7 Tips to Reduce Boredom at Work

Oh, work.

The thing we must do to be able to pay our taxes, bills, and for the occasional vacation.

Mondays are the worst. You come in, tired, and can’t wait for the day to eventually be over.

Wednesdays give you hope. You are halfway through the week—surely you can make it to Friday.

That’s right… FRIDAY. The best day of the work week. Usually, the day flies by because of your anticipation of the much-needed weekend.

But the time from Monday to that much-needed weekend often drags on and on.

If you are in a job position where you are constantly on the go, then the weekend might appear sooner than you thought it would.

However, if you are in a job position that has you cooped up in a cubicle all week long, then chances are boredom occasionally strikes.

Hey, that’s okay! I’ve learned that staring at a computer screen all day because I’m reading, writing, and researching is a lot more mentally exhausting than it may seem.

Boredom is often brought on by the acknowledgement that you need a break, but you have no idea what to do. Sure, you can check your social media accounts to see if any of your friends have tagged or shared content with you, but, in the end, you’re still looking at a computer (or phone) screen.

Take a real break and try to overcome your boredom.

Here’s what I suggest:

But keep in mind, you should only allow yourself a couple of breaks throughout the day—you still have a job to do, after all! That’s why it’s important to make your breaks count.

I hope these help with your boredom!

This blog entry was contributed by Adena Siefert, a PR and Marketing Intern at Hedstrom – Ball, Bounce and Sport. She recently graduated from Ashland University with degrees in Sport Communication and Public Relations. She enjoys swimming and eating trail mix.

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Challenge Yourself

I love hearing about others taking their first steps toward a healthier lifestyle, whether it be somebody making their first attempt at doing a pushup, committing to a more wholesome diet, or setting a new goal in their fitness activity of choice. The highlight of my newsfeed the other day was a woman proclaiming that she had started running. She declared that she wasn’t a “runner,” but she set a goal to run her first 5k race in November. She recounted her first run and the struggle she had making it to one mile. She described the timeline of her progress until she reached the day she had finally finished running 1.5 miles. PROGRESS! She was positive and upbeat. Her excitement was contagious. She admitted that she expected challenges but believed that dedication and the people in her life would help her achieve her goal.

I’m thrilled for her. It’s gutsy to try something new when it’s something completely unfamiliar to you.

Perhaps you’ve been there, or you are there now. I know I’ve been at that stage before in my life. The first time a friend asked me to run three miles with her, I laughed in her face. She eventually persuaded me, and I allowed her to convince me to come back and do it again. And again. And again. It eventually became a habit. I was surprised when I found out that I liked it. Although I admit, at first I didn’t like running for the essence of running. I loved the people that it drew together and the community that I became a part of.

People are a powerful force. The woman that has a 5k to defeat in November acknowledged that. People hold her accountable to running. People motivated me to run. What are the people in your life inspiring you to do? Contrary to popular belief, an invitation from somebody to do something doesn’t need an automatic rejection. Lives are busy, but you can say “yes” and rise to the challenge.

So, find your peeps. Bring that fear out in the open and let it breathe. Set a goal. Conquer. The challenge could be anything, and you might already have a good inkling at a challenge that you’ve been putting off. Do it by yourself with your family cheering you on, with a friend, in a group, or with your gym. (If you do a gym challenge, check out  3D XTREME™)! If you need an idea for you and/or somebody else, I might be biased, but I like 5ks and November is going to bring a throng of Turkey Trots that are going to be begging for everybody in the family to join in before trying to squeeze the turkey in the oven on Thanksgiving Day. So, why not find a local 5K and start prepping for it with your grandparents, your siblings, or some other hardy soul? All it takes to start is a commitment to one half-mile increment at a time.


This entry was contributed by Stephanie Berger, a Public Relations and Marketing intern at Hedstrom - Ball, Bounce and Sport. She studies at the University of South Carolina and is addicted to breakfast foods and sunshine. 

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The 10 Happiest People on BOSUs

You know... 

There's something revealing about your smile... 

It's contagious. 

Smiles reveal happiness. 

You're inspiring thousands of people...

By showing your love of fitness...

Your love of BOSU...

