Now that constant stimulation is just a click away, the art of boredom has become non-existent. We scroll through endless feeds, binge-watch entire seasons, and fill every moment with mental engagement, all to escape the perceived discomfort of doing nothing. Perhaps it’s time to reconsider our relationship with boredom and see it as a potential ally.

Nowadays, we have lost the ability to handle boredom. In the past, what was once considered a luxury has become a source of anxiety, as people now seek constant stimulation. The thought of doing nothing and sitting with your thoughts makes people uneasy. This discomfort drives people towards unhealthy coping mechanisms — from binge eating to more extreme actions like giving themselves electric shocks or viewing distressing images, all just to get themselves out of the dull state. Those who constantly crave stimulation are more likely to develop addictive behaviors like drug abuse and gambling, or as Blaise Pascal said: “All humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.”

“The more entertained we are, the more entertainment we need to feel satisfied. The more we fill our world with fast-moving, high-intensity, ever-changing stimulation, the more we get used to that and the less tolerant we become of lower levels,” said Dr Sandi Mann, the author of The Upside of Downtime: Why Boredom is Good.

And contrary to popular belief, life doesn’t always need to be exciting. Mastering the art of doing nothing opens the eyes to life’s simplest pleasures. While it may seem like a rebellion against the adrenaline-charged lifestyle promoted today to continuously chase new goals, taking time to simply exist may allow individuals to observe their own thoughts and practice mindfulness.

Boredom can lead to your most brilliant ideas. In a TEDTalk, Manoush Zomorodi explained the meaning behind her project: Bored and Brilliant. She started it after realizing that her best ideas came at the times when she was bored. This was an app that gave daily challenges encouraging people to take time away from their phone. The reviews showed that the time of boredom ignited creative thoughts in the users’ brains and decreased the feeling of guilt for wasting time scrolling. One of the users described the feeling as “waking up from a mental hibernation.” Zomorodi concluded her TEDTalk by saying: “By doing nothing, you are actually being your most productive and creative self.”

People can learn to be bored through exposure therapy. While the discomfort of boredom is not necessarily a disorder, exposure techniques will teach a person to tolerate it, improving their focus and pushing them to success. Firstly, the aspects of discomfort must be identified and listed, people can begin pairing that feeling with a relaxing technique and working their way through the list. By keeping track of how long they can stay in the situation without the discomfort becoming intolerable, the period can grow longer each time, according to Psychology Today.

Tags: