Embrace the gift of boredom this Christmas

It’s Boxing Day today, which means that, if you live in the United Kingdom, you are entering the limbo period between Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve. (Other countries may have the same experience, but I have only ever celebrated Christmas in the UK, with our holiday timing and traditions.) The presents have been opened, and the Christmas dinner has been eaten. Batteries have been found for the toys that needed them, but they’re starting to run down. The board games have been played, and you are wondering when your relatives are going home. It’s dark outside and it’s possibly raining. Most of the shops are shut. In theory, tomorrow is a working day, but lots of people are still on holiday.

You might feel a bit aimless during this period. Possibly even a little . . . bored?

At this point, you may be tempted to reach for one of the distraction devices that most of us have to hand (you may even be reading this article on one of them). Perhaps what’s needed to brighten up these midwinter days is to scroll through a social media feed, to reply to all of the messages in the chat group, to scan the news, or have a quick go on a mobile game.

Or perhaps not.

In recent years, researchers in various fields - including neurology, psychology and sociology - have suggested that boredom may be good for us. We are social and creative animals, and when we are bored, then our brains start to explore new ideas, or go into ‘networking mode’ and become more amenable to reaching out to others. When we respond to boredom with distraction, then we interrupt these feelings, and settle back down into our (possibly less inspired and more isolated) ruts.

I haven’t read enough about this research to know whether it is scientifically credible, but I do know that it is intuitively plausible. When I have a break of more than a few days, my brain tends to go through at least three phases. (And I realise that I am privileged to have a job which is interesting, challenging and engaging, as well as the luxury of taking a break in comfort - and that for many people this is not true.)

First, I feel the residual momentum of the day job. I think of all the things that I didn’t finish, all of the tasks that are outstanding. I feel tempted to contact people back in the office, to tie up loose ends (and possibly start more threads of work). Fortunately, I have learnt over time (and from the experience of being on both ends) that a half-engaged team leader or team member sending in messages from afar is usually unproductive and irritating, and am just about able to resist the temptation.

Second, I feel a little lost. I have a number of side projects and interests. But which of them should I spend time on? Which of them is worthwhile? And aren’t these substitutes from the work that I’m supposed to be taking a break from. (I’m not very good at relaxing.)

Third, when I do manage to detach, to let the daily tasks fade into the background, spend some time walking or reading a book - even to be a little bored - I find that new ideas start to come. Problems that seemed intractable when I was close to them have new solutions. Opportunities that were hidden behind the continuous flow of distraction present themselves. Issues that seemed momentous become, with a little perspective, trivial. If I am very lucky, I have enough time to write some notes to myself, so that I can remember what I was thinking.

Because the final stage is to reconnect, to step back into the flow of tasks and messages and emails and deadlines. It’s difficult to be bored in such an environment - but it’s also difficult to remember those thoughts that seemed so compelling from that brief period of detachment.

We have created a world of constant connection, communication and collaboration. I believe that it is, in general, a good thing: I think that we can work more closely together, achieve more, and build relationships across time and distance in ways that we never could before. But I also think that it has a tendency to crowd out thought. When our calendar gives us the gift of a few days between events, when the weather is gloomy, the days are short, when things are even a little boring, we should make the most of it.

(Views in this article are my own.)