How Boredom Could Improve Your Business
“Being bored is good for you — Go be bored!”
Growing up, this was my parents’ response when I would inevitably hassle them when I was bored. I was always left perplexed by their statement — How could boredom ever be good for you and why on earth would anyone embrace it?
Boredom felt like a punishment, a time devoid of purpose or entertainment. A colleague pointed out to me that the German word for boredom, “Langeweile,” literally means “A long while”, which illustrates that feeling of hours stretching endlessly when boredom sets in.
But let me just ask — when was the last time you were truly bored? Like really out of your mind bored.
In today’s world of endless distractions, boredom has become increasingly rare. With a plethora of entertainment options at our fingertips, there seems to be no room for the quiet contemplation that boredom brings.
Boredom brings opportunities for introspection and creativity. In moments of idleness, we can sift through our thoughts, untangle our emotions, and reconnect with ourselves.
It’s in boredom that ideas are explored, poems get written, songs get sung, doodles are drawn and therewith artists are born, innovators are empowered and leaders rise. It’s a chance to explore our imaginations and embrace the freedom of thought without the pressure of productivity.
Boredom is an important part of being human and counter-intuitively I believe it’s also good for business.
By creating spaces for idle contemplation, organizations can foster creativity, collaboration, and innovation. Allowing teams the freedom to be bored can lead to new ideas, unconventional approaches, and breakthroughs. Without the pressure on productivity, perhaps this is when we do our best work.
Boredom can also lead to more reflective leadership, more empathy for others and connecting the dots where others don’t see them in the busyness of life.
Ultimately, I think boredom could help us be better friends, teammates and even leaders.
So, how do we practically let ourselves be bored?
It’s hard to actively create a space for boredom, it often just happens naturally. It’s often unplanned and the beauty of boredom is that it’s not meant to be productive.
However, I’ve been trialling a few things by starting small and just creating space to allow boredom to creep in.
An example is simply try sitting in silence on your commute home, occasionally with a notebook in hand. No music, no screen — Just you and your thoughts and being present in the world around you. I’ve been doing this for the last few months and I feel so much better for it. I get reminded of friends I need to call, think of that question I need to ask a teammate, rethink the design of a deliverable and generally have time to digest the conversations from the day.
Some might call this reflection time, but I believe the mindset in which you enter the time is crucial — I go into this with no expectations on how the time is spent. I simply sit and allow myself to run away with my thoughts, even when I have exhausted them.
Another example is to simply question when you reflexively reach out for distractions when boredom strikes. Instead, consider embracing the opportunity for idleness. What would happen if I didn’t switch the TV on or endlessly scroll on my phone, but instead let myself linger in the quiet moments, allowing my mind to wander and explore?
So, there’s a challenge. Go and be bored, more.
Who knows what insights and discoveries await in the uncharted territory of boredom — You may even stumble upon your next best business idea.
P.S. I came up with this article idea whilst bored on the tram.
Author: Mireille Toyn
Mireille is a Managing Consultant at Magnetic — a design and innovation company that helps design better futures. We’ve worked with global businesses, government organisations and fast growing start-ups to build capabilities, products, services and transform organisations. To find out more get in touch: mireille.toyn@wearemagnetic.com.
