We’ve all heard of the saying ‘an idle mind is the devil’s workshop.’ This saying was meant to discourage people from sitting idle. Now, while being idle is not an ideal state of being, boredom, which may or may not come with being idle, can actually be beneficial to you in the long run.
We tend to avoid situations that make us feel under stimulated since they often leave us feeling worse about ourselves. However, we are beginning to realize that being bored from time to time, might actually benefit us. Here is how.
Improves mental health
In our modern world, we are overloaded with information and distraction, leading to sensory overload. This then negatively affects our attention, thus limiting our cognitive functioning on productive activities.
Taking some time off to make the brain relax helps alleviate this stress. And one way to letting the brain relax is by doing nothing, meaning letting the brain get bored.
Increases creativity
The nothingness of boredom can create an opportunity for you to think and reflect, which can help in spurring creativity and problem solving. Obviously, you need to spark that wonder when bored by letting your brain go off in thought. That boredom will force the brain to try and find creative ways of trying to stimulate itself, which can lead to new ideas.
Can help spur a pursuit of new goals
Boredom is often a sign that we are not doing what we want to be doing or what we are capable of doing. The mind becomes bored when it learns that its capacity is being underutilized.
Thus, being bored should be a time for you to reflect on what your life is. Are you on the right path? Are your goals and pursuits at that point fulfilling? What do you want to do in life? Why are you bored with the current situation?
Self-control
Boredom will often affect the ability to pay attention as it signifies a loss of interest. This can lead to disengagement even in situations where what we need to pay attention to is important to us.
Thus, being able to handle boredom can teach us how to self-regulate and focus. This means that enduring boredom, especially from an early age, can help in developing self-control skills, such as regulating one’s thoughts, emotions and actions.
So, there you have it: being bored can be beneficial to you. Note however, that this should be from time to time as chronic boredom has its downsides too. So, learn to embrace boredom rather than constantly trying to fight it.
If you’re bored, try these apps to learn new skills.
