Feeling bored isn't like feeling apathetic. This second dimension is sometimes associated with very stressful psychological states, such as depression. We talk about it in this space.
Written and verified by the psychologist GetPersonalGrowth.
Last update: 15 November 2021
Monotony, tiredness, the feeling that life goes by slowly and there is nothing stimulating, a sense of emptiness, frustration, malaise towards oneself and the world. We could describe the consequences of states known as apathy and boredom in a thousand ways which, although often confused, represent two dimensions that are quite distinct from each other.
Rollo May, a well-known existentialist psychologist, used to say that the opposite of love is not hatred, but apathy, that is, that disinterest in the couple's relationship for which enthusiasm fades little by little. The absence of that spark of shared laughter and daily motivation. When apathy appears, you enter a more problematic dimension than boredom.
Knowing how to distinguish apathy and boredom can be of great help for several reasons. The first is to understand what state of mind we are in, since in many cases apathy is a symptom of depression. The second is that knowing the emotions that characterize a given dimension allows you to better deal with such a tedious situation.
Apathy and boredom: what are the differences?
We have all happened to feel bored, we know this feeling well. And we are not mistaken in saying that apathy is a dimension that has visited us more rarely. We certainly experience both of these dimensions negatively.
Most of us know what it's like to wait hours at the airport when our flight is delayed. We also know the feeling of attending a meeting or class that is anything but stimulating or interesting.
We also know how complicated it is to manage a bored child. However, experiencing boredom helps the little ones to stimulate their imagination. But adults are not good at giving vent to the imagination: we often live in a state of frustration and try to overcome it with unhealthy behaviors, such as binging.
It is equally important to be able to distinguish between apathy and boredom. The scientific literature, in fact, has been interested in these dimensions only recently; which proved to be crucial for our mental health.
The unused mind and boredom
Boredom is an adverse state that appears when what surrounds us does not arouse our interest. It appears in the absence of interesting or stimulating environmental stimuli, even when we are forced to carry out activities that do not gratify us.
When nothing satisfies us, interests us or motivates us, boredom grips us with a very specific emotional state. In this psychological dimension, boredom and discomfort, frustration and negativity merge. Yet, we must admit that one of the differences between apathy and boredom is also that the latter lasts less.
As Eastwood, Frischen, Fenske and Smilek (2020) reveal, the more we digress, the more bored we will be. We need to focus on an activity, so that the sensation gradually fades.
Learn to distinguish apathy and boredom to protect psychological health
Dr Yael Goldberg of the University of Waterloo in the UK conducted a study that revealed the importance of being able to distinguish between apathy and boredom.
The reason? Apathy often conceals depression or neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's. So let's see how to recognize it:
- It is a state that lasts over time with respect to boredom.
- Apathy literally means "absence of feeling". Thus, while different emotions take part in boredom, in the case of apathy, emptiness takes over. There is nothing exciting or interesting.
- È also associated with anhedonia, or the reduction or inability to feel pleasure. According to the DSM-V, this characteristic corresponds to symptoms associated with depression.
- Although it can appear in a given period of our life and then disappear once new stimuli are found, in some cases it could be a psychological disorder.
- Apathy is also typical of bipolar disorder, major depression and anxiety states.
Apathetic boredom
In addition to apathy and boredom, there is another dimension that we should take into account. Recent studies conducted by a team of Canadian, US and European researchers have identified a particular type of boredom: apathetic boredom.
This mental reality involves feelings such as negativity, hope and acquired vulnerability. Furthermore, there are three decisive characteristics for its diagnosis:
- Inability to concentrate or pay attention.
- Awareness of one's own inability to focus on the things of everyday life.
- Guilt that comes from not being able to give 100%.
Conclusions
Apathy and boredom are two very distinct worlds, but sometimes they can occur together outlining a highly exhausting condition from a psychological point of view. Motivation and the ability to surprise us every day are the best antidote in these cases.
