How boredom can boost creativity and cognitive function, tackle anxiety and much more

If I complained to my mother when I was a child that I was bored, she either told me to read a book or to make up a story to amuse myself. “I’m bored” was a common refrain in children and teens in the past, agrees Michelle Kennedy, a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of the Sunshine Coast in Australia. In recent years, however, she says parents have scheduled their offspring’s time so tightly that there is no time for them to experience boredom. Even when there is time, children today frequently have a device at hand to capture their interest. They are on their phones rather than “pondering and wondering”, Kennedy says. They have developed a screen habit reinforced by parents who do the same now when they have time on their hands. Clinical psychologist Dr Christian Chan, an associate professor in the department of psychology at the University of Hong Kong, agrees. “We often escape boredom too quickly by turning to our phones,” Chan says. “Over time, we have learned to reach for them not only when we are bored, but even at the slightest hint of attention drifting.” This automatic escape prevents us from facing boredom, Chan says. It also keeps us from important experiences that require patience, such as learning, creating or mastering a skill. “These meaningful activities often feel boring at first, but they are exactly the ones that lead to growth.” Chan has published several papers on boredom, including one entitled “Attention Drifting In and Out: The Boredom Feedback Model”. Its title summons memories of the child in me “gazing into space” – being afforded the time to daydream. Chan says that while boredom is often viewed as a negative feeling, “it is more complex and meaningful than we think”. Kennedy says a bit of boredom affords many benefits. For a start, it allows our sympathetic nervous system to pause and reset – especially important in a world that is overstimulating. Constant stimulation can be a burden on our nervous system because it means we are always “on”. This is sometimes referred to as “allostatic overload”, and it can predispose us to anxiety. So avoiding boredom can deprive us of a valuable and natural way to reset our sympathetic nervous system, she says. For some people, sitting with feelings can help manage anxiety – a condition that is on the rise across most age groups. Boredom also allows us the opportunity to “flow” and develop our thoughts, which improves our creativity and problem-solving. That space, Kennedy continues, also helps us develop more independent thinking, in which we seek alternative activities generated from our thought processes rather than relying on constant external input. It creates a pause and can encourage imagination and inventiveness. Just as pain is the body’s way of letting us know that something is wrong and must be addressed, boredom plays a similar role. If a child is bored at school, we need to learn why: are lessons too easy – or too hard? If you’re bored in a relationship, you must ask whether it is the right one or if it needs some work. If you are bored in your career or job, is there a way to change? If you are bored with what you eat, can you get creative and cook something different or try a new restaurant? Boredom is a useful way to gauge what is and is not working in your life and can be considered an opportunity, Chan says. It is a “decision point: should I keep doing what I am doing, or should I shift my attention to something more meaningful or rewarding?” Being bored also comes with cognitive benefits, Kennedy says, specifically improvements in attention. That is because devices encourage the dopamine hit of continuous scrolling, where if what you view on the screen is not interesting, you quickly look at something else. “In children and teens, when the brain is still developing in terms of connectivity and structural development, are we wiring attention networks to lose focus more quickly?” Staying away from our screens for a bit also breaks that vicious loop of instant gratification, she says, something that drives compulsive device use. Boredom also allows time to rest the brain and eyes, to nurture development in young brains. Brains that are still developing, Kennedy says, are vulnerable, so being constantly overactive or overstimulated can have negative impacts. Studies on eyes and postural development in youth have shown this, she adds. Chan says boredom can be a tool to help us reflect and choose, and when we sit with it, we can endure and grow. “Ask any star athlete or musician whether they have ever felt bored practising drills or scales. Without boredom, life might feel lighter and more entertaining, but it would likely be emptier as well.” What we must learn to avoid is the knee-jerk, automatic reaction to escape – or what psychologists call “experiential avoidance”. There is a valuable tip right there: missing out on boredom could mean missing out on unexpected experiences. Like what you read? Follow SCMP Lifestyle on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also sign up for our eNewsletter here.

How boredom can boost creativity and cognitive function, tackle anxiety and much more

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Often seen negatively, boredom is crucial for creativity and growth – so stop turning to your phone when you feel it coming on, experts say

Often seen negatively, boredom is crucial for creativity and growth – so stop turning to your phone when you feel it coming on, experts say