Through a simple expression. 

It's rather brilliant. 

Thanks for sharing your happy moments with us.

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Strong Bodies, Strong Minds

Having a strong mind is just as important as having a strong body, but how can we measure the strength of our mind or thoughts? I’m not talking about knowing facts, answering the correct questions, or standardized tests, but rather, how can we measure the strength of our personal thoughts? Our opinions?

I often wonder what people think about while they’re working out alone. I imagine a bit of counting, reinforcement, and self discipline goes on, but what about their thoughts behind it all? What motivates them? What are their strong thoughts?

History has admired this question for a long time. Let’s look at the Mona Lisa. The famous question asks, “What is she thinking?” It’s a question people have been asking for a lifetime. Whatever she is thinking, it escapes through the techniques of which Leonardo DaVinci chose to paint her. Whether it’s her own thought or DaVinci’s personal thoughts, it has created a lasting impression throughout time. A strong thought indeed.

The places we find ourselves with strong thoughts can come from various places. Perhaps we create strong thoughts when we see our kids playing outside, when we see a great movie (cough, Inception..), or find something enticing on StumbleUpon. Maybe we get them when we’re with people at church, at the bar, or just hanging out.

But what about being alone with strong thoughts? Something wonderful gives the sense liberation about doing things by oneself. Of course, we should balance between being alone and being with others, but the thoughts we think while we do things for ourselves are incredibly valuable. In these moments, we let our minds wander down rabbit holes. I’m talking about the incredibly thoughtful ideas our minds can think of while we are taking showers, going for a walk, eating by ourselves, or to bring it back to the beginning of this post, working out. I challenge everyone to treat themselves to a decent dinner (AT the restaurant) for themselves and themselves only. Romantic comedies have created this unsolicited idea that eating alone is something people should fear. Trust me, it’s strange and uncomfortable at first, but there is value in it. As dear Winston Churchill said, “This is no time for ease and comfort. It is time to dare and endure.”


Write or save the strong thoughts you have. Don’t worry, it won’t be like reading your diary from elementary school. This will be good. In a video interview, the incredible performance artist Marina Abramovic used an exercise for her students about this exact idea. She asked them to buy colored sheets of paper and a trash can. Around the same time of every day for three months, Abramovic asked her students to write down their good ideas. The ones they liked, they put to the right side of the table, and the ones they didn’t like would go in the trash. After the three months, the students were very eager to share their good ideas. She told them she wasn’t interested in good ideas, and instead went through their trash cans and said, “Every idea was incredible.”

Keep making strong thoughts, strong minds, strong bodies. Embrace the ideas your own body, mind, and spirit create. Keep putting yourself in situations where you surprise even yourself. Just as one is encouraged to “dare and endure” physically, I challenge everyone to mentally dare ourselves to fall down our rabbit holes and discover something new and refreshing.

You can watch the video interview with Marina Abramovic here:

This entry was contributed by Shannon Bolen, a Public Relations and Marketing intern at Hedstrom - Ball, Bounce and Sport. She recently graduated from Bowling Green State University and her favorite Marina Abramovic piece is Rest Energy.

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Motivation Monday

You’ve worked hard.

You’ve spent hours, days, or even months on a project for your job. You’ve worked late; you’ve worked on weekends. You’ve been putting all of your effort into it, and then it’s finally time to turn it into your boss.

You’re nervous.

What if he/she doesn’t like it? What if I messed up? Did I forget to add something?

You hand it over to your boss, and when they finally look it over, they say, “Okay. Thank you.”

Huh? Wait… that’s it?

No “Fantastic job” or “I really appreciate the effort you put into this” or “You deserve a promotion”? (Okay, that last one is stretching it, but you get the point).

It may seem needy to want praise for your hard work, but almost all of us have experienced a moment when we were lacking self-esteem and confidence.

Being told that you’ve done well when you’ve worked hard and have done your best is the boost you need to do your best again because it means it was worth all of your effort.

Humans are needy creatures who need (okay… let’s say want) to feel like they are accomplished in life.

Why do you think Motivation Monday has taken off on social media platforms? People post memes, quotes, photos, videos, and everything in between to encourage and motivate people to do their best and never give up.

