7. Weekend Blues

Romie and I about to bust our boredom

     I have a love/hate relationship with weekends. On one hand, I like the break from school. It's nice to have some time free from schoolwork and those other schooly things. On the other hand, I never get to sleep in. Never. I always get up before 7 every day. Not even on weekends. Also, I find myself bored on weekends. I mean, how many hours can I really sit in my room watching Doctor Who? I get bored. There isn't enough mental stimulation for me on the weekends. There isn't enough human contact, I guess you could say. I like school, because I can interact with a diverse group of people. On weekends, I get to interact with my cat. I mean don't get me wrong, Romie is great company. But there is more to life than cats and netflix. So I did what any sane person would do, and gathered the cat to write a list of things to do on weekends that could potentially bust the weekend blues. Here is a sampling:

1. Read that book you've been meaning to read.
If you're anything like me, you might just have a few books laying around that you haven't read. I tend to go to the bookstore and become a little overwhelmed, so I buy 2 or 3 or 11 books that I really want to read. Aaaaaand then I don't read them. They are tossed aside when I realize how much time and effort it actually takes to read them. However, I know that nothing compares to getting lost in the fantasy world of a book. There is no feeling more amazing than being immersed in the life of a character. Especially those books that are so enthralling that you read the whole thing in one night (i.e Between Shades of Grey by Ruta Sepetys. Sad story but I totally recommend.). Long story short, reading is a great boredom buster.

2. Try out a new recipe
Cooking is usually a great time, minus the clean-up afterwards. I really like to bake, and I have this collection of books with recipes for all sorts of baked goods. Only, I never really take the time to try out anything new. But on a Saturday, when you're really bored and in the mood for a double chocolate oreo cupcake, baking could seem like a great idea. Encourage your kitchen creativity, and try those recipes mate.

3. Bring out your handy-dandy notebook and write
Write a poem. Write a short story. Start a novel. Much like reading, writing allows you to immerse yourself in something new. If you find yourself bored on a Sunday afternoon, write it out...

4. Find somewhere to volunteer a few hours
Volunteering is a great way to spend your time, and the feeling of being able to help is really rewarding. I volunteer on Saturdays at the Humane Society. It's a lot of cleaning and hard work, but at the end of my shift, I get to play with the animals (We call it "socializing" so it sounds like work). I really like animals, and knowing that I am helping them to find a good home is a great feeling. Volunteering at the organization of your choice is a great way to kill your boredom for a good cause.

And there is a sampling - slay your boredom, brethren.

6. A poisonous lack of confidence

     For a lot of people, it is really easy to point out the things about themselves they don't like. We are constantly insulting ourselves, telling ourselves we are ugly or stupid or have a bad personality. The sad thing is that most of the time, these things are untrue. In this day and age, human beings are taught that self-hate is okay, and even good sometimes. It all leads to this sort of societal condition in which everyone is expected to hate themselves, and any show of confidence is dismissed as arrogance. And that is the sort of attitude that I really want to change.
     Confidence is not a bad thing. It is a wonderful thing. I really wish that people would start to recognize their own good qualities. I used to think that I was a horrible person. I was always telling myself that I wasn't good enough, so to make myself feel better, I would put others down. That is the sort of attitude that this lack of confidence leads to. People feel bad about themselves, so they try to make themselves feel better by seeing how others are worse. It's a dangerous mentality.
    At this point in my life, I am a very confident person. I made a change because my attitude was causing so much negativity in my life, and I didn't want to be like that anymore. Because I am more secure with myself, it is easy for me to see the good qualities in others. I can see that I am beautiful, and I can see that others are beautiful too. I know that I am smart, and I know that others are smart too. When you can see that you are good, and you are worthy of kindness and respect, there is a noticeable difference in how you see and treat the people around you. Start by listing the things you like about yourself. Look at that list when you feel that wave of self-doubt coming on. Confidence can only grow from there, even if you have to take a few steps back sometimes.

Click Here if you don't know where to start.
    

4. This was supposed to sound inspirational...

        Humans are strange creatures. Sometimes we're happy or excited or angry or sad and we don't know why. I had been putting off this blog post because the senior year stress has been getting to me. Well that, and mood swings are kind of just my MO. I have been in such a strange mood lately, as are most of my senior friends. I guess the whole planning-out-the-rest-of-your-life-right-now-or-you'll-die stuff has been putting a damper on our moods. I'm usually so excited to write. But stressing about the blog post upon stressing about other stuff has forced me to think about the p-word - That's "priorities" my philosophy brethren.

I wasn't kidding about the cat

     The whole world doesn't stop because you're upset. I mean, it would be really cool if it did, but things don't work that way. When people are stressed, they tend to put off the things that are stressing them out rather than taking care of it. And we all know that only makes things worse. You have to get your sh... stuff together and tackle your problems head on. And the blog post is only the tip of the iceberg here. I have to shape up and get myself in gear. I need to get my priorities in check. I have tasks to complete, and sitting in my room wallowing in self-pity is really not helping. Sometimes you just have to put on your big kid pants, sit down, grab the cat, throw on some 80's synthpop and write your blog post.