If you are worried about surviving in prison, boredom is one danger of prison life you will need to address. Most people are aware of the danger of violence in prison. If you are facing a jail or prison sentence for the first time, the danger of violent assault is most likely your number one concern. By comparison, the danger of boredom probably seems trivial.

After all, nobody ever died of boredom did they?

It would be an exaggeration to call prison boredom a “killer”, but a life consisting of tedious unchanging routine can wear you down. Most ex convicts report a life of boring food, boring surroundings, monotonous daily routines, and lack of new company.

Day in, day out monotony can be dangerous to your health because boredom can lead to more serious conditions. The effects of boredom can cause physical and mental problems.

Boredom has a “snowball” effect. Imagine rolling a snowball along snowy ground. It gets bigger and heavier and harder to manage as it gathers snow from the ground. You start off with a fist-sized snowball and end up with an object so heavy you can’t move it. If you roll along in boredom, you will feel increasingly bored. As you pick up more boredom along the way, you will slow down.

Eventually you will come to a dead stop because doing anything just seems like too much effort. Once you come to a stop, it will be extremely hard to find the motivation to get moving again.

When you get to this stage, you won’t be looking after yourself properly. Exercise won’t seem worth the effort. This puts you at risk of gaining weight. Being overweight carries serious health risks. You will be at greater risk of developing potentially fatal heart disease or diabetes. Being overweight and under-fit will also make you an obvious target for prison bullies.

The risk of illness and the dangers posed by prison violence are not always the biggest problem brought on by the boring prison lifestyle. Boredom can easily lead to clinical depression. Depression is a major cause of self-harm and suicide in prison. Depression in prison inmates can go unnoticed and untreated in the overcrowded prison system. It is up to you to ensure that you don’t slip into depression out of the sheer boredom of your situation.

When you are bored, it is often hard to get yourself to make the effort to do anything. When you are in prison, boredom is your constant companion. You need to do everything you can to keep yourself occupied during your time in prison.

The quality of recreational facilities available to prisoners varies a great deal. You might find yourself incarcerated in modern surroundings where you will have regular use of a gym, library, workshops, and other entertainment.

You could be unlucky and find that the only opportunity for exercise is the occasional casual game of football. You might find that the only books available are ones that you get someone on the outside to send to you. Entertainment facilities could be limited to a communal TV permanently tuned to a channel you don’t want to watch. Indoor recreation might be limited to a few board games and card games, maybe some dominoes.

You don’t get to pick and choose. So, all you can do is make the most of whatever fate sends your way. Play cards and board games even if you don’t really feel like it. Read every book and magazine you can get hold of. When you run out of books, start reading them for a second time. If you can’t get to a gym for a workout, do push-ups and sit-ups, and join in with football games. To survive prison boredom, use every resource available to make your time inside pass more quickly.