Does Being Bored Make Us More Creative?

A major reason may researchers think that we experience boredom is because it gives you an indicator of your current state. If you find yourself bored that means that situation is not working for you. It makes you tired and disinterested in that situation. But it also pushes you do make changes that would be positive for your life.

A study found that being more actually makes you creative. In research, researchers give participants a boring task.

Task 1: Reading a phone book

Task 2: Being creative with a plastic cup

Those who do the 1st task then switch to 2nd task are more creative for making things with a plastic cup. And those who skip the 1st task and go to 2nd task they are less creative or do nothing at all.

In the absence of boredom, one would remain trapped in situations and miss out on many emotionally and socially rewarding experiences. Boredom is warning that we are not doing what we want to be doing and a push that motivates us to switch goals and projects.

Studies have also shown that boredom may make you more unselfish. An acute sense of aimlessness you experience when you’re bored get out of control and make you question what you are doing with your life. But it also makes you think about others and what you can do to help them.

This aimless situation state pushes you to think about what to do with your life. To think of your life as a story and consider where you want it to go in the future. This is called autobiographical planning. In this way being bored is essential for goal setting.

If your brain always consumed with other stimuli, you will rarely ponder the bigger picture and set long term goals for yourself and consider how to achieve them.

DOES YOUR PHONE GET RID OF YOUR BOREDOM?

So, every time you waiting for something you have a decision to make which seems like a tiny one. Pull out your phone for a second or min, or just be bored experience only your thoughts. This movement can make yourself more or less creative, selfishness, and setting goals.

References:

https://youtu.be/LKPwKFigF8U