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Interview with Neera Maini Srivastav, author of Hack The Boredom Code

This book is a ready reckoner that is enriched with ideas to deal with boredom and turn it onto a meaningful and uplifting experience.

on Aug 10, 2023

Interview with Neera Maini Srivastav, author of Hack The Boredom Code

Neera Maini Srivastav is an author, Creative Director at chlorophyll and a mindfulness coach who is always on the lookout for new ways to inspire and be inspired. She is also the author of the recently published book - Hack The Boredom Code.

Frontlist: What inspired you to write Hack The Boredom Code during the pandemic, and how did you notice the widespread issue of boredom among young people?

Neera: It was a personal experience of confinement during the pandemic when all of us were steeped into a new world order- suddenly our freedom was curtailed and we all had to manage within the four walls- from food, work, entertainment, illness – all of it. The monotony of lockdown life led to such insane levels of boredom. Wherever I turned, I heard parents of youngsters say ‘What do we do. The kids are constantly bored!’. It was as if the pandemic was the trigger for a condition that was already widespread. That’s when I decided to take a good look at this monster that seemed bigger than the pandemic! And I wondered how one could flip it to our advantage.

Frontlist: What are some specific activities you recommend in the book to help young people reconnect with themselves and overcome boredom?

Neera: From spring-cleaning and decluttering, following a different route, learning a new sport or a new skill, language, spending time with nature, animals to diving deep within and exploring the inner expanse, there are enough activities for the youngsters to choose and adopt as part of their lifestyle.

Frontlist: Given the current fast-paced and stressful daily routines of young adults, what advice do you have for them to incorporate purposeful and stimulating activities into their lives?

Neera: Engaging one’s energies in mindless pursuits like obsession with social media being the biggest hazard can be detrimental to one’s sense of well-being. Today digital detox is a must to rejuvenate one’s spirit and be truly creative with one’s energy. There is so much to stimulate one’s mind with. Just open up to the outside world and please take your life offline! You will discover treasures that you didn’t even know existed.

Frontlist: As an educator and children's author, how do you think the book can be beneficial for parents and teachers in understanding and addressing boredom among the younger generation?

Neera: Often when one is in the throes of boredom, one is at a loss of what to do. This book is a ready reckoner that is enriched with ideas to deal with boredom and turn it onto a meaningful and uplifting experience. It is the outcome of in-depth research, insights and my own life reflections. Parents and educators can certainly include this as supplementary curriculum as it can be a huge contributor to mental health that is today the most critical issue among the young.

Frontlist: How do you envision the impact of your book in bringing happiness and positive changes to troubled young people's lives?

Neera: Well, every idea in the book is a practical tool to shift one’s energy from a low life to a higher state of being. It is far from philosophy that functions only at the intellectual level. My idea was to write a book that the youngsters could live. Some of the young readers have actually started adopting one hack a day to lift their spirits and it seems to be working. For once, they have creative ideas at their disposal to deal with the stress and not some lectures from the adult world.

Frontlist: What upcoming projects can your readers and audience look forward to?

Neera: I am working on a fiction title that is based on inclusivity besides creating workshop modules based on the current book. The aim is just one: to make a difference however small to the younger readers so that they grow up with a sense of well-being in the truest sense. My mantra is : “Do the wellness. Don’t just talk about it!”