The Surprising Benefits of Allowing Yourself to be Bored

As someone who has spent way too much time scrolling through social media feeds and mindlessly watching TV, I'll be the first to admit that I'm not great at being bored. But lately, I've come to appreciate the value of allowing myself to experience a little boredom.

It turns out that our brains have a "default mode network" that becomes active when we're not engaged in a specific task. This is when our minds wander, and we often daydream, recall memories, and envision the future. These activities can be incredibly beneficial for our creativity and overall well-being. Unfortunately, in our modern world of constant stimulation, we rarely give our brains the chance to activate this network.

So, how can we intentionally allow ourselves to be bored? It's not as easy as it sounds, especially for someone like me who is used to constantly being stimulated. But I've found that taking breaks from my phone and other distractions can be incredibly beneficial.

One of my favorite ways to be intentionally bored is to take a walk without any distractions. No phone, no music, no podcasts. Just me and my thoughts. It's amazing how much clearer my mind feels after just a few minutes of intentional boredom.?

I also love the concept of "shower thoughts," those random insights that come to us when we're doing something mindless like showering or washing dishes. When we allow ourselves to be bored, our minds are free to wander, and we often come up with new ideas or solutions to problems we've been struggling with. It can also happen in those times just before you wake up.

Of course, I'm not suggesting that you should spend all your time being bored. That would really be boring! Haha. But by intentionally allowing ourselves to experience boredom every now and then, we can actually become more creative, relaxed, and centered. It's pretty cool how the brain works.

If you're like me and struggle with being bored, let's give it a try. Take a break from your phone, go for a walk, or just sit quietly and let your thoughts wander. Who knows what kind of insights you might discover?