Boredom, Loneliness & Emptiness

BORDOM, LONELINESS & EMPTINESS

BOREDOM is about wanting to do something.  The way to alleviate boredom is to do an activity and be active and productive.  However, over-reliance on busyness and productivity can be unhelpful if it keeps you from connecting with your thoughts and feelings.

LONELINESS is about wanting to be with someone.  The solution to loneliness is to be with another person or people and feel connected. 

EMPTINESS is about disconnecting from yourself, from what you are experiencing inside. 

Sometimes people feel bored when they are really lonely or feeling cut off from themselves.   This can register as emptiness or even manifest as physical hunger.   If you’re lonely, you might fill up on food as a way of filling the symbolic emptiness inside. 

If you struggle with bulimia, you may purge the food as a way of getting rid of your need for others, or for connection. 

If you restrict, you may deny food as a way of denying your need for other people. is also a strategy to deal with this loneliness and emptiness, as is keeping busy. 

Some questions to keep in mind:

Do you turn to (or from) food instead of to people?

What experiences have made you afraid to seek out or trust people?

Does thinking about food give you something to “do” and distract you from your internal world?

What would be most fulfilling to you right now?

When you’re alone, what feelings are most uncomfortable?

How did you deal with these feelings as a child?

How did your family manage being busy or being alone or being reflective?

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Legal Disclaimer:  The content on this site is for educational and informational purposes only.  It is not intended as psychotherapy or as a substitute for psychotherapy advice, diagnosis or treatment.