Boredom, it's where Imagination Flows
When was the last time you were bored? I mean people take their phones everywhere, even to the bathroom these days, we are never not entertained? But should we? A great deal of brilliance comes from boredom, so for that reason alone we should just simply get bored sometimes. Boredom can enable creativity and problem-solving just by allowing the mind to wander and daydream. You have to go into your head and let loose.
And there are those who keep themselves constantly super busy and entertained which seems like a worrying sign of not being able to be with their own thoughts. (And that's a whole entire blog post in itself) But it’s purely beneficial to step away from our screens, work and other stressors long enough to feel bored at times.
Bored of being bored because being bored is boring.
Being bored is a way, where children learn how to connect with themselves, their essence, and ranges, it's a path of self-exploration. A child who creates their own games, without a script, at their own pace and according to their values, lives in the present. And a child who knows how to play by using their imagination is an adult who knows how to fully live and enjoy the smallest things in life. (You can still be this child)
To tap into true boredom, pick an activity that requires little or no concentration; like walking a familiar route, knitting, swimming laps or even just sitting with your eyes closed, simply let your mind wander, without music or stimulation to guide it.
It’s also crucial to unplug during this time. Our needs and cultural attachment to our phones is both destroying our ability to be bored, and preventing us from ever truly being entertained.
We’re trying to swipe and scroll the boredom away, but in doing that, we’re actually making ourselves more prone to boredom, because every time we get our phone out we’re not allowing our mind to wander or to solve our own boredom problems.
People can become addicted to the constant dopamine hit of new and "fresh" content that phones provide. For some, the tolerance for boredom doesn't exist and they need more and more to not feel bored.
Next time you find yourself in line at the grocery store, in a tedious meeting or killing time in a waiting room, resist the urge to scroll. Take a deep breath, look around, relax your shoulders, and simply be. Let your unthinking mind wander. You’re bound to get bored and maybe just maybe your brain, mood and work performance might improve.
Let’s seek opportunities to press pause and invite boredom in to help us stay grounded in the real world around us.