Boredom is not a waste of time: 4 unexpected benefits

**Boredom is not a waste of time: its 4 unexpected benefits**

Boredom is a state of mental depression caused by idleness or lack of interest in the surrounding things. However, it is difficult for a modern person to find time for boredom, because we always have a smartphone in our hands, and on it are movies, books, funny videos and memes. It doesn’t matter what the brain is busy with - the important thing is that there is always some activity and we enjoy it.

Nevertheless, sometimes it is necessary to put the phone aside, without music and other distractions, and just sit quietly and let boredom take over. There are at least four reasons for this.

**1. Boredom stimulates creative thinking**

Studies show that boredom can encourage a person to think more unconventionally and engage in creative work. Although there are not enough large studies in this regard, small experiments have found a connection between boredom and creativity.

For example, in one experiment, 100 people were divided into two groups. The first group performed a boring and monotonous task, such as sorting two different beans by color, with one hand. The second group made creative applications from beans. After that, all participants participated in a debate, and their ideas were evaluated by independent experts. As a result, those in the first group who performed the boring task came up with more original ideas than the second group.

Another study involved 170 people. Some of them performed a boring task before a creative task. This time, too, the previous boredom helped the participants solve the problem more creatively.

**2. Boredom motivates action**

However, there is one thing here: not all action is useful. Psychologists sometimes recommend that people who tend to procrastinate or have difficulty starting a task try to get a little bored. Because doing nothing can become so unbearable that a person is ready to start any work to get rid of boredom.

Research also confirms this. For example, in one experiment, participants were left alone in an empty room without any training. They were left only with their own thoughts. There was one button in the room, and when you press it, you get an electric shock. The participants only learned about this after they pressed the button for the first time. Despite this, most of the participants pressed the button again to get rid of boredom.

So, boredom can really motivate a person to act. But it is important to control the direction in which this action will take place. To get rid of boredom, you can either do useful work or indulge in harmful habits.

**3. Boredom prepares you for more complex tasks**

You don’t have to harm yourself to get rid of boredom. In another experiment, participants were first bored, and then they were given tasks related to mental calculations. They could independently choose one of five levels of complexity. According to the results, scientists concluded that boredom can motivate a person to choose more complex tasks. Such tasks help to arouse a person’s inner interest and get rid of boredom.

**4. Understanding that boredom is normal is good for the psyche**

Boredom is often perceived as a negative state. Many people consider boredom to be something unpleasant and unnecessary. This can also be due to views instilled in them from childhood: “Are you bored? Go, clean your room.” Therefore, when we get bored, we immediately try to occupy ourselves with something. But such an attitude itself is not useful.

Studies conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic have shown how a person’s attitude towards boredom affects their mental state. Participants who had a negative attitude towards boredom were bored more and more. Those who took it for granted felt better. That's why sometimes you have to be honest and not feel guilty about it. After all, sometimes doing nothing is not a problem.