HOW TO DEAL WITH BOREDOM?

I’ve got two dogs in the house, at the moment. There  is my own Freya, a border collie and there is Richard’s Freya, a cocker spaniel.

I can put my Freya outside in the garden, and although she prefers to be entertained, she will find ways to amuse herself there and I don't have to worry about it. Freya the spaniel, on the other hand, has  picked up an interest in chasing sheep. With seven lambs running around in the flock I don't think it's a wise idea to let this Freya amuse herself on her own, outside.

Since I am investing several hours a day in finding my life-sustenance supporting activities, looking after the sheep, and getting this place organized for selling it, I've got about an hour a day to entertain those two dogs.

On most days, this schedule means that I am most evenings happy to just-do-nothing.  But the dogs see me being seated on the sofa , as a golden opportunity to ask for entertainment. And if I get up to pour myself a tea, I have to take these dogs as hurdles on my way to the kitchen. If they could speak instead of bark.  I'm fairly sure, that all they are saying is:”I  am bored!” and they just keep repeating this message, no matter how often I jump over them, pass them by,  ignore them or say:” Come on go entertain yourselves!”

In doing so, I see myself doing what my mother always did, when I was bored. Allways, when I was just laying on the sofa and all I could say was:” I am bored!” with my arms spread wide, she had a standard solution. Obviously, I hated it.

Her solution was:” well start doing something then, go entertain yourself!”

Sometimes I responded, complaining:”But I don't know what!  I don't feel like doing anything!” on some occasions, it triggered her making suggestions:” Why don't you go and draw something, or read a book?”
Usually I replied with:”Bleeeuuugh, I don't wánt to draw something.  I don't háve a nice book to read.”

Today, thinking back of these occasions where I was bored  and encouraged to entertain myself, I smile, linking it to the law of attraction: send = receive.

One:
 I realize now that what I really wanted was to do something together. But I didn't ask for that.  I only mentioned my feelings of boredom.

Two:
It's difficult to accept and execute solutions that are not solutions to the real problem. You don’t like them, since you don’t need them and only ‘like attracts like’.

Three:
Although to a different problem, my mother gave good advice. If my underlying wish had been to be more active on my own, then I guess, just starting with any activity would have triggered the send = receive mechanism of ‘like attracts like’. If I start doing something, more energy will flow in the direction of ‘doing something’: boredom of that type…..solved.

I am pretty sure those two dogs have an innate understanding of this mechanism and that is why they do everything in their power to start me moving and entertaining them. And I think that all my attempts to make them change their behavior,  indeed... are a source of entertainment for them …..