Do you remember being a kid and whining to your parents, “I’m boooreed”? It felt like a constant refrain in a pre-smartphone, pre-internet era.
Now boredom is a rare commodity. Suppose you feel the slightest pang of boredom coming on. In that case, you can scroll billions of images on Instagram or read endless articles about the latest Kardashian exploits and what it means for society as a whole.
When was the last time you were bored?
We need boredom. Why? When we allow ourselves space from constant novelty, our brains are free to make new connections. In other words, we open ourselves to creativity.
I worry that our constant flow of media, social feeds, and Netflix is wiping out a generation of creative energy. But it’s not too late. You can reclaim boredom as a tool for new ideas to spawn out of the depths of your heart and mind.
So, how do you create some margin for the next great idea?
Let’s Get Bored:
- Go on a walk once a week with no tech in hand; just a half an hour will do.
- Turn off the podcast on the way to work. You can find out how who killed the victim tomorrow.
- One night a week, leave the television dark, even if you can’t fathom what else you will do instead.
