What drives you mad and forces you to shriek at the top of your voice, and say,

"This listless routine of my life is driving me to nuts. I'm feeling asphyxiated and breathless, i'm dying for a change of place and change of scenario. God, it looks all around me is frozen to a grinding halt. It's an eerie silence I'm engulfed in. help me."

Really such situation makes even a strong willed person helpless. Even a lion hearted will become submissive.

Did you ever face such situation?

If your answer is NO, consider yourself lucky. If your answer is YES, don't worry, you're not alone. It happens to most of us at one time or other. It happened to me also. I was a victim of such dreary conditions. They made me undone. They crippled me and my productivity has nose dived to cypher. The worst was, things once i used to adore and love, things which I used to hold close to my heart at one time looked listless, pale and jaded.I was held up in this situation for a long time. I looked for a helping hand. Then I realized it was an exercise in futility.

"After all, it's my life and its my problem. I have to find a solution myself.Wisdom dawned on me that I have to find out my own ways and means to break the neck of monotony.

But before that I have to find out the factors that caused this state of "Stillness"  Then I have done a bit of Sherlock Holmes.

The one and only factor that causes monotony.

Repetitive routine : My job, like so many others is a Nine to Five job. Commuting, battling with the jostling crowds, reaching home at the dead of the night while the whole world is sleeping, Leaving home while the whole world is still in beds. The same  routine is recycled for days on end, twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, thirty days a month, three hundred and sixty five days in an year.  Such a non- stop, relentless and repetitive routine is a clear cut invitation to the monster called " Monotony."

So, What it says?

It points out its accusing finger to "Repetitive routine". A repetitive action will rob away all the glitz and glamour, even from your most  "Loved " works. It causes a fatigue in us. This in turn  makes you crave for a change. When you are badly in need of a change, your attention and focus are injured. Your creative edge loses sharpness. Challenges that once looked molehills, now look like Mountauns.  Once the most cherished work will daunt you now.

What is the solution?

Change.  You need the change. The message is loud and clear.  Now you knew what's causing you monotony and corroding you. When you knew the cause pin pointedly, it becomes easy now to find a solution. It's here you have to analyse yourself and ascertain what actually can make you refreshed and fit to face the challenges of life. In fact you were, but poor you, after the assault of 'Boredom' you were drained. Not a single drop of energy or enthusiasm was left in you.  Because of this you should choose those methods which cn put you back on the track.

How I tackled the issue.

A few years ago, When I have become a victim of Boredom and was rendered useless for a pretty long time, my friend was astonished to see me lying idle and passing the time in a non- productive way. My friend  who owns a big advertising agency use4d to give me a good income by giving me most of his clients' works. When he found that i 'm not working as actively as  in the early days, he came to my home and was astonished to see me in that washed out condition. After giving me a thorough hearing, he advised me to Learn Photoshop and master digital drawing. Next day he sent me a set of 'Learn yourself Photoshop ' books.

Though I was not interested , i started reluctantly. I'm already an established artist and Designer. But i know only conventional art, That is i use canvasses, brushes and colours. But that has never stopped me from earning a fat income. Now I was wondering how i will be gained by learning  digital painting above all how this is going to dispel my Boredom.

With all said and done, I started Photoshop. As the days went on , I started developing a liking to Photoshop unknowingly. Perhaps  the magic of Ohotoshop unknowingly captivated me.,

Then it occured to me, how Photoshop can have an edge over conventional painting especially in commercial line where urgency and quality is the key factor. I can give  quality visual to my clients, But it takes 2-3 hours, Now with photoshop, I can churn out a visual every half hour.

Within an year, not only I banished my Boredom, I could earn an enviable fat purse, Best of the two worlds,, eh,,,

My suggestion.

After personally experiencing the good done by  'Learning a new thing', I felt that those who are the victims of monotony and subsequent boredom should try the following ways along with "Learnig a new thing" as explained above to drive away monotiony and to be back to your normal self.

1.  Books
2. Travel
3. Brain games like Crossword puzzles, Board games, Sudoku.
4. Shring your knowledge

Books

Reading is to the mind, what exercise is to the body:

Read the books greedily. Get devoured by the books. You will see many astonishing places inside the books.They are amazing , astounding,jaw dropping, stunning and stupefying. In a moment you can see them all and without a pass port. Pick the pearls of wisdom from the deep depths of the books. Get yourself absorbed. Get yourself devoured. That's the magic of books. What can be a better thing than a book that is capable of bodily lifting you in to the many places hidden in its stomach? Where from the monster monotony can come and devour you when you are in the depths of a Book's stomach?

Travel

Visiting places allow us to establish direct physical contact and experience the place, surroundings and flora and fauna. The joy and mirth derived out of visiting a place is ten times more than the joy derived out of reading the books.Travel opens our mind to new avenues, new cultures and new people. The immediate effect of traveling is it disconnests us from the existing monotonous scenario.and in the place of the old, still and stagnant matter in the deep core of our hearts a fresh and rejuvenating thoughtswill take place. Travelling makes you forget your past miseries and fill your heart with refreshing experiences which last for a life time.

I for one always try to escape to my favourite beach sites scattered around my place. In fact my place itself is a famous shore based tourist center.Nothing can equal with traveling when it ciomes to  erasing monotony.

Brain Games

Just like physical exercise to keep the body fit, you have to  exercise your brain constantly to keep it in fitand working condition. Brain bgames like Cross word puzzles, Board games and sudoku to name a few will help in keeping the mind in fit condition, These mind games will tease you. Provoke you for a confrontation. Take them as challenge and fight. You need not be the winner always. Very grappling itself keeps the mind in an alert condition.

I never miss my crossword puzzle that comes in the third page of my morning news paper. a fight with my puzzle sets the mood of my day ahead.

Share

We are aware of the joy of giving. Giving a bit of what you have will give an enormous joy to the giver. Giving without any expactations is considered as the virtue of virtues.

I'm an artist. I learned art on my own and earned some knowledge through hard way. I know what it takes to earn knowledge in any discipline unaided. Owing to this reason, i appreciate any individual who comes to me and seeks my help. I go all out to help such people. I will not leave any stone unturned with in my limits and jurisdiction to lend my helping hand. 

I know, helping the needy benefits me also.

A sign-board painter who resides near my home always used to observe me while painting from a distance . One day , he came to me and asked me to teach the techniques and nuances of painting. He said he wanted to enrich his painting skills in order to enhance his business. And he also offered me to pay tuition fees.

I accepted to help him in the subject only on Sundays. I also specifically told him that he need not pay me tuition fees.. Though he insisted me to take money for teaching even for a small duration. But i flatly refused to accept fees. Since then  every Sunday, the man used to come to me and learn the art with lot of keenness and interest. And within no time he picked up the intricasies of art. Nw his sign board included, "Portraiture will be undertaken."

I was stunned to notice his transformation in a short span of time. It goes without saying, his business too picked up.  Though the artist was immensely happy for his phenomenal rise, the happiness i experienced by giving a piece of my knowledge was much much more. 

Now you think , if it is possible for the frustration to enter the premises of my house that's guarded by the brigade of'Happiness'?