Boredom offers surprising psychological benefits. Sometimes, it is important for the mind to feel a void so that it can be mentally recharged for better things ahead
Among the many universal human experiences, boredom is one of them. Most of us perceive boredom as an unpleasant state of mind, from which we want to escape at once.
Clinical psychologist John Eastwood, who heads the Boredom Lab at York University in Toronto, provided the first precise definition of boredom. It is an uncomfortable feeling wherein one is unable to engage oneself in satisfying activities. Essentially, the mind is craving stimulation and finding none. This makes boredom a common, mindless but harmless problem we all face in daily life.
In today’s social media-driven culture, both the eyes and ears are on a constant dopamine treat of stimulation. This has resulted in shorter attention spans for many people. Any experience that falls short of this arousal and excitement makes one prone to boredom.
This is perhaps why Instagram Reels and TikTok videos surged in popularity more than any other type of social media. Its short-length format caters to the reducing attention spans while literally overstimulating the mind with its variety in terms of content.
At first, these videos are quite entertaining. We usually are not aware that gradually boredom is setting in until we realise we are scrolling mindlessly or what one calls 'doomscrolling'. This endless cycle keeps us trapped without us noticing.
The brain has its own mechanism of dealing with constant bombardment of stimulation as well. When cognitive demands deplete our ability to concentrate and sustain attention, the mind automatically wanders as a way of reserving cognitive energy in terms of daydreaming.
But what if I were to tell you that you are mistaken and that boredom is good for you? Boredom offers surprising psychological benefits. Boredom can be adaptive if the focus is not just to divert attention and crave stimulation. Sometimes, it is important for the mind to feel a void so that it can be mentally recharged for better things ahead.
When all the distraction fades away, the mind is at its best for problem-solving. It also brings on a state of reflection and wellbeing if channelled properly. These benefits show why we should not always run from boredom.
Interesting research by psychologists Sandi Mann and Rebekah Cadman in 2014 proves this. Participants were made to do boring tasks in experiments, such as writing phone numbers. Later they were given a task to suggest novel ways of using plastic cups. Surprisingly, the bored participants were much more creative in their ideas on how to use those plastic cups. When this same experiment was repeated with another boring task of just reading phone numbers, the creativity improved even more. It appeared that the boring tasks created mental space for unrelated thoughts to come together and form novel ways of looking at plastic cups. This shows boredom frees the mind.
The young generation gets bored easily due to the quick pace of life, leaving them impatient with the thought of doing nothing. The world around promotes goals, achievements and targets that are celebrated on their success. The hustle culture promotes the idea that being busy is good and is equated with a sense of worth. Hence, many are intolerant of pauses or so-called 'nothing to do' phases.
In some cultures, such as Italy, boredom is almost a desired state of mind. It is in fact called ‘dolce far niente’, meaning the sweetness of doing nothing. It is the art of enjoying idle moments, not lazily but finding joy in slowing down and perhaps mental space for self-awareness and growth.
So perhaps this Sunday, one should try ditching distractions and give boredom some time to brew brilliance.
(The writer is Associate Professor and Head of Department of Psychology at St. Xavier’s College, Mapusa)
