Knowing boredom better

Boredom, or a phase of dissatisfaction when unoccupied without work, or any interesting activity, is not an unusual phenomenon. We can treat it as a signal that reminds us that something is perhaps not going right. However, this is an opportunity we should utilise. In fact , the noted social psychologist, Erin Westgate mentions that boredom can be a signal that whatever an individual has taken up might not be very meaningful or simply unable to engage with.

 

A case study

I took it upon myself to explore how boredom can be best utilised to bring about a positive outcome. I carried out a real time case study on my mother on this, when I prepared a set of questions on which I took her responses. The questions I asked her were:
1.Do you like being bored?
2. Do you get ideas when you are bored? If yes, how?
3. Should people take breaks and allow themselves to ‘get bored’.
These were her answers to my questions:
1. Yes, I love being bored.
2. Ridiculous as it might seem, I actually get tons of ideas from boredom. I feel as though I am getting notified by the brain, allowing me to seek deeper. I get to understand myself and get ideas. I completed a fifteen minute meditation and researched on my philosophical interests during one such phases.
3. Yes, a break is essential to maintain the continuity of everyday living.

These responses shook me to the core. In the fast and artificial world of today, I had considered boredom as an inferior state of being. However, these responses coming from my mother shook my belief system.

 

My personal realisation

Having received such wondrous responses, my mind’s eyes opened up. As I recalled every occasion when I had got bored, I realized what I had been missing out. This had been affecting my productivity. I realised I had been blind to the opportunities of excellence that boredom had in store for me, being caught up with the notion of success. My smartphone seemed an artificial cage that had kept me trapped, heavily arresting the expression of my manifold skills.

 

My action plan

I had to utilize this ‘take a break’ time to train my brain from draining out it’s ideas. I decided to come out of my comfort zone to do things I would not have done otherwise. I gave myself time and slowly made progress. I had made an excellent pasta and cut down 19 minutes of screen time. I also followed two new youtubers, and researched further on space and astrophysics which I was keenly interested in. These habits born out of occasions of boredom had now become habitual with me. Thus, through my personal experience, I am now convinced that taking a break does help to reduce stress and gives an opportunity to enhance one’s skills.

 

About the author

The article has been contributed by Subhasmita Sikdar from Auxlium Convent School, Bandel.