Boredom: All Bad, or Some Good?

Well, we’re fully into summer- which likely means that, if you have children, you’ve been hearing how bored they are! So what’s the real deal with boredom and how can it help us? 

Boredom can be understood as a state of mind where there is a lack of interest, challenge, or stimulation. It is a subjective experience (so what me feel bored may not be boring to you). One may feel restless or like they don’t have any motivation or purpose. Sometimes boredom comes up with repetitive or routine tasks and probably feels like things are just monotonous.

Boredom can impact a number of things including work, social life, school, and home life. We probably all experienced some boredom during the lockdowns associated with COVID-19. Usually it is viewed as something to avoid, but it can also be a source for creativity and trying something new. Here are some positive and negative things that can come out of being bored:

• Research shows that “people who experience moderate levels of boredom are more likely to engage in creative thinking and problem-solving” (Ndetei, 2023).
  • Sometimes letting your mind wander and explore can help you to think through situations, problems, relationships, etc. in creative and different ways.
•  Boredom has been shown to have a negative impact on our mental and physical health, as well as productivity.
  • ‘Too much boredom’ can sometimes be linked to increased depression.
• Boredom may push us outside of our boxes to find something new in our lives.
• Boredom has been linked to increased impulsive behaviors, like gambling and substance abuse.

So many the best combination is some boredom (to increase creativity and problem solving), but
not so much that it negatively impacts our mental health. Some strategies to help increase the good of boredom, without it overtaking us:

• Find a new hobby or skills.
• Try keeping a list of things that you’d ‘love to do if you only had time’ and then pick from something on that list when you find yourself with lots of extra time.
• Get active
• Rest and relax, but with purpose
• Don’t doomscroll, but try to meditate or nap
• Find social connection (again, without the doomscrolling)
• Make sure your days have some kind of rhythm and routine
• Be self-aware