A dominating force behind Motivation Monday is the fitness crowd, and rightfully so.

If you are a beginner who is trying to lose some weight, gain muscle, or just be overall fit and healthy, you need all the motivation and encouragement you can get.

It’s easy to get discouraged when you try something new; for instance, attempting to run a little bit longer or lifting more weights than you did the day previously.

It’s easy to get discouraged when you eat something you shouldn’t have.

Sometimes, you fail…

And it’s important to realize that’s okay. Don’t let that stop you from continuing on toward your goal, just like you shouldn’t let a boss’s lack of praise keep you from always working hard and doing your best.

To give you the encouragement you need to keep fighting the good fight, here are 10 of my favorite quotes that give me inspiration:

1. “Be nice to yourself. It’s hard to be happy when someone’s mean to you all the time.”
2. “Believe you can, and you are halfway there.”
3. “Keep trying. Keep believing. Be happy. Don’t get discouraged. Things will work out.” 
4. “It’s always darkest before the dawn.” 
5. “If you’re feeling blue, try painting yourself a different color.” 
6. “Be a warrior, not a worrier.” 
7. “The miracle isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.” 
8. “You’re one day closer.” 
9. “Mistakes are proof that you’re trying.” 
10. “I can, and I will.”

I hope these gave you a little bit of praise, encouragement, motivation, inspiration, determination… and everything else that you need!

What is your favorite quote that reminds you to keep working hard?

The blog entry was contributed by Adena Siefert, PR and Marketing Intern at Hedstrom – Ball, Bounce and Sport. She recently graduated from Ashland University with degrees in Sport Communication and Public Relations. She loves searching Pinterest for great quotes.

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Dog Vs. Runner

#RunnerProbs

The other day I decided to try something new. I decided to try a morning run. I got up at the crack of dawn and patted myself on the back for beating the neighbors AND the sun out of bed. I stumbled out of the house into the dark and down the road. I’m pretty sure my legs were running on autopilot. I couldn't see much in between the morning haze and my half-closed eyelids, let alone recall how I exited the house.

I forget that I’m not the only one who gets inspired to greet the dawn of a cheery new day. I also forget that some people are rudely awakened by an alarm (to beat the garbage man to the end of their driveway with yesterday’s trash). And most importantly, I forget that along with early morning comes the hour of the dog. The hour that dogs spend all night anticipating by lying in front of the door, just waiting for the master of the house to arise from his slumber and open the door. If Master pushes the snooze button just once, Dog is compelled to remind the snoring humanoid just how small his bladder really is.

I’m pounding the pavement rhythmically. As if from a dream, I hear muffled noises. I am struggling to focus through the narrow slits of my eyelids. I keep pounding. I am blasted to reality by barking on my right. My eyes fly open and I whirl to face whatever it was that was responsible for disturbing my morning tranquility. I see a large barking machine and I am instantly flooded with memories of “The Beast” from The Sandlot.

Instinct tells me to gun it and run faster. But I look at the massive paws. There are four of them. I look down at my two trainers and I remember that dogs have twice as many legs as I. As much as I would like to think otherwise, I wouldn't even bet on myself to outrun a dog.

I stop. And just like out of an old spaghetti western we freeze and measure each other up. I can almost hear the tune from The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly playing in the background. The mutt licks his chops and one disgusting slobber of drool drips to the ground. I raise my right hand to stop my stopwatch. The ‘beep’ brings on another round of barking. The owner, panting, runs up and yells at him. I learn that the beast is named Freddy. Perhaps it is because I am still half asleep or perhaps it is because I have learned such an intimate detail about this hunk of fur, but I realize that I feel a sense of power over him. I am not afraid.

The master yells at me. “Don’t worry! Freddy won’t hurt you! Just walk away.”

I look at the dog and resist the urge to stick out my tongue. And I walk away. Five steps in, I break into a trot. I am wide awake the rest of the run.

This blog was contributed by Stephanie Berger, a Public Relations and Marketing intern at Hedstrom - Ball, Bounce and Sport. She studies at the University of South Carolina and is addicted to breakfast foods and sunshine.

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