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Starting this thread because boredom, idleness, lack of stimulation is often a key trigger of depression and bad habits. When I get bored, I feel an emptiness, uselessness and physical/mental lethargy, cue ruminations, then I sleep excessively. This isn't always fatigue: It's an automatic (and very negative) avoidance behavior. This link lists 150 ideas (from high effort to minimal effort - from "fun" to mundane) in order to build healthier habits. I need to stop waiting to "feel good" before taking any action. Any thoughts? https://www.developgoodhabits.com/what-to-do-bored/ Today, I: Journaled, Cleaned my desktop, Backed up computer, unsubscribed to some junk email, Did some stretching, called a relative, dealt with an admin issue, read some blogs about depression, provided some words of support/appreciation for someone.

Bored and tired...Sometimes I want to stay up instead of going to bed. However, if I stay up late, I will just go on FB and scroll through my feed furiously past everyone's baby/family/xmas holiday/vacation photos/political rants (which I know will make me feel very depressed). Then once I scroll past through people's posts, I move on to speed reading random articles (often self-improvement/health articles) I make a mental note of self-help tips or whatever that I will just forget 2 minutes later. OR I will continue to Save a bunch of "read for later" articles that I never end up going back to. My point is, social media is just a mindless, never-ending, passive distraction to escape boredom. I get sucked in primarily in the evenings, and always end up feeling like I've wasted hours of time when I could be doing something more useful/interesting/creative - but then I have no inspiration or energy to do anything "useful" in the late evenings (other than be online or watching netflix). I really need a creative hobby that I will stick with...yet nothing too difficult or consuming. Some things I've tried: knitting (fail), adult coloring books (doesn't sustain interest), reading (can't engage in books these days, my mind just wanders), listening to music (too passive), journaling (makes me too self-absorbed), studying a language (feels like a chore/work), stretching/yoga (OK for 30 minutes but not more), meditation (makes me fall asleep).... Anyone have any ideas? What enjoyable thing do you often do in evenings after dinner (other than watching tv, social media, chores, etc.)??

Which makes you feel more flat? Antipsychotics or lithium?

What helps you the most when you are painfully bored? With everything.... I've done enough chores for the weekend, I've exercised (forced), I can't engage in watching TV or looking at any more cute/dumb YouTube videos...I can't even get into listening to music, reading or spending more time passively online. Is there anything else that helps you? I was already outside for several hours in the cold and do not want to go back out for a walk. Most enjoyable-sounding activity sounds like a nap, but then I will not be able to sleep later tonight! Sorry if this is a useless lame post. I'm trying to kill some time this afternoon and interaction is always good when there is no one around. No one to call at the moment either. Read this unsurprising article that says people would rather give themselves painful electric shocks than deal with being bored alone with their own thoughts: http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-28130690

I've been taking Abilify for about one month now and it's helping already in a few ways. However, I believe I'm experiencing something that might be described as "boredom" (I've never had issues with that) and intense nicotine cravings. I used to smoke and every once in awhile feel the urge, but this seems related to the medication. Anyone relate? Insights?

Since my mood has improved, I've been having problems with boredom. I get bored easily, yet I don't have the energy to do anything about it. Does anyone else have this problem? How do you cope with it?

I'm new. I'm not new to bipolar, but it keeps me on my toes. I have trouble sleeping when I should, at night, and I'm trying to work out new meds with my psychiatrist to help me sleep. I drank too much until recently (8 mos.) and now I'm working to drink only infrequently. I'm having more success than I've had in the last eleven years. I chew tobacco and am working on quitting. It'll be the patch for me. I've tried cold turkey, and it's no fun and I can't do it. I start a lot of sentences with "I" when I'm having to write but am not at my best. Sorry. Make my sentences more interesting I will, hmm?! After getting a decent start on college, I decided to major in astronomy/astrophysics.Then chemical engineering. Bam. Hospital after a year of treatment. Back to school. Tried to run 25 miles in the middle of the night without shoes on. Zot. Hospital again. Attacked by a psychopath with a knife. Slice. Hospital. The evil bastard is out there somewhere if he isn't already dead. Computers seemed to be a practical path so when I went back to school I chose that. I hate computers I only know one other person who is bipolar -- that I know of. I don't know what to expect from this board, but I've never had a friend to discuss this with, although I've told a few a little about what I've been through. I'm fascinated by the phenomenology (why not use the biggest word I can think of?) of psychosis, as I've been dxed with bipolar with psychotic features (very fun and exciting sometimes). Long story short, I did not pass muster with the secret-agent people. I was disappointed. Telling the difference between MI-induced changes in personality and the natural changes of leaving adolescence and approaching middle age is something I'm having trouble doing. How early was a affected by mental illness? What about me is me and what is bd-altered me? (I'm myself either way, but I still wonder.) I go to see a person on campus weekly. She's great, the kind of person who makes me want to become a therapist (too late for that, but my roommate and wife think I'm being a naysayer -- I wouldn't like it anyway, probably). I hope everyone here has found good help or finds it soon.