II. Blog Articles and Podcast Recordings |
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IV. Virtual Seminars on July 16, 2022* |
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The Men's Group Seminar: Rethinking Boredom
Boredom is typically experienced as undesirable, something to avoid or escape. Reflecting this perspective, scientific evidence indicates a strong association between boredom and psychiatric issues including depression, substance abuse and eating disorders. Other research shows that boredom can lead to impulsivity and negative behaviors including drinking and smoking, especially among adolescents. Moreover, culturally-endorsed values prioritize productivity and implicitly hold a critical view of those who are prone to boredom as “lazy” and “uninspired”. According to the journalist Saumya Kalia, boredom typically originates from a “lack of satisfaction” and is akin to a “thirst” or “hunger” for something more; her recent article in The Swaddle summarizes the work of psychologists James Danckert and John D. Eastwood who, in their 2020 book Out of My Skull: The Psychology of Boredom, “define boredom as the uncomfortable feeling of ‘wanting to do something, but not wanting to do anything’”. Others portray boredom as an “aversive state that is characterized by feelings of dissatisfaction, restlessness, and weariness.” Despite these notions, there is an emerging opinion among experts – perhaps most notably Sandi Mann who wrote The Science of Boredom: Why Boredom Is Good, that boredom is not something to resist or avoid, but actually a state worth pursuing. This view suggests that “quality boredom” serves important functions. From tedium and the mind slowing emerges the potential for the mind to wander, which stimulates curiosity, creative problem-solving, and imagination. Neuroscientists indicate that as the mind slows the default mode network of the brain and nervous system is activated, which triggers the channeling of spontaneous thoughts necessary for autobiographical narrative formation, meaning-making, and even a greater degree of empathic connection to others. In the next virtual meeting of the Men's Group Seminar on Saturday, July 16, 2022 (10:15 to 11:30 AM), we will discuss this new positive perspective on boredom. Central to our discussion will be the podcast interview of Manoush Zomorodi, author of Bored and Brilliant: How Spacing Out Can Unlock Your Most Productive and Creative Self and the TEDx presentation “How Boredom Can Foster Creativity” by Loic Souetre.
To register for this upcoming virtual seminar, please see the directions below.
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The Relationship Group Seminar: The "Almost Relationship"
The “almost relationship” is a close relative of the “friends with benefits” arrangement, a social bond gaining in popularity and one that is supported, as some experts suggest, by technology and the noncommittal “window shopping” atmosphere of dating apps. In the almost relationship there is a strong connection between two people that does not evolve into a “real” relationship and remains "unpredictable and uncertain." The almost relationship is usually “gradual and casual," a mixture of lingering in the friend zone along with one person approaching the other as merely a “back burner” romantic prospect. There is increasing attention on how to spot the warning signs of the almost relationship, which include sporadic communication cycles, not meeting a person’s significant friends or family members, and tension around or avoidance of having “the talk.” The almost relationship can be emotionally and psychologically damaging, ultimately “torturous” and difficult to resolve given the complexity of how to “move on from a breakup that never happened.” In the next virtual meeting of the Relationship Group Seminar on Saturday, July 16, 2022 (11:45 AM to 1:00 PM), we will explore the dynamics of the almost relationship and consider ways to resolve it.
To register for this upcoming virtual seminar, please see the directions below.
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The Dynamic Psychotherapy Process Group
This therapy group utilizes the emerging dynamics among group members, and between the group members and facilitator, as a basis from which to examine one's characteristic ways of thinking, feeling, and relating to others. Our next virtual group session will be held on Saturday, July 16, 2022 (1:15 to 2:30 PM). The Dynamic Psychotherapy Process Group is a therapeutic experience and entry occurs only after a pre-group screening interview.
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* Registration Directions: If you would like to attend the virtual meeting of the Men's Group Seminar and/or the Relationship Group Seminar on July 16, 2022, please RSVP to me at 949-338-4388 or jt@jamestobinphd.com on or before Thursday, July 14, 2022. The fee is $25.00 and informed consent for participation in these telehealth events must be completed prior to the seminars. Please note that the Men's Group Seminar and the Relationship Group Seminar are psychoeducational in nature, not therapeutic, and do not constitute psychotherapy or counseling.
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