The Joy of Being Bored

Sometimes sitting quietly in a waiting room can bring you the clarity that you need. I like to call it the joy of being bored.

For the last few months, I have been in the process of taking care of my dad’s estate. I haven’t been doing it alone, but it is a lot of tedious paperwork.

It also means I have spent lots of time waiting. At the bank, on the phone listening to horrible hold music, at the courthouse.

Most recently, it was at the lawyers’ office. No one was running behind, and there were no problems, it was just one of those things. There I sat there in the lobby, surrounded by strangers.

I didn’t pull out my phone and scroll through Instagram, I didn’t pop in an earbud and turn on an audiobook. I didn’t even pick up a magazine or newspaper.

But while I was sitting there with my thoughts something magical happened.

You see, not only am I dealing with estate issues, but I have also been working anywhere between 50-60 hours a week at the day job. Sitting in the lobby, I was stressed out, tired, over-caffeinated, and a bit hungry.

But as I sat there and stared out the window, my mind started to slow.

• I stopped thinking about work and the self-imposed guilty about leaving early. (Mind you, I left an hour before the official end of my workday, but still managed to work 9 hours).

• I focused on what truly needed to get done and what was unnecessary.

• I calmed myself and stopped being annoyed by all of those little things that, when all bottled up, make you angry AF.

Soon enough, the lawyer came out and got me; I signed the paperwork I need to sign and left the office feeling lighter, just by staring out the window for 30 minutes.

PS – Self Care at Work