Story by Emily Messall | Photos by Kassandra Eller | Design by Erin Strum & Sara Roach

‘I’m bored!’ rings throughout the house as you yell to your parents in desperation for something to entertain you. Your mom responds, ‘Go outside!’ which is starting to become routine these days.

The solution to boredom isn’t that easy for athletes who are missing their sport and their team.

Due to the state-mandated stay-at-home order, boredom has become common for a lot of students. Boredom is something most, if not all, college students are familiar with, but it can be extra difficult for athletes to find ways to keep themselves busy.

Mental & Physical Challenges

Almost every life event comes with some kind of effect on a college student’s mental health, especially during a time when you can’t be around your friends and maybe even your family.

For Cole Zarcone, fifth year Information Technology and Administrative Management major and rugby player, being away from his sport and his team has started to affect his mental health.

“Rugby is my time to have fun and get away from the craziness of life, so not having that everyday has been hard,” says Zarcone. “Not being around my teammates and coaches is hard, but I’m just doing my best to keep myself on track towards success.”

For many student-athletes, a team can be like a second family and this can make it even more challenging to be away from those people they have built such a strong bond with.

Luckily for CWU athletes, Head Men’s Rugby Coach Todd Thornley has full confidence in the university’s athletics department. “I believe our department’s leadership has been outstanding during this time making sure our student-athletes are doing [okay].”

Having a department that cares about its student-athletes can be a game-changer for those individuals who might be struggling to adapt to a life of no sports and all-online content.

“I am proud of how our program is responding in a positive way to the adversity,” says Thornley.

Tackling the consequences boredom can have on your mental health can be difficult, but athletes have to balance the mental with the physical. Without practice on the field or the Recreation Center being open, it might seem impossible for student-athletes to stay in shape for when the stay-at-home order is lifted.

However, Thornley notes that CWU athletics has “numerous training modalities available that our department’s director of Strength & Conditioning has created for all of CWU’s student-athletes.”

He stresses, “It is key for the student-athletes to continue to be athletes as it is such a big part of their identity, so we have been encouraging them as much as possible to get after it and attack the day.”

Staying in shape for when they can finally go back to their beloved sport might be difficult for some athletes during this time. It can be important for them to have a workout schedule to stick to so that when the stay-at-home order is lifted, they can pick up where they left off on the field, track or court.

Beating Boredom

Boredom is a hard thing to tackle for everyone. Since all athletes had their competition seasons canceled in the wake of COVID-19, staying motivated may be especially hard now more than ever.

Instead of working out, going to practice and training for competition, maybe you’ve resorted to spending hours on TikTok, changing your lounging position on the couch every half hour or so.

Maybe you’ve begun to boredom-snack a little bit. Or, maybe you binge watched Tiger King on Netflix … again. But none of these are really the most productive ways to battle your boredom, whether you’re an athlete or not.

Peter Enticott, professor of Psychology in Cognitive Neuroscience, says, “Maintaining the normal variation in activities is key,” to booting your boredom to the sidelines.

“People need to make sure they’re getting the essential elements of a happy and healthy life, such as good sleep, proper diet, daily exercise and social engagement,” says Enticott.

During this time of social distancing, Enticott advises keeping in touch with others through phone calls or Zoom meetings.

Thornley has made sure to keep his team engaged despite distance. He says, “We still meet multiple times a week virtually and have [encouraged] our student-athletes to connect with each other on a daily basis.”

In addition to staying in touch with others, there are even more ways to beat boredom. “It can also be useful to plan fun activities, or set yourself rewards for completing tasks that you might find a little dull,” Enticott adds.

As a student, Zarcone combats his boredom by “trying to read more … playing card games, video games and … enjoying time outside with [his] housemates.”

These solutions may sound great, but is boredom really a bad thing? Boredom can be rough, and no one is going to argue against that.

However, Enticott says, “Boredom might serve [as] an adaptive function, keeping us vigilant and engaged within our environment, but also encouraging us to explore new and different things. Thus, boredom can motivate new experiences, creativity and discovery.”

So take this time to try new things or take up new hobbies. With everything being moved online, you might find yourself with more time on your hands. Embrace the boredom and maybe use that time to try something new.

“Every athlete is struggling right now due to losing their sport and we have to take advantage of this time to get better even though it is challenging,” says Zarcone. “Together we will all get through this.” #CWUTogether.