I was feeling disconnected and disorganized last month, and after my meditation plan lasted about 4 days, I found a substitute that didn’t take any extra time out of my day (but is still strangely painful): taking off my headphones. I spend about an hour and a half walking to work and back each day, and I LOVE listening to music during that time. It wakes me up, makes me walk faster, and entertains me by keeping me forever laughing, crying or dancing on the inside. It also allows me to be (or at least appear) oblivious to people asking for money or harassing me. The funny thing is, the benefits are the same as the drawbacks.
A little boredom is good for us. If you are always entertained, your subconscious can’t get a word in edgewise (leaving it frustrated and unrested) and you miss out on those random trains of thought that lead to new ideas.
Being cut off from your surroundings makes things easier in the short term but in the long run it makes your life less rich. Not everyone who talks to you on the street is asking for money or harassing. Some people just want to talk. In just a week of walking without music I met more people in the neighborhood than I had in the 6 months before.
I saw a study showing that people act more selfishly when they’re wearing sunglasses. I think the same is probably true of headphones. When I wear headphones, it’s like I’m in a video game and other people are just obstacles in my path.
Now I let myself feel bored for a little while, sing in my head to the beat of my feet, maybe work out part of a new song, let my thoughts wander, and eventually do some walking meditation, just breathing and wishing strangers well. I feel more rested and organized. But I’m still itching to put those headphones back on.