When was the last time you were properly bored?

Not “waiting for the kettle to boil whilst scrolling your phone” bored, but nothing to do, nothing to distract you, alone with nothing but your own thoughts bored?

If you’re anything like me, it’s probably a long time ago.  I’m a chronic multi-tasker and often to attached to my phone, scrolling in spare minutes or with a podcast blasting away (much to Mr B’s irritation at times).

The benefits of boredom – say hello to the default mode network

But it looks like there’s lots of benefits of boredom for our brains.  It’s actually good for us and so I’ve been doing some digging to inspire myself to make some changes, and maybe even the odd one of you. Perhaps we could welcome in some empty space.

Turns out that when you’re bored – that is to say, when your mind isn’t focused on a specific task – something called the default mode network kicks in. This is the part of your brain that activates when you’re at rest, and it does all sorts of useful background work.

It’s associated with internal thought processes such as self-reflection, daydreaming, remembering the past, and envisioning the future. It plays a key role in self-awareness, social cognition, and memory recall. 

These are so important for who we are, where we’re going, our connection with others and our sense of self – common themes that I deal with in my coaching:

  • Internal thought: The DMN is active during mind-wandering, daydreaming, and introspection – thinking about the past or future

  • Self-reflection: It is involved in thinking about our self, our experiences, and our place in the world

  • Social cognition: The DMN helps in our understanding of the perspectives of others

  • Memory:  It plays a role in retrieving memories and constructing a narrative of one’s life

The creativity connection

Studies have found that people who engaged in boring tasks beforehand generated more creative solutions than those who didn’t.

There’s a reason why many of your best ideas come when your bored – like in the shower; on a long walk; staring out of a train window; or just before your fall to sleep.

I call these a-ha moments in coaching and wow, they’re so valuable. It’s those unique insights or breakthroughs we access every now and then, where everything becomes a little clearer, or falls into place.

But they tend to happen when our brains have some space, boredom and a breather from the constant barrage. We need to give it this.

Your brain needs unstructured time. It needs space to process, to make unexpected connections, to let thoughts bubble up that have been lurking beneath the surface. Boredom pushes us to seek out new and different experiences and options. It creates space for introspection and divergent thinking. And these are the conditions that facilitate creativity.

When every moment is filled with input – scrolling, listening, watching, reading – there’s no room for your own thoughts to emerge.

We’ve become so uncomfortable with boredom that we’ll do almost anything to avoid it. I know my hand goes to my phone on autopilot when I’ve got a wait, even just for a few minutes.

But in doing so, we’re robbing ourselves of something vital. We’re not giving our brains the downtime they need to recharge, reset, and create.

And the impact goes beyond just creativity. That constant stimulation can increase anxiety, reduce our ability to focus, and leave us feeling perpetually restless.

So how to bring in some boredom?

Well, I guess the starting point is to make some space for boredom.

That doesn’t have to mean sitting staring at a wall for hours.  It just means being a bit more intentional about creating pockets of genuine nothingness.

That might mean leaving your phone at home occasionally. Taking a walk without headphones (this is a big one that I’m playing with at the mo). Sit with your cup of tea and just… sit. Notice when you’re reaching for distraction and pause.

And perhaps asking yourself – what am I avoiding?  Because often, boredom is uncomfortable precisely because it creates space for thoughts and feelings we’ve been pushing away. And though that can feel difficult, it’s also where the good stuff happens – the insights; the clarity; the creative sparks.

Boredom isn’t a problem to be solved. Instead of trying to obliterate it, we should be try and remember its purpose – the benefits of boredom – and give it some space.

Your brain needs time to wander, to process, to make sense of things. It needs space to be creative, to problem solve, to just exist without an agenda.

So maybe the next time you feel that restless, itchy feeling of boredom creeping in, don’t immediately reach for a distraction. Sit with it. See what emerges.

I’m going to give it a go.  Will you?