3 Reasons Why Boredom Is Good For You Backed By Science

Being bored can be a grueling feeling. You are looking for something meaningful/fun/exciting to do but nothing seems to come close.

Boredom can even be a taboo. Nowadays we are supposed to be busy. Being busy equals being important. It means your boss needs you, your friends can’t get enough of you and you are in the gym to get a hot summer body. When someone asks how you are doing and you reply with: “I’m pretty bored at the moment” you will probably get a raised eyebrow and an awkward smile in response. But boredom is actually a GOOD thing.

#1 Boredom Boosts Creativity

Research shows that being bored stimulates creativity. Several studies have shown that boredom leads to a better performance on creative tasks. In one study, participants had to read or write down numbers from a phone book and name as many as possible different uses for a pair of plastic cups. The group with the most boring task (reading the numbers from the phonebook) were rated as MOST creative. Even more creative than the control group who did not have to do anything but think of uses for the cups.

#2 Boredom Boosts Efficiency

Boredom will make you more efficient. It stimulates you to look for ways to improve yourself or the task at hand. Why is that? Boredom gives you the time to think. You can reflect on what you are doing, and why. When doing the same thing again and again the task becomes easy or even automatic. That will leave time for your mind to start wandering. At the same time, boredom can make you feel frustrated with what you are doing. This will be the fuel to the fire. You will start looking for different, more efficient or more creative ways of doing things.

#3 A Push For Exploration

Being bored will stimulate you to look for new impulses. As mentioned above, when you are bored you have the time to reflect. Being bored can be a sign that you are not in the right place. It shows you that a situation does not give you the challenge you need. The grueling feeling of boredom will push you to start looking for new opportunities.

The next time you are feeling bored, embrace it!
Do you ever get bored?