Horton Veal’s Six Boredom-Busting Tips

The Weekly's ombudsman is old enough to be your grandfather (and just might be, depending on where your grandma lived when World War II ended), which means he's had plenty of time to learn how to cope with boredom. We asked him for a few pointers:



01 Get religion: There's nothing like the heavy thunder of the Old Testament to scare some meaning into your life.



02 Volunteer: Helping others helps you—helps you feel that your life has a purpose. And a purposeful life is a non-boring life.



03 Take up a hobby: And not some lame hobby where you'll wind up with a table full of embroidered doilies. Something productive and creative.



04 Take classes: I thought this was a dumb one, too, until I tried it. Turns out that learning, making your brain try new things, can lead to a new sense of engagement with life. I just wish I hadn't taken that class in doily embroidering.



05 Buy a hot tub and a jug of sangria: In other words, learn to enjoy boredom. Relax. Roll with your down time—especially if suggestions 1-4 didn't work and you've finally realized that there is no meaning in life, so you might as well stop caring and get crocked in a tub of warm, bubbly water.



06 Heidi Klum and a fistful of Viagra: Adds meaning to my life every time!

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