Introduction

Recently, I found myself unable to do nothing, even for a few minutes. It’s like my body itches to be occupied. I think it feels uncomfortable to do nothing, which feels weird to admit. We live in a digital age where we have access to all kinds of information at our fingertips in a matter of seconds, probably more now than ever before. Things feel fast-paced, and we’re already moving on to the next big thing. After some introspection, I thought that it’s been a while since I’ve intentionally felt bored—whenever I’m bored, it’s so easy to find something for me to do. I ran into this video on YouTube, and it got me thinking, “Maybe I really should be bored sometimes!” I ended up doing my Final Speech for my public-speaking class on boredom. It’s time to be bored!

Benefits of Boredom

Boredom comes with several benefits! Here, I’ll discuss some of my favorite reasons to be bored.

Boredom often signals when a situation isn’t working for us. Think of it like a redirection. Our urge to fight boredom can lead to positive change (An et al., 2023b). An example is when we’re doing something boring to us, say, sitting in a meeting that we don’t want to be in. As our mind wanders, we start thinking of better things we could be doing instead, or how we could better manage our time. As a result, another benefit of boredom is increased creativity (Mann & Cadman, 2014). This increase in creativity is often linked to daydreaming, which occurs when bored individuals cannot physically escape their situation, and their attention shifts from external to internal focus on their inner thoughts and feelings (Mann & Cadman, 2014). In Mann and Cadmen’s study, participants who completed a boring, mundane activity performed better on creative challenges than those who didn’t. Boredom facilitates exploration and opportunity because, using our desire for change, we explore alternate goals or information in our environment that we may have missed otherwise (Bench and Lench, 2013). 

Boredom also serves as an opportunity for our minds to rest and reset. When we’re not actively doing anything, our brains can disengage. This causes the default mode network in our brain to kick in, prompting reflection and introspection, which helps us understand ourselves and the world around us (UniSC Youth Mental Health Researcher,  M. K. and P. of Y. M. H. & N. 2025). Boredom also “rebalances the nervous system and reduces sensory input to help calm anxiety” (UniSC Youth Mental Health Researcher,  M. K. and P. of Y. M. H. & N. 2025). You might feel anxious or restless from boredom, so we reach for something for the quick dopamine hit, but it has been found that constant stimulation, especially for our nervous system, can result in increased anxiety; this is because, our sympathetic nervous system regulates our fight-or-flight response, so keeping it on overdrive results in more anxiety (UniSC Youth Mental Health Researcher,  M. K. and P. of Y. M. H. & N. 2025). Simply, we’re better off embracing the boredom from time to time to allow our sympathetic nervous system to reset and recuperate.  

Ways You Can Be Bored

Say on your next walk to somewhere, e.g., class, put your phone away and take in your surroundings. Try doing this without any music, too! After completing a task, take 30 seconds to a minute to do absolutely nothing. Seriously! Turn your brain off just for a minute (or however long you like). It might feel weird in the moment, but I promise, it will be so refreshing and worth it! Try doing everyday tasks without external stimuli, such as no music in the shower or screens when eating. Or, take the mindfulness route by taking a few minutes at the end of each day to think of three things you’re grateful for. These are my recommendations, so I strongly encourage you to find practices that work best for you. The point is to remove external stimulus and to be present in the moment.

Conclusion

Now that you’ve read about the benefits and the ways to be bored, I must clarify that it’s not bad to alleviate your boredom. It’s not bad to want to be productive or reach for something when you feel bored. Know that choosing to be bored sometimes is part of intentional, healthy living. You are worthy of a break. Choosing boredom is choosing you!

Check out Robert Greene’s and Veritasium’s video on boredom, too!

Sources

An, J., Payne, L. L., Lee, M., & Janke, M. C. (2023b). Understanding boredom and leisure in later life: A systematic review. Innovation in Aging, 7(8). https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igad109 

Bench, S., & Lench, H. (2013). On the function of boredom. Behavioral Sciences, 3(3), 459–472. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs3030459 

Mann, S., & Cadman, R. (2014). Does being bored make us more creative? Creativity Research Journal, 26(2), 165–173. https://doi.org/10.1080/10400419.2014.901073 .

UniSC Youth Mental Health Researcher, M. K. and P. of Y. M. H. & N. (2025). Boredom gets a bad rap. But science says it can actually be good for us. UniSC. https://www.usc.edu.au/about/unisc-news/news-archive/2025/may/boredom-gets-a-bad-rap-but-science-says-it-can-actually-be-good-for-us