child. I learned that 'boredom' was my discomfort with spending time with myself. When all external stimuli are removed, the inner world must be confronted.Boredom arises from a gap between your desires and the current reality.2 It can make you feel disengaged and unmotivated, leading to escapist behaviours like social media scrolling and binge-watching. In a famous study from 2014, Timothy Wilson et al. found a significant percentage of participants—67% of men and 25% of women—preferred to administer electric shocks to themselves rather than experience boredom while sitting alone with their thoughts.3 This highlights how much we dislike and avoid being bored. However, it can also encourage you to explore your thoughts, emotions and values more deeply. Through the lens of curiosity, boredom can foster deeper connections to yourself and help you feel fulfilled. In the absence of distractions, your mind can wander and generate new ideas. You just have to let it.For some, being alone is scary. We would rather do something, anything else than be alone with our thoughts. If you’ll spend more time alone in the future, why not start practicing now? We do this with exercise, taking medication and putting time into raising our kids - for long-term dividends. It’s time to be more aware for better mental health.Action ItemsJust as you schedule your meetings, your doctor’s appointments, and dinner reservations, schedule time to be silent with yourself. Act as a witness observing without judgment.Consider your current position on this graph. Then, look forward to 10 years to gauge where you’ll spend your time and what you can do now to prepare.If you want to explore being more comfortable with yourself, consider attending an upcoming day retreat specifically for pharmacists. Visit the event page to register. Manjit Hansra is the founder of Rx for Renewal. He shares evidence-based tools to help professionals prevent and manage burnout through keynote speaking, 1:1 coaching, and curated retreats. Check out his offerings HERE and book a complimentary call to improve your mental fitness HERE.Citations[1] Burkeman O. 2021. Four thousand weeks Time management for mortals. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.[2] Front Sociol. 2023 Jun 29;8:1213190. doi: 10.3389/fsoc.2023.1213190[3] Science. 2014 Jul 4;345(6192):75-7. doi: 10.1126/science.1250830.