When you're BORED

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Dear Reader,

When I use the word boredom, it gives you an ick. It almost feels guilty when you are bored and not doing anything with your life. However, take a different look toward it, and wonder if I told you that boredom can actually be a catalyst for positive change in our lives?

In a world where we are constantly connected to technology and bombarded with information, it's becoming increasingly difficult to disconnect and simply be present. Over-stimulation has made us into slaves of the constant dopamine that comes out of being “busy”. Boredom can be a signal that we need to take a breather. It generally presents an opportunity to take a step back and analyse what we’re doing — what we need and what we want.

Multiple researches suggest that when we are bored, we tap into our energy that enables creative thinking. Think of the last time you went to the toilet without your phone or any background music and the thoughts you had there. When we are engaged in a task, our brains tend to focus on the details, but when we are bored, our minds are free to wander and make new connections. This can lead to innovative ideas and solutions that we may not have thought of otherwise.

It can also be a motivator for change. A place where you don’t feel like you belong (like a dead-end profession), comes with a feeling of boredom. And to take the first step to get out of that rut is to get bored of what you’re doing and making it a point to exit that situation.

I will be talking about this in detail with you in a blogpost, that will come out soon. Until then, stare at your wall intentionally. Hold that instinct to check your phone, and try getting bored for a while. It might just change the way you think about the word boredom.

Until next time,

Yours,

Abhishek