When I’m Bored, I Ask Questions: How Curiosity Became My Daily Habit

There was a time when boredom felt heavy to me.

If I had nothing to do, I would scroll my phone without thinking, jump from one app to another, and still feel empty at the end of the day. My body was busy, but my mind was not really awake.

Lately, something changed.

Now when I feel bored, my first thought is:

“What do I want to understand today?”

Sometimes that means reading an article.
Sometimes it means asking a question and following the answers.
Sometimes it means turning the answer into a blog post like this.

It’s still a simple life. I’m still at home, doing my usual routines. But my days feel less “stuck” because my curiosity is moving.

This is a small reflection on how asking questions, reading, and writing slowly became my way of removing boredom—and why I want to keep it that way.

In the past, when I felt bored or empty, I would scroll without thinking and still feel stuck. I wrote more about this slow change in Growing at My Own Pace, where I talk about accepting different timelines and being kinder to myself.

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When boredom shows up, it’s not always a problem

For a long time, I saw boredom as something negative:

• “I must be lazy.”

• “I should be doing something productive.”

• “Why is my life so flat?”

Now I see boredom a bit differently.
Often, it’s just a signal:

My brain wants something to chew on.

Not a new outfit.
Not a big dramatic life change.
Just… something to learn, to think about, to connect.

When I ignore that signal, I usually end up in a numb state: too tired to do anything, but not really resting. When I respond to it with curiosity, even a quiet day can feel meaningful.

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Asking questions as a way to “wake up” my mind

These days, when I feel that empty, restless mood, I don’t immediately run away from it. I ask myself:

• “What am I curious about right now?”

• “What has been sitting at the back of my mind for days?”

• “What did I see on YouTube or Google that I didn’t fully understand?”

The question can be anything:

• A small money topic: “Why do some people live from dividends?”

• An aquarium problem: “Can shrimp survive in a natural tank without RO water?”

• A lifestyle thing: “Why do I feel calmer when I write?”

• A random habit: “What actually happens when I stop eating sugar for a while?”

Sometimes I search, sometimes I read, sometimes I ask someone—or I ask an AI assistant and then double-check if it actually makes sense to me.

The content itself is not magical.
What matters is that my brain has something to hold onto.

Instead of drowning in vague boredom, I’m holding a clear question. That alone makes me feel more awake.

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Reading as a quiet way to travel and learn

I don’t always have the energy for big tasks. But reading is gentle.

I can:

• read a short article,

• skim a few pages of a book,

• or follow one thread from a video into an explanation.

It doesn’t need to be “high-level” or “academic”. It just needs to speak to something I’m living through:

• managing my money,

• taking care of my aquariums,

• understanding my own moods,

• or simply seeing how other people live.

Reading like this feels like a small trip out of my own head. It reminds me that the world is wider than my current mood, but it doesn’t overwhelm me.

The best part is: I don’t have to read for hours. Even 15–20 minutes of focused reading can change the feeling of a whole afternoon.

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Turning answers into something of my own

If I stop at “just reading”, sometimes the insight stays blurry. That’s why I like to write after I read or ask questions.

It doesn’t have to be perfect. Often it looks like this:

• I ask a question.

• I read or get an explanation.

• Then I write my own version in simple words.

For example:

• If I learn something about investing, I rewrite it in my own language, using Indonesia/Malaysia examples.

• If I learn something about aquarium water, I turn it into a step-by-step post that my future self can understand when I forget.

• If I notice how boredom and anxiety are connected, I write a short reflection so I can see it more clearly.

The blog becomes my “second brain”.
Every article is like a small note that says:

“This is what I understand so far.
It may not be perfect, but it’s mine.”

That feeling is very different from passive scrolling. It’s quiet, but it’s satisfying.

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Why this helps with boredom more than random scrolling

Scrolling can give a quick hit of stimulation, but it rarely leaves me with a clear memory or a calmer mind.

Asking questions + reading + writing is slower, but:

• I remember more.

• I feel like I’ve moved one tiny step forward.

• I’m less likely to end the day feeling empty.

It also slowly changes the way I see myself.
Instead of “I’m someone who is always bored and distracted,” the story becomes:

“I’m someone who learns a little bit every day.”

It doesn’t mean I have to be productive all the time. I still rest. I still do nothing sometimes. But when boredom knocks, I now have another option besides doomscrolling.

Some experiments, like changing how I eat or how often I use sugar, also came from simple curiosity.
I wrote about one of those experiments in Fasting for Health: How Sugar Fasting Benefits Your Body.

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Some small ways to try this (if you’re reading this as a visitor)

If you feel your own boredom becoming heavy, you don’t have to copy my exact routine. You can start very small.

Here are a few gentle ideas:

1. Keep a tiny “question list” on your phone
   Whenever a question pops up in your mind—about money, health, hobbies, feelings—write it down. On bored days, pick one and explore it.

2. Limit yourself to one topic at a time
   Instead of opening ten tabs, stay with one question and follow it calmly for 20–30 minutes.

3. Write a short note after you learn something
   It can be a journal entry, a blog post, or a private document. Just write what you understood in your own words.

4. Let the questions be personal, not just theoretical
   “How should I invest?” is big and vague.
   “How do I want to use my savings in the next 5 years?” is more personal and useful.

5. Accept that not every day will be deep
   Some days you’ll just read a little and write a few lines. That’s okay. The point is not perfection; it’s staying gently awake.

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Learning as a quiet lifestyle

I didn’t plan to make “learning” my lifestyle. It happened slowly.

It started with simple questions about money and aquariums.
It continued with reflections about health, habits, and the way I think.
Along the way, reading and writing every day became a way to keep myself company.

Now, when I feel bored, I don’t panic.
I take it as an invitation:

• to ask,

• to read,

• to write,

• to understand something a little better than yesterday.

It’s not glamorous. It won’t go viral.
But it makes my days feel warmer and more alive.

And for me, that’s enough.

More reflections you might like:
– Growing at My Own Pace
– Fasting for Health: How Sugar Fasting Benefits Your Body
– 7-Day Money Reset Challenge