How To Use Boredom To Your Advantage
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In the last few weeks, I have noticed that I am bored more frequently. I address my priorities and I still have time in my hands. I do not mean to sound ungrateful. I appreciate that having abundance of time is something many people find challenging. Do not throw me to the lions yet. Deep breath and keep going.
In those moments of boredom my inner critic gets activated shooting all kinds of messages at me – ‘you are not interesting enough’, ‘you are lazy’, ‘you are not productive enough’, ‘your goals suck’, ‘how dare you take a break when everyone else is swamped?’, and so on.
It is true that I am in a period in my life where there are not many challenges. We all need these moments even if it is to create a memory of calm times to use in the future when everything becomes chaotic.
Yet, I feel extremely uncomfortable when I am bored. As if I am borrowing my presence in life accumulating this huge debt that I will have to pay later in the ‘providing value’ currency.
The discomfort that boredom brings is expected and perfectly normal. Because we do not tolerate the discomfort, we busy ourselves with anything from scrolling through social media to intense mental or physical activities.
According to Brene Brown in her book The Atlas of the Heart, boredom is the uncomfortable state of wanting to engage in satisfying activity but being unable to do it. This makes us feel frustrated or lethargic depending on how much control and autonomy we have over the boring situation or tasks.
Most of the times I have control and autonomy over the situations and tasks that bore me, which makes me feel lethargic (vs. frustrated). This means I can coax and convince myself to either re-engage in the same activity from another angle, or switch to a different, more interesting one.
Many times, it is a matter of breaking the inertia. Starting the task could feel like going uphill with no music or encouraging words. But once we get into the groove, we find ourselves fully engaged or even in flow.
Why does boredom exist?
I have asked myself this question over and over. I think about our feelings as mechanisms to keep us alive. Fear, sadness, anger, happiness have clear evolutionary purposes to keep us safe, to fight or run, to bond with others in our tribe, to raise our offspring.
How does boredom keep us alive? Experts are still researching. In one study by the Academy of Management, it was found that boredom could universally boost productivity on idea generation tasks, and increase creativity for certain individuals for product development activities.
I wonder if boredom was how our ancestors came up with inventions like the wheel or discoveries like the fire. After all, nobody has ever produced anything running or fighting for their lives, or when being overwhelmed with happiness.
How can we use boredom to our advantage?
Each person processes boredom differently. Some people will start scrolling through social media switching between Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, etc. Others will take care of their inboxes in their emails. Some may get so lethargic that they fall asleep in the middle of the day.
And a number of us will engage in something to do, usually a more physical activity like doing the dishes, laundry, or tidying up, as a Pavlov-type response from our childhood. Remember when we told our parents we were bored, and they immediately had a list of things we could do to not be bored?
I propose three options you can take to use boredom to your advantage.
1) Take a break and daydream
Even with the barrage of information about self-care, resting, taking breaks, etc. we do not do it enough. I still feel a tinge of guilt for taking a break and doing nothing.
The reality is that our brain needs the time and space to daydream. This is how we generate thoughts and ideas that in turn help us discover our purpose in life, grow to reach our maximum potential, and sow seeds that benefit others.
There are different ways you can engage in this activity. You can do visualization and imagine how you would tackle a specific situation if there were no obstacles, or dream about what you would like to have or be in five years. Some people like drawing those thoughts or you can record them as you describe them.
This activity could feel awkward at the beginning and not much may happen the first time you do it. Set a timer and see what arises. No pressure. If there is a blank at the end of the allotted time, fine. If you have one idea (instead of the one million you were expecting), fine too.
“Boredom is the feeling that everything is a waste of time; serenity, that nothing is.” Thomas Szasz, Hungarian-American psychiatrist
2) Delegate the task
When it comes to boring tasks, boredom is in the eye of the beholder. Some people love ironing; others doing inventory. I consider both of those tasks very boring. Reading on the other hand is relaxing and extremely enjoyable for me. For my friend Franny reading is so boring she would rather iron.
When you find yourself with no interest in the activity you are performing, stop and consider if this is the best use of your time. You may want to start documenting the steps to perform said task so you can properly delegate it. Or, hold on to your seats, stop doing the task altogether.
“Let the beauty of what you love be what you do.” Rumi, Persian poet
3) Journal
This option may have some overlap with daydreaming as you can certainly write the ideas or thoughts generated during daydreaming.
There are other considerations when it comes to journaling. You can start with specific questions such as ‘what is a different manner to tackle project X?’ or ‘what is the impact I want to create for my family?’ or ‘what do I think of Y?’
You can use words, mind maps, or columns, write by hand or on your computer or tablet. If you decide to write on any of your devices, put it in airplane mode so you do not get distracted by incoming notifications and to avoid the temptation of switching between tasks or screens.
“Boredom is just the reverse side of fascination: both depend on being outside rather than inside a situation, and one leads to the other.” Arthur Schopenhauer, German philosopher
Going through periods of boredom is completely normal. It does not mean you are lazy, dull, or useless. The key is to become aware of when and why you become bored.
Boredom has advantages. It allows us to pause and have the time and space for our brain to generate ideas without the pressure of a deadline, someone else’s expectations, or just to be productive.
Be vigilant of doing too much of mindless activities such as scrolling through social media, email, videos, etc. Like drinking, the more you do it, the more time it will take ‘overcome the boredom’. The first time you may need five minutes; the next time you may need ten.
Remember that boredom is in the eye of the beholder. Delegate those tasks that are boring to you; you may make someone else’s day. Even consider stopping some of those activities. We tend to busy ourselves to avoid the discomfort boredom brings.
Use those periods of boredom for your benefit. Daydream, explore innovative solutions regardless of their practicality or if they can be implemented. They may not be useful now but may be so in the future. Or they could prompt another more practical thought or idea that you could achieve in the short term.
What do you do to use boredom to your advantage? Please, let us know in the comments.
As a leadership coach, I enable talent to achieve bold goals with high standards. My mission is to help underrepresented women in the financial industry transition from mid to senior level leadership positions by creating awareness, increasing emotional intelligence, and unveiling the tools and choices available to them.