Watching my phone, scrolling Instagram, making food, doodling, I would do anything to avoid boredom. To me, not doing something meant I was doing something wrong. My life is busy. To think of sitting doing nothing, staring at the wall or out a window seemed like a waste of time. Then my parents introduced the idea that boredom might be a good thing. I saw this as a thinly veiled attempt to separate me from my phone. However, I have learned that the boredom I feared is not what I initially believed it to be. Some time spent doing nothing is a good thing.
During my freshman year, I had a big mastery project in AP Computer Science that was entirely based on individual creativity. I spent five days searching the internet for ideas. ChatGPT, Pinterest, and even regular old Google were not helping. So I shifted my search to questions like, How to think of creative things? Or, how to come up with a really good idea? Most of my results were predictable: brainstorm, have an open mind, journal, etc. The one thing that did spark my interest was an article suggesting that time spent in boredom might be the solution to a shortage of creative ideas.
Many people associate being bored with a lack of productivity. This casts the simplicity of not being busy in a negative light. More and more, research is showing that time spent in idleness, especially in today’s busy world, can offer positive outcomes.
Science is revealing the beneficial effects boredom can have on individuals. Some of these effects include more time for self-reflection and heightened self-awareness, both of which contribute to better mental health. Another way in which boredom produces good effects is in its ability to inspire creativity. The habit among younger generations is to fill downtime with social media when the brain could benefit from time spent in boredom. When the brain is unstimulated, there are neurological benefits; the brain relaxes and stress levels fall. During such times, the default mode network (DMN) in the brain to turn on. The DMN is the area in the brain that makes meaning out of stimuli. Unexpectedly, the feeling of being bored triggers the DMN to light up, making sense of stimuli in new ways.
Admittedly, it is hard to allow yourself to be bored, especially as high school students who have a million things to do. Stress about plans and future goals is an important consideration in every high schooler’s life. Opening the door to boredom and the resulting creativity is likely to reduce stress by improving productivity and problem-solving capabilities.
So does it make sense to set aside time to do nothing? As a two-sport athlete who participates in multiple clubs and AP classes and keeps a busy social schedule, does it make sense to set aside time for idleness? Great questions. Like many things in life, striking a balance is ideal. Perhaps the best approach is to embrace boredom when it arrives instead of trying to escape it.
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