The modern world has become very demanding for men. He wants to see it as a super-productive machine that works without sleep and rest, creating super-profits for corporations. And notions such as boredom, idleness are declared enemies. But still we are people, and sometimes we need not strive anywhere, not to plan anything, but just to get bored. Besides, we can benefit from boredom and nothing to do. How to do it - read in our article.
Advantages of idleness and boredom
When you're bored, the world seems to be at a dead end. But boredom causes significant activity at the subconscious level. These quiet, boring times allow your mind to wander, rearranging your brain so as to help you achieve more.
Increasing productivity
Give your brain time to get bored and it will help in the long run. Recent research has shown that people who have completed a boring task (sorting balls by color into different containers) have later been better at generating ideas than those who have tried a new, interesting activity. Those who were "bored" surpassed their peers in both the quantity and quality of ideas.
Creativity
In the previous study, scientists have studied both creativity and productivity. Psychologists have decided to test how boredom helps to increase creativity. They asked volunteers to watch videos that caused feelings of boredom, relaxation or delight before testing their ability to think creatively about different words. They found that when volunteers were asked to name a vehicle, participants who were relaxed or in a good mood were more likely to say something banal like "car". But bored participants usually came up with more creative options, such as "camels".
Purposefulness
Dreaming is a way for your brain to entertain you when you miss what's going on around you. And it turns out that dreams can also help you be more motivated. European and American researchers have found that dreams of the future allow you to subconsciously plan your goals and tune in.
Self-awareness
Boredom can be a red flag, showing when something goes wrong. Without feeling bored, you can continue to do things you don't like, such as staying at work that isn't interesting or difficult enough.
How to embed boredom and idleness in your day
The first step is to make boredom work for you - choose the right kind of boredom. For example, indifferent and calibrating boredom will help your brain to rest and recharge. On the other hand, apathetic boredom can serve as a warning sign that you have deeper problems. The goal is to use monotony to improve other areas of your life, not to inject negative energy into it.
Here are three healthy ways to include boredom in your day:
Choose the right actions
We all have boring, repetitive tasks, but not all of them are suitable for productive boredom. For example, building a spreadsheet and analyzing data can be boring, but it requires high concentration and a lot of mental energy. On the other hand, filling envelopes for a marketing event or organizing files on the desktop does not require much attention. Look for the last activity - tasks that allow your mind to wander.
Sandy Mann (psychologist) - says it is important to find activities that require little or no concentration to experience real boredom.
Remove distractions
Mann thinks that our attachment to smartphones prevents us from getting bored. As soon as our brains get bored, we immediately climb into the phone to entertain ourselves with something and lose all the benefits of idleness. To connect to pure boredom, you need to get rid of stimuli.
Plan your time for boredom
It's easy to accept every meeting invitation, plan coffee parties with new acquaintances and have lunch with colleagues. But at the end of the day, you may realize that you did not have time for yourself. It is important to strategically book some "boredom time" in your calendar.
Boredom is like a muscle: if you don't find time to train it, it gets atrophied. Set aside time for boredom in the schedule, and when it comes, get some privacy in the empty conference room or leave the office to find a quiet place.
Boredom and idleness are not as bad as they seem. They increase productivity, creativity, determination, and self-awareness. It is important to be able to identify different types of boredom. Indifferent boredom will help your brain recharge, and apathetic boredom indicates a tendency to depression.
But remember, it is important not to overdo it with boredom and work. Find a balance for yourself and try to keep it. We wish you to comprehend this unique ability - to benefit from activity and benefit from boredom.