The mind and its vacillations

It often happens that we experience an episode of intense action and creativity followed by a phase of severe boredom. When overworked, one can go to the point of skipping meals and losing sleep, as that is the only way to adhere to deadlines.When we are bored, we watch movies, read books or listen to music.However, rather than dissociate oneself from one’s social space, one can set small attainable goals for oneself and chalk up a routine to implement it. Following such a routine for 3 weeks or so, one can see for oneself improvements in one’s daily life. One can reduce screen time, can read up more, get time for entertainment, manage a proper sleep schedule in addition to completing school assignments on time.

Inspirations in boredom

Doris Lessing often took breaks from work to tidy the house or wash dishes. “You’d think I was a paragon of concern for housekeeping if you judged me by what you saw,” she said. But this aimlessness was vital to help her formulate her ideas. For Margaret Atwood, this state comes from birdwatching. “Watching birds takes you out of yourself,” she has said. “It’s a flow state. Writing ideas come in sideways during such states.”

 

How the brain works in boredom

Boredom specifically triggers the brain’s default mode network, which is highly conducive to creativity. In fact, mundane activities like walking can lead to significant creative breakthroughs.One is often inspired with the best ideas when not actively trying to solve a problem but rather when engaged in repetitive, low-stimulation tasks. This reinforces the idea that embracing downtime can be profoundly beneficial. Just because we have “nothing to do” does not mean we are doing nothing.

Handling boredom and its benefits

Boredom allows our mind to wander and gives our creativity a chance to blossom, though it is a rare experience in this age of constant connectivity.Even in phases of inaction, we can identify episodes wherein we can show our creativity to create moments of happiness. Sitting with family members with a cup of hot chocolate to talk to them about their day, their health et al can usher in positivity and happiness. In fact it might not be a bad idea to vlog one’s mom and upload on Youtube, as she remains tied down in her daily activities- waking up, cooking, doing laundry, going to work, coming back, and making dinner and going back to sleep. Boredom should not be viewed as a negative state to avoid, but rather as a valuable opportunity for creativity and problem-solving. This shift in perspective encourages one to embrace moments of idleness that are crucial for mental rejuvenation and innovation.Boredom gives us time for introspection and improves our creativity, acting as an energy booster for the mind. It builds our creativity, protects our mental peace and gives us better health and better sleep.What else could be more important than this?

It is thus worth to constantly integrate “boredom time” into one’s daily routine; setting aside specific times when one disconnects from digital devices and engages in simple, repetitive tasks that allow the mind to wander.

 

About the authors

The article has been contributed by the following students from Auxilium Convent School Dumdum: Didrika Haldar, Kavya Singh, Samriddhi Biswas, Ridhi Kochar and Vidushi Kedia.