- Raise awareness and understanding of boredom – the problem and how to overcome
- Spark collaborative research into boredom in our society where people are isolated. What difference could opportunities make? In hospitals could counteracting boredom affect: pain, distress, mood, depression, fatigue, recovery, interactions with staff understanding and being able to care for yourself better? During the COVID-19 pandemic is boredom behind those seeking social gathering despite restrictions?
- Create novel, inspiring and beautiful resources and ideas for adults
- Change a culture…
Not just things to do – but things to inspire
Turn waiting into an opportunity…
Combat loneliness – overcoming boredom and discovering creativity can bring people together, and change alone time into an opportunity to express your own thoughts and discover what you can do…
We don’t always know what will help us when we’re bored… we can all need a helping hand sometimes with some inspiration to pull us out of a pit of boredom…
We all have different things that interest us.. What would be your ‘Anti-boredom’?
More will appear with funding…
In these times of COVID-19 – boredom is more relevant than ever. Can society recognise this as a suffering for many of us in isolation particularly with less opportunity and outside space? Boredom fuels risky behaviours so has this now become a public health issue? We hope we can encourage recognition with ideas on how to help.
As part of creating inspiring resources to help; we have been creating drawings to encourage colouring-in for relaxation and learning thanks to the Royal College of Pathologists with ‘Incredible You‘, and recently with the British Immunology Society ‘Colour in Coronavirus‘. Lizzie is sharing weekly and live Origami folds each week in lock-down and set up a facebook group: ‘Join the fold: Origami to beat boredom’.
Prior to COVID-19 – we used images of viruses as a talking point in hospital to reveal ‘surprising beauty in nature’. Images helped spark conversation and creativity in the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford in Trauma and Dialysis and the Children’s Hospital School. ‘Viral Footprints‘ is a collaboration between Dr Lizzie Burns with Professor Philippa Matthews, University of Oxford funded by Wellcome, and supported by Ruth Charity, artlink.
“interesting conversation” “a sense of achievement”, “was feeling bored – mind wandering”, “felt a lot more happy putting my mind to something”, “something else to talk about”
Anti-boredom Campaign 