The Mental Reset You Didn’t Know You Needed
Why boredom is good for you
I still remember the day my friend asked me, “What do you do when you’re bored?”
I said, “I hardly ever get bored. Why do you ask?”
She replied, “I don’t wanna be bored. Like, there are times I don’t know what to do. I hate it and I always feel like I need to be doing something.”
And I guess she asked me that because she had run out of ideas to fight off boredom, or maybe she was hoping for something interesting that could keep her constantly occupied.
As for me, yes, I rarely get bored. I surround myself with so many things I want to do, errands to run, and projects outside of work and school that boredom barely comes to me.
That’s the upside (at least it’s a productive way to spend time).
But on the other hand, I, and probably many of you, often find ourselves surrounded with too much simulation. A new email or message notification. A fresh YouTube video from your favourite vlogger. A brand new Netflix series. Or just an endless stream of short, entertaining videos on TikTok.
In today’s world, our minds are constantly stimulated. Our attention spans are scattered into a million pieces. We switch between browser tabs, our thoughts jump from one thing to the next, and eventually, it feels like what my team says when we’re overloaded with work: “We’re running like headless chickens.”
And we get tired. At some point, we just want to shut down, like my old laptop that freezes after having too many tabs open.
And that, my friend, is exactly when I realise… we need boredom.
3 big reasons:
Boredom is a break for our brain.
Our minds are constantly overstimulated when we have too much to consume, as I mentioned earlier. And we can get stuck in a “meh” state - an average, dull mindset, or as some Gen Z say these days, brain rot.
Having moments of boredom where you focus on one simple, mundane task that no one would usually choose to do can actually be beneficial. Think of the things our parents or older siblings used to do to pass the time before the age of digital devices: watching the clock, reading the manual for some random appliance because there was nothing else to do, or just casually sitting in one place doing absolutely nothing.
Moments like these help calm your brain, making it seek fewer distractions and less stimulation. As a result, they improve your attention span, help you focus better, and reduce the mental fatigue that comes from constantly consuming data and content.
2. Boredom leads to better creativity
It might seem like you’re doing nothing in those moments. But in fact, you’re giving your mind the time and space it needs to process information and connect the dots, giving new ideas the opportunity to rise.
Maybe you’ll unexpectedly find a solution to a problem at work.
Maybe you’ll figure out what to buy as a present for your best friend.
Or maybe you’ll remember what happened to your missing spare keys (maybe you hid them in the deepest corner of your closet and forgot).
Let’s agree - your best ideas often come at the most unexpected times: in the shower or on a walk when you’re not looking at your phone or listening to music or a podcast.
During those “boring” moments where your mind is free and unoccupied, creativity can flourish.
And if you’re a bit of an overachiever, here’s some good news: boredom helps your career, too. Notice how creativity, new ideas, and solutions all come up when you’re bored?
With just a little boredom, you can spark moments of creative breakthrough, innovative thinking, and even game-changing ideas. Who knows? You might just become the next problem solver your team relies on!
3. Boredom improves clarity and self-reflection
During times when you’re bored, your mind tends to wander. And guess where it goes most often?
The future (Surprise?)
That’s why we don’t just come up with more ideas, but also more ideas about what to do next. As a result, we can make better plans. They could be for the day ahead, an upcoming trip, or the goals we want to achieve in the next few years.
Boredom also helps us develop a stronger sense of self and a deeper understanding of others.
We start to reflect more on what we’ve done and the choices we’ve made (just be careful not to fall into a spiral of regrets!).
We become more curious about what’s really happening around us, things that have a direct impact on our lives, our friends, our families, and our communities, not just the irrelevant news or information we often scroll through on social media.
Ready to enjoy some moments of being bored?
Start small. Acknowledge the little moments of nothingness in your day. The few minutes between meetings, while waiting for the water to boil, or while standing by the microwave. Don’t grab your phone just yet. Just… wait.
Sit with your mind. Stay undistracted and be more present in the long, mundane, boring moments. I’m talking about waiting in line to get your favourite coffee, taking a bath, going for a walk, or sitting through a long commute to work.
Avoid multitasking. Don’t cook, clean, do the laundry, wash the dishes, or eat with your headphones on or a screen in front of you. (It’s hard, I know!)
Choose some mindless tasks if you struggle with doing absolutely nothing (but please don’t mindlessly scroll on your phone), like cleaning, vacuuming, knitting...
And now, let’s come back to the very first question my friend asked: “What do you do when you’re bored?”
I hope that after reading this, your answer will be something along the lines of:
“I do absolutely nothing!”
or
“I sit with my boredom, it’s good for me!”