The Benefits of Boredom

Boredom is not just something we should expect, but something we should welcome. It is at the heart of creativity, at the heart of our ability to think beyond ourselves and at the heart of what it means to be human. Our phones and our lifestyles have robbed us of this essential part of ourselves and we are far less content because of it.

When I was younger there were huge periods of boredom when I was able to think and read and play and create. Even that didn’t chase away the boredom, but that wasn’t the point of it. On a Sunday when no shops were open and nothing of any interest was on television we were left to our own devices and reliant on what we had in our immediate vicinity. I was an only child so I grew up in a household where I was left to my own devices more often as the rest of the household was focused on grown up pastimes such as reading papers, gardening and going to the pub. As a result I had a very many occasions to read or to indulge my imagination. Even when we went out to visit relatives I often found myself left to my own devices while the adults talked. At the time I didn’t enjoy it but looking back I am genuinely glad that I didn’t have a phone to reduce my boredom. It allowed me to notice things in my environment and it made walks a much more interesting prospect as my Dad used to point out trees and other interesting parts of nature. Nowadays, if you do that the child would almost certainly either ignore you or would miss everything because of the phone in their hands. Come to think of it, I probably would, at least seven times out of ten!

If something bores you, put your phone away, be grateful and use it to expand your horizons and explore your inner and outer world with real focus.