💡If you’re waiting for brilliance to strike, maybe try getting bored first?
Getting bored in the right way may bring you to greater heights in life
What is boredom actually?
Boredom can be described as a condition of not being able to find purpose or significance, resulting in a highly uncomfortable experience. The condition of boredom is commonly associated with negative emotions like dissatisfaction, restlessness, and mental fatigue. When a person is bored, their mental exhaustion increases as they perceive time to pass slowly. A common example is when we are waiting for the end of a workday while feeling bored, even a short period like 10 minutes may seem to take an excessively long time.
Boredom and its well-known detrimental effects
Boredom is a major source of dissatisfaction and lack of meaning in life, and people tend to seek external stimuli such as video games or movies to escape it. However, these temporary solutions only make things worse by intensifying the grip of boredom and leading to a cycle of addiction.Â
People who are prone to boredom may also have self-control issues, which can manifest as addictive behaviors like gambling and binge-eating. The Amish saying "idle hands are the Devil's workshop" rings true, as individuals with a high propensity for boredom tend to have an impulsive mindset and constantly crave new experiences.
Yet… Boredom also has its brighter sides!
While boredom is often associated with negative consequences, it can also have positive effects. In fact, boredom can serve as a motivation for action. Here are five advantages of experiencing boredom.
Boredom can improve our mental well-being.
In today's digital age, we're constantly bombarded with information and distractions, leaving our brains in a state of perpetual overstimulation. But did you know that boredom could actually be the antidote to this mental overload? According to research, taking a break from the constant flow of information and allowing yourself to feel bored can do wonders for your mental health. By giving your brain a chance to rest and recharge, you can alleviate stress, improve focus, and enhance overall well-being.
Boredom can facilitate the surge of creativity.
Repetitive and boring tasks that require little mental effort, such as washing the dishes and commuting back home, were found to be able to stimulate free-flowing thinking, leading to fresh ideas and innovative solutions. Boredom creates a chance for introspection and contemplation, as well as stimulating creativity and critical thinking by permitting the mind to wander and fantasize. While mind-wandering was once considered a hindrance to productivity and happiness, studies have found that allowing your thoughts to stray towards something you're interested in can significantly boost creativity and overall well-being.
For instance, the creation of the beloved book "The Hobbit" was born out of a moment of boredom. Its author, J.R.R. Tolkien, an Oxford professor, was tasked with checking a massive amount of exams during summer vacation, which proved to be tedious and unstimulating. During this dull task, he stumbled upon a student's blank exam page, which led his thoughts to wander. As a result, he scribbled the famous line, "In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit," and from that moment of boredom emerged one of the most beloved classics of the 20th century.
Boredom drives the search for new experiences.Â
It's this innate human desire for adventure and newness that has shaped us into the intelligent, curious beings we are today. Novelty-seeking arises from a dissatisfaction with the status quo and a willingness to question established ideas and conventions. Significant achievements often come from this urge to push boundaries and explore new frontiers. For example, Christopher Columbus may not have set sail if he had been content with the world as it was or if he had access to Prozac back then.
Boredom can be our ‘wake-up’ call for a new purpose in life.
When we feel bored, it's a sign that we're not satisfied with what we're doing and that we need to find something more fulfilling. Boredom pushes us to explore new goals and projects that align with our desires and aspirations. It's a catalyst for change, a signal that we need to shake things up and pursue something that truly engages and excites us. By embracing boredom, we can unlock our full potential and find a sense of purpose and direction in our lives.
Boredom shapes our self-control skills.
The link between boredom and self-control is clear. When we're bored, our focus and attention tend to suffer, which can lead to disengagement and poor performance in various activities, particularly in school. Boredom is often a result of cognitive overload, making it difficult to maintain interest in a task. However, those who have learned to manage boredom effectively are better equipped to regulate their thoughts, emotions, and actions, which are essential self-control skills. In other words, mastering boredom early on can help develop crucial self-control skills that benefit us throughout our lives.
Given these benefits, we should embrace boredom, rather than looking for an immediate escape. We should also allow our mind to wander because boredom could be an opportunity for reflection on what we want in life.
What to do the next time you’re feeling bored
The next time you feel bored, try these three things:
Embrace boredom: Recognize that boredom is a signal and an opportunity for self-exploration. Instead of seeing it negatively, use it to gain insight.
Cultivate curiosity: Explore the type of boredom you're feeling. Is it because you can't find something engaging to do, or is it a defense mechanism blocking you from exploring new possibilities? Be curious about your boredom and reflect on it.
Practice patience: Overcoming defensive boredom requires integrating neglected aspects of your life. You might be able to do this on your own, or with the help of a trained therapist. However, it takes time and patience to make sense of these patterns and develop a new perspective.
In today's world, our attention is constantly divided amongst various distractions, leaving little room for introspection
We often work with multiple tabs open, and numerous applications competing for our attention, making it challenging to concentrate and look inward. However, seemingly idle moments like waiting at a traffic light or taking a shower can provide an opportunity to gain valuable insights that may not be possible amidst the external noise. These moments of boredom allow the brain to tap into internal sources and generate creative solutions. Thus, it's time to embrace boredom and use it to our advantage, as it may hold the key to unlocking our innermost thoughts and potential. Hence, do not hesitate to share this article with your friends whom you think need it most!
Until next Monday, embrace the art of boredom!