Articles

BORED BODY LANGUAGE

Boredom is a very distinct form of body language. When someone is bored, chances are, you will know it. In retrospect, you also know when you are bored.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay (2)

This type of body language is really out of your control, because it happens as a result of external circumstances and situations that you would really want to get away from. Yes, you can pretend not to be bored, but not for long.

Let us now discuss what boredom actually is.

 Intro to Boredom

Boredom is a psychological or emotional condition or state. It is brought on by a number of things:

• When you find yourself with nothing to do
• When you are not interested in your surroundings or in the conversation that you are having, or
• When you find the moment, be it a day or just a part thereof, tedious and dull

The lack of stimulation that you feel when you are bored leaves you craving stimulation, or the relief of a lack of this stimulation.

It is hard but not impossible to fake boredom. True bored behavior is more prominent, and easy to see, though. Let us now discuss what true bored behavior is.

 True Bored Behavior

Boredom is one of the most telling forms of body language. There are many signs that you can look out for, if you want to know that you are not boring the person that you are speaking to.

• Tiredness: When someone is bored, and they cannot do anything about this, they may appear tired. Yawning, sagging, slouching in your seat, or just leaning against a wall and sagging when standing are all signs of boredom. You may have a blank, expressionless look on your face, as a sign on disinterest.
• Repetition: Tapping or swinging your feet, drumming your fingers, or tapping your toes are repetitive actions that signal boredom. These actions may escalate as you try to signal to the other person that you are bored, or as your boredom escalates.
• Distraction: Bored people will always find something else to do, looking everywhere but at the person they are speaking to, or who is speaking to them. They may doodle, start conversations with other people, or stare around the room. They may also distract themselves by looking at the clock on the wall or at their watch.

These are signs of true fake behavior. But bored behavior can be faked too. Here are the signs to look out for.

 Fake Bored Behavior

With the actions of true bored behavior being controllable reflexes, from tapping your feet or your fingers, to yawning, to seeming distracted, it is possible to fake boredom. It is difficult, though, because you have to think about what action you are going to use to signal your boredom.

When these actions don’t appear natural, when they are fake, they could easily come across as interest or excitement, except for yawning of course, and then you will be stuck listening to that conversation about your neighbor’s towels again!

 Short Examples

Interestingly enough, bored people tend to exhibit higher affinities towards high-risk behaviors. From drug addiction to alcoholism, poor social skills to low work performance, to gambling, sky diving or race-car driving, you tend to do a lot of things when you are bored.

For most people, boredom is fleeting, however. It lifts as soon as the reason for boredom is removed.

Examples of situations that lead to boredom are:

• Lectures that you are not interested in: You may have chosen your course of study at college, but that is not to say that you will find all your subject captivating and mind stimulating. The ones that you don’t can leave you feeling very bored, and even though you have to attend these lectures, you may want to be anywhere but there.
• Work tasks that you really find unfulfilling: Work is supposed to be fun, right? Well, unless you are passionate about your job, every facet of it, you will find some tasks dull and unfulfilling. Even when your work is your passion, though, you might hate the administrative part of it, like filing or reconciling your numbers. Boredom can creep in to these situations.
• Waiting for a phone call: We have all had that one phone call that we are waiting for. A response to a job interview or audition, a call from the person you went on a date with last night, a call from your partner who just spent 12 hours on an international flight, these are all situations that lead either to agitation or boredom. When you are bored, you can find yourself filling the time with trivial tasks, tasks that could actually lead to you missing the call you are waiting for.

These are just a few examples of boredom, and even though they may not be serious, the boredom that results from them could very well be!

 Conclusion

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

There are many reasons for boredom. Among the top reasons for this behavior are the following, however.

• Readiness: Especially in sales situations, you may be ready for the closing of said sale. When sales people, however, continue to patter on long after you are ready to sign on the dotted line, you may show signs of boredom.
• A Lack of Interest: When you are just not interested in what is going on around you, or in your surroundings, you will become bored. You can also fake boredom if you want to show a lack of interest.

It is, however, okay to experience boredom occasionally. We should in fact be comfortable with this. Boredom can be a hindrance, though, and you shouldn’t allow this to become a habit. It takes some discipline if you are not to permit boredom to cripple you.

Looking out for signs of true and fake boredom, helps you to know when someone is bored, or pretending to be. This is also a good way for you to know how to act bored yourself, if the need for this behavior should ever arise.

 References

Rhemma C. Respicio, Why Do We Get Bored, (Oct. 09, 2013)

Maria Konnikova, the Surprising Science of Yawning, the New Yorker, (Apr 14, 2014)

Anna Gosline, Bored To Death, (Feb 26, 2007)

© 2019 LPS Training Services All Rights Reserved.