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When was the last time you were bored?

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In our modern digital age, you have no excuse to ever be bored, and that’s a problem.

In an instant…

We have every piece of content in the world at our fingertips.


Making boredom a rarity.

But isn’t this a good thing?

After all,

Who wants to be bored?

Surely life is too short for that…

Boredom has a reputation for being a negative state of mind.

But this is COMPLETELY false…

Studies reveal that if used to one's benefit, boredom can improve 3 crucial areas of your life…

1. Productivity

There’s an unexpected method that has been proven to improve productivity:

A boring break…?

The premise is simple:

Next time you’re taking a break from your work, ensure that the break is less engaging/fun than whatever it is you’re currently doing.

I’ve made this mistake many times on a lunch break;

I might have a cheeky scroll or watch some TV whilst I eat.

Pretty normal, right?

But then we all know what happens next…

When it’s time to get back to work, it’s suddenly 100x harder to get back into it.

So instead, try:

Walking without a device, meditating, light exercise, or even staring at a wall.

This way, when your break is boring, the work becomes very stimulating.

No matter how boring it is, you will be raring to get back to work.

2. Creativity

Boredom creates space for ideas.

When you’re bored;

You get to know your thoughts better, developing the crucial skill of becoming more comfortable just sitting with your mind.

Rather than just being perpetually distracted, you start planning and reflecting.

If you’re never bored, you’re unlikely to have many creative ideas.

Whether you’re starting a business or just thinking about what to do on the weekend, being bored allows the space needed for ideation.

Boredom probably led to much of the great work we know today.

Many of the best minds of the past made their breakthroughs during periods of boredom.

Imagine Isaac Newton had been watching Mr Beast when the apple dropped on his head (weird imagery).

He probably would have continued watching to see who’s winning $458,000 or the private island.

Without a second thought.

He may have not have thought about gravity at all…

3. Mental Health

I’ll admit.

Boredom improving your mental health does sound a bit backwards.

People often associate being bored with overthinking and worrying.

Which is fair, but…

Being bored can help us be mindful and stay in the present more.

When we aren’t distracted,

We are able to appreciate the moment more, rather than zipping from one stimulation to another.

Initially boredom feels unpleasant but over time it turns into a sense of calm within the self.

So…

Next time you’re bored and find yourself reaching for a device.

Remember…

There’s an opportunity cost to not letting yourself be bored.

As a child,

Remember how often you were bored?

When you were, you had to find something to do.

Go outside, think, try something new.

It sucked at the time.

But being bored pushes you into new territory.

You would find a way to not be bored.

There was some active pursuit, leading to new discoveries, learning and growth.

Find that childlike boredom once again and you never know what you might discover…

Cheers for reading!

If you got to the end of this, you must’ve been pretty bored ;)

H

MMM V1.18