Embracing Boredom; Three Thoughts on the Right Kind of Being Bored
A case for a productive brand of the thing we try to avoid the most.
“I’m Bored”
Not so long ago, I had to wait in a queue. I spent nearly an hour waiting my turn for a Justice of the Peace to certify a copy of a document.
It struck me that, given our modern conveniences and do-it-online norms, we don’t spend nearly as much time waiting in queues as we used to. So the hour or so I spent in the queue was a bit of a novelty. A boring one, at that.
I’d deleted my social media accounts from my phone and had already read the news for the day, so the device in my pocket wasn’t going to save me from this boredom.
I had little choice but to lean into the novelty of the moment, and let myself be bored for a while.
Nothing to Do, Doing Nothing.
Boredom manifests in two distinct contexts: engaging in a tedious or uninteresting activity or having nothing to do at all.
The feeling of boredom is universal — a sense of restlessness and frustration stemming from the lack of stimulation or meaningful engagement. We’re most likely to experience these feelings during monotonous tasks, such as data entry, or time spent devoid of stimulation, like waiting in a queue.
When the mind is subjected to repetitive or unchallenging stimuli which fail to capture our interest or ignite curiosity, we crave distraction or escape. We seek alternative sources of mental stimulation or entertainment to alleviate the monotony.
Boredom resulting from having nothing to do occurs when we find ourselves in devoid of purposeful activity. In this context, boredom is characterized by a sense of aimlessness and dissatisfaction with the absence of meaningful engagement or stimulation.
Having nothing to do opens the door to feelings of lethargy or disinterest. In the absence of extrinsic activity, we’re in the uncomfortable territory of introspection and reflection. We question meaning and purpose. We ask questions that we’re unfamiliar with and have no answers to.
In a society that rewards productivity — nay, glorifies productivity — boredom shows up as the enemy of status, standing, and self-worth.
The Lost Art of Boredom
Our society seems hell-bent on eradicating boredom.
We have a pathological disdain for boredom, and ‘having nothing to do’. Western society seems to have an addiction to being active and productive. There’s a fine line between boredom and necessary rest, and the two are treated the same. They represent unproductive time and are to be avoided.
“All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.” — Blaise Pascal
Boredom — the absence of mental and physical stimulation — plays a crucial and complex role in mental processing, cognitive development, and emotional stability.
Stimulation of creativity. Boredom stimulates creativity by creating the space to seek out novel experiences and engage in imaginative thinking. When our minds are not occupied with external stimuli, they have the opportunity to wander and come up with new ideas.
Problem-solving skills. Boredom provides for introspection which in turn enhances problem-solving skills. When we’re bored, we’re more inclined to think deeply about the challenges or obstacles we face and innovate new kinds of solutions.
Daydreaming. Boredom often manifests as periods of daydreaming and mind-wandering. Far from being the vacant enemy of attention that our teachers berated us for, periods of daydreaming are beneficial for mental processing. In a mind-wandering state, we allow the brain to make unexpected connections, consolidate memories, and generate creative insights.
Self-Reflection. The absence of something to do clears the path for self-reflection and a deeper understanding of self. The space to reflect provides the opportunity to evaluate values, aspirations, and priorities.
Attention Regulation. Experiencing boredom also fosters the development of attention regulation skills. When we’re bored, we need to exert extra effort to maintain focus and resist distractions; this strengthens our inherent ability to sustain attention over time.
On the flip side, too much boredom induces discontent and restlessness. Prolonged boredom may negatively impact mental well-being. Chronic boredom is often associated with symptoms of depression, anxiety, and dissatisfaction with life.
The Case for a Useful Kind of Boredom
I think there is a level of boredom that is useful — maybe even essential. Once upon a time, not so long ago, we had ample opportunity for productive boredom. Our lives were less distracted, and hence we were less distractable. We were used to a certain level of boredom and knew how to be bored in a useful way.
I think we’ve lost that art, and I think it is an art. The avoidance of boredom is a commercial opportunity that has been capitalized on in every way, targeting our downtime from babyhood right through to our golden years. We’ve collectively avoided boredom so effectively that we’ve lost the benefits of being bored.
I’m proposing the case for more boredom — a productive, useful kind of boredom;
1. Accept that a certain amount of boredom is a good thing. The words “I’m bored” have come to require some kind of remedy, without any kind of evaluation of whether it’s actually okay to be bored for a while.
An advocate for useful boredom was, somewhat ironically, Steve Jobs. He insisted that it was in periods of boredom that innovative ideas entered the consciousness and that some of his best ideas came out of being bored.
Acceptance is a key stage of changing behavior and often follows awareness. Accepting boredom as a normal, natural, and essential way of being is hard to do, in the face of the lifetime of social programming we’ve encountered. We’re programmed to avoid boredom, and so embracing boredom is not only difficult, but it’s also counter-cultural.
Realising that automatic boredom-avoidance is the default setting helps interrupt that automaticity, and paves the way for accepting a period of boredom, and the benefits that can flow from it.
2. Reframe the language around boredom. I’ve yet to meet anyone who says “Yay, I’m bored”, and genuinely means it. I’ve met plenty of people who tell me that they are so busy and never have an opportunity to stop and take a beat.
If we saw the opportunity in a period of boredom, and then reframed and found alternative language for that opportunity, we’d be better positioned to embrace the opportunity. We can short-circuit the boredom reaction, and open space for a response to the opportunity.
“I’ve got nothing to do” becomes “I have the opportunity to do nothing”, or “Here’s time and space to think, and really examine my thoughts”.
“This is boring” becomes “this doesn’t take much of my mental attention, what else can I do with that attention right now?”.
Continuing to attach very negative connotations to boredom perpetuates a cycle of avoidance of boredom, and diminishes the very necessary role it plays in our mental plasticity.
3. Choose predictable ‘boredom events’. Instead of zealously trying to avoid boredom, look forward to moments of intentional boredom. Look for periods of the day or week that hold the opportunity for boredom, but yet aren’t ‘wasted’ time.
Here’s an example — consider commuting in silence. No music, no podcasts, no reading. No streaming Netflix on your phone. Just sit there. Bored. Let your mind wander. Play with the thoughts.
Next time you’re waiting in a line, just wait. Resist the temptation to scroll. Look around you, notice the world. Boredom is a kind of meditative practice if done well.
I experienced a really good piece of boredom recently. I’m in the middle of painting the exterior of our house. We’re doing a limewash finish on exposed brick, and the process means that every.single.brick needs to be painted with a brush. The process is tedious, repetitive, and painstakingly slow. And it’s awesome. I have hours on end where I’m alone with my thoughts.
When I started painting, I took the opportunity to listen to hours of podcasts — which were informative and inspiring. Latterly, I’ve taken to painting while listening to well-worn playlists, the kind of playlists that are so familiar that they fade into the background.
I’ve found myself embracing the tedium, and really enjoying the opportunity to have space with my thoughts.
I’m not sure when the next time I’ll need to spend an hour in a queue will be.
I’m kind of looking forward to it. In the meantime, I’ll experiment with commuting in silence and looking for new ways to refer to the concept formerly known as Boredom.
Join me. Let’s start a boring revolution.
