Do you fear boredom ? Do you look for every possible way to escape it ? And if you were wrong ? Boredom has its benefits and you should know them ! Intelligence, creativity, altruism... all the virtues of boredom. This state of mind has a very bad press in our society. However, it leads us to free our mind and to take a step back.
When we are bored, time seems much longer than usual, we have our eyes riveted to our watch. The brain is not activated. You can’t find meaning in your day. In the workplace, boredom can lead to bore-out, which affects 63% of us, 30% of whom experience this phenomenon as toxic and as a step towards depression, says Jean-Olivier Collinet, of Jobyourself.
Culturally and by our education, we are not allowed to be bored. Being bored is a taboo.
This is especially true at home : we don’t like it when our children are bored as soon as their brains are no longer active or in hyperconnection. They are waiting for something.
Fortunately, most of the time, when they are bored for too long, they find ways to stop being bored, they develop ways to stimulate themselves. They become more and more creative, they start to dream.
Laziness = Productivity ?
On the way to work, for example, in public transport, we tend to automatically pick up a book or surf on our mobile phone. We don't give our brain the time to switch off, we don't give it that moment of relaxation and letting go that would make us more efficient at work. We should take advantage of these moments to simply watch, dream and let ourselves be carried away.
Because boredom leads to creativity. In the company, being bored would allow us to put our brain in pause mode. Creative companies set up fun zones, where you can hang out and be lazy. Being lazy leads to more productivity in the company. Of course, you have to find the right limit...
Boredom is also due to a problem of concentration and attention. It has been observed that people who are unable to concentrate tend to be bored.
The fear of boredom is a health risk. Some people don’t like to sit around doing nothing. Our education also tells us that we are not allowed to be bored. Some people will fill the void of boredom with a smoke break, alcohol, gambling addiction, drug addiction. “Boredom can even lead young people to a state of depression or even suicide,” explains Jean-Olivier Collinet.
How to turn boredom into something positive?
To tame boredom is to turn it into something positive.
- Jean-Olivier Collinet recommends giving time to time. From the very first seconds we feel bored, we tend to want to fill it. However, we must avoid filling it immediately, and accept to do nothing for a period of time, to leave room for daydreaming and meditation. Our brain is thus in off, in a way in meditation. We turn off our mobile phones and screens, we enter a bubble, we create the necessary conditions for boredom.
- Every day, we leave some time for ourselves, we leave some space in our day. Being bored is natural and good for the mind. We can equip ourselves with music, meditation, yoga, or simply take a hot tea and let our mind wander. Rituals allow you to create that click that allows you to unplug your brain. It puts the brain in 'default mode’, which allows us to rebuild our memory and replan our day. With practice, we will succeed more and more easily.
If we do not develop these moments, our brain is permanently active, which is one of the reasons for depression or overactivity. Boredom is therefore a way to feel better. Interestingly, boredom, concentration and meditation are often found side by side. “We must stop doing and learn to be”, writes psychotherapist Odile Chabrillac.
