Make Boredom a Goal
By Tana M. Mann Easton, Lead Efficiency Engineer
For many, boredom is a state that is to be avoided at all costs. But what if we stop viewing boredom as a state of deficiency and start seeing it as a sacred void? Idle time isn’t wasted time. When our brain is relaxed and resting, the default mode network is activated. Creative insight happens with the default mode network is online. But this network in our brain cannot activate when we’re consuming information. It needs the sacred void.
Consider making boredom a goal. The next time you feel bored, notice that feeling. When you notice you’re bored, commit to a four-minute pause. Stand still with the discomfort of not doing anything. Commit to doing one thing a day that allows you to be bored. Go for a walk without listening to headphones. Eat a meal without a screen. Lie in bed for a few minutes without reaching for your phone. And if you have a hard problem that you need to deal with, get bored on purpose for 10 minutes before you need to deal with the issue. It’s in these times of quiet stillness that our most creative thoughts can finally bubble up to the surface of our consciousness and finally be heard. So go be bored.
If you or your team would like to sign up for our 2 hour Balance and Productivity training to instantly double your meaningful output and find the feeling of lasting flow and optimized work life balance, please email me at tana@focustoevolve.com and say hello!
With Sincere Gratitude,
Tana at Focus to Evolve