Using boredom as fuel for creativity

Author

Gabe Lopez
March 29, 2024

Hi Brave People,

Throughout most of our lives, the word “boredom” has had a negative connotation. “Why are you bored?” “You are being lazy if you are bored!” “I am sooooooo bored…”

But what if boredom isn’t actually negative at all? What if boredom is the exact thing we need the most right now?

Be wary of:

  • Mistaking busyness for productivity

  • Mistaking boredom for laziness

  • Reaching for technology to fill voids

  • Avoiding free time by yourself

  • Avoiding rest + recharging

  • Consuming a lot of media/books and never digesting the material

Right now, we are more connected and stimulated than ever before. Take a minute and let that sync in. This way of living is new to our brains and bodies, and we are still evolving to try to catch up to the speed of technology.

How boredom can make you more productive and creative

As a kid, I used to get bored very often, especially during summer vacations. My Mom would always tell me to go read a book or play outside. But, I remember that one time, after spending hours doing nothing, I felt inspired to write a short story about building a doghouse for puppies, and why that m

clockify.me/blog/managing-time/boredom-can-make-you-more-productive-and-creative/#:~:text=Boredom%20allows%20your%20brain%20to%20process%20new%20information%20better&text=So%2C%20when%20learning%20something%20new,to%20sort%20out%20new%20data.

What happens when we are bored?

When we allow our brains to slow down and breathe — we actually have time to do a few things:

  • Process information we have taken in during the day (reading, conversations, music, sights, etc.)

When we can’t process what we take in, we aren’t giving ourselves ample opportunity to learn from the things we witness.

  • Seek out new experiences

When we are bored, we often then crave to experience something new. Sometimes destimulating allows for space and new ideas on where to travel to, what museum to visit, or friend to call up next!

  • Ease negative emotions

Sometimes doing the boring “stuff” actually is exactly what our brain needs to feel a bit accomplished. The boring stuff sometimes is the easy stuff, so be sure to do a few tasks that seem like a drag but really fulfill your brain’s needs in a new way.

We hope this shines a new perspective on boredom (and let us know if you check out the video above, it’s great!).

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