Many people remember that, as children with no screen to reach for, they had little choice but to wait boredom out, and that it often turned into something else: a daydream, a game, a plan. A simple way to practice now is to leave the phone in your pocket the next time you're in a line or a waiting room, and see what your mind does with the space.
2. Making do with what's at hand
Seneca once arrived late at his country house to find that nothing was ready. Rather than fume, he reflected: "To have whatsoever he wishes is in no man's power; it is in his power not to wish for what he has not, but cheerfully to employ what comes to him" (Letter 123.3).
Many people remember afternoons spent turning whatever was lying around into entertainment: a cardboard box became a fort, a tennis ball and a wall became a whole sport. Nobody would claim every afternoon was creative. But the habit of starting from what's available, rather than from what's missing, is useful at any age.
In adult life, it might mean cooking from what's already in the fridge, fixing something before replacing it, or starting a project with the tools you have. A good question to ask is: "What can I do with what's here?"
3. Waiting
In the same letter, Seneca's baker had run out of bread, and the replacement wasn't very good. "'Bad bread!' you say. But just wait for it; it will become good. Hunger will make even such bread delicate and of the finest flavour" (123.2).
Many people remember a lot of waiting as kids: a week for the next episode of a favorite show, weeks for a mail-order package, months for a birthday present. Seneca's point was narrower: hunger makes plain bread taste good. But a similar idea can apply elsewhere. Wanting something for a while often makes it more satisfying when it arrives.
Today, almost everything can arrive quickly, and waiting can feel like a failure of the system. One way to rebuild the habit is to add a deliberate delay before small purchases: put the item in the basket and wait 24 hours. Often the wanting fades. When it doesn't, the thing tends to feel more earned.
