Some Pairings Should Be Celebrated. Others? Not So Much.
If you are a longtime Sesame Street fan (and really, aren’t we all?), you might remember a little number performed by Grover, Harry, and Cookie Monster entitled “Fuzzy and Blue.” It is a catchy tune that celebrates two key characteristics of all three Muppets (we should also note that in the show’s spirit of inclusion, the three monsters find a way to welcome a fourth monster who is fuzzy and orange into the act). In the end, it seems like it would be pretty great to be fuzzy and blue.
The song is a little bit of an earworm, so if you followed the link to give it a listen, you might find that it is stuck in your head. If so, we are sorry about that. But once you have the tune in your head, you might find yourself dropping in other pairs of words to replace “fuzzy and blue.”
But these other pairs of words might not go so great together—especially when you are trying to maintain and improve your mental health. Take, for example, two words that can be sung together to the tune of “Fuzzy and Blue,” but which are decidedly less wonderful:
Lonely and bored.
Loneliness and boredom often go together, but the combination is never any good for your mental health. Let’s take a look at both and consider ways you might keep them at bay and support your mental well-being.
Leave Loneliness Alone
We all feel lonely from time to time, of course, and that is just fine. But many people feel lonely most or all of the time, and that can have a negative impact on a person’s mental health.
So how can you combat loneliness so that you do not find yourself in this situation? First and foremost, it is important to build and maintain positive relationships in your life. This can be challenging for all sorts of reasons, including shyness, an overly busy schedule, and more.
But the positive value of fostering good relationships is undeniable. So, it is worth putting some effort in. That effort might look like setting up a regular lunch or coffee with a friend. It might look like joining a book club or taking a class where you might meet people who share your interests. It might look like making regular phone calls to friends and family—even if those conversations are short.
Doing the work necessary to maintain good relationships won’t really feel like work at all in the long run. These relationships can bring real joy to your day-to-day life while also helping to protect and improve your mental health.
You can read more about loneliness and mental health in this previous blog entry.
Beating Boredom is Beneficial
Just like we all feel lonely from time to time, we all experience boredom every now and again, too. That is not always a bad thing, because a little bit of boredom can pave the way for creativity—which can lead to all kinds of exciting possibilities.
As a general rule, however, feeling bored a significant amount of the time is not so great for your mental health. And, of course, if you are building good relationships as we talked about above, you are already doing something that can help you avoid a sense of boredom.
But there are other things you can do as well, including identifying and engaging in a hobby you truly enjoy. All too often, we get stuck in our routines and feel like we can’t take time to relax and do something just for fun. Those routines, however, are often the source of the boredom we experience. Finding that perfect hobby can help break the cycle. And since your hobby is, well, your hobby, you shouldn’t worry about whether other people think it is worthwhile.
Giving yourself permission to have a hobby—and setting aside the time to enjoy it—is a great way to battle boredom and build up your mental health.
You can read more about boredom and mental health in this previous blog entry.
We Can Help You Make a New Start
A mental health disorder can be truly disruptive to your life. Indeed, these disorders can make you feel “fuzzy and blue,” but not in the fun way Grover and his friends sing about. If you are struggling, Johnstown Heights Behavioral Health can help.
Located in Johnstown, Colorado, Johnstown Behavioral Health treats anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, suicidality, and more. We can also help individuals who are struggling with a co-occurring substance use disorder. We work with both adults and adolescents and offer robust and effective inpatient, outpatient, and virtual programs. Employing evidence-based practices and drawing on our expertise, experience, and empathy, we can help you reclaim your life.
When you are ready to get started, we are ready to get to work.
