Think boredom is bad? Experts reveal why it could be your secret weapon

With the pace of modern life getting faster, ever more complicated and with it, more stressful, it’s a relief just to be able to take a step back and forget about it all.

Information overload

In the pre-social media, pre-internet days, life was generally slower, there was a lot less choice and less things to do. That’s not to say it was boring - just different, less instantaneous. But in the tech age, there is too much stimulation, too much information to process, too much everything...

In the modern era, we have to be seen as always doing something. And when there’s nothing to do, boredom sets in. Boredom is associated with wasting precious time, and not feeling the desire to do something constructive. But we all need down time - in fact, many psychologists will insist that doing nothing is actually good for our wellbeing, and even promotes creativity.

Switching off and taking a breather can help our minds to pause, conserve energy and give us time to reflect on our own individual needs.

Stay away from the computer screen

So far from allowing boredom to set in, turning off our phones, not logging onto our computer to check news, emails... etc. actually helps us to de-stress.

According to neuroscientists, our brains don’t just completely shut off when we have nothing to do. Instead, it rests - this is the perfect time for introspection, focusing on memories or letting our minds wander.

A study by the University of Central Lancashire examined the relationship between boredom and creative potential over a range of tasks: a total of 80 participants took part - one group involved in a boring writing exercise (copying phone numbers from a phone book), plus a control group who were left alone. Both groups were given a creative assignment afterwards.

The results suggested that boring activities resulted in increased creativity and that boring reading activities lead to more creativity - in certain circumstances.

That’s why when some people feel mentally overwhelmed, suffering brain fog or unable to think straight, they might go out for a walk - that’s when they have their best ideas as it allows the brain to wander, connect dots, and deliver solutions.

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