“I’m dying of boredom,” complains Yelena in Chekhov’s 1897 play Uncle Vanya. “I don’t know what to do.”
As we conclude a busy term, I hope we all find moments to drift into boredom and “not know what to do.” I, for one, am very much looking forward to it, and I’m sure you are too!
Term time is packed with “must dos” that dominate our days (and perhaps nights). Dr. Libby Weaver, an Australian nutritional biochemist, describes “Rushing Women Syndrome” where many feel simultaneously “tired” and “wired” due to their urgent approach to life (Weaver, 2012). This applies to not only girls and women, but to everyone, so as we enter the winter break, let us consider the benefits of boredom.
If Chekhov’s Yelena were around today, she’d likely whip out her smartphone to check her inbox, social media updates, YouTube bits and pieces or a Netflix series – or all of these at the same time – in that ‘deathscrolling’ to use the urban slang. This is what many of us do when we have an empty moment. We need to question the example we set for living a quality life. Modern technology has nearly eradicated boredom, creating a tech-saturated, hyper-connected world that we both love and loathe. Many of us can’t imagine being without our mobile phones. Life has changed quickly, hasn’t it? Our grandparents didn’t live like this.
As the sun sets on Term 2, it’s time to set aside our devices to which we have been so closely tethered and immerse ourselves in the richness of non-virtual relationships and the beauty of the environment. While we’ve become experts at avoiding boredom, it’s worth considering: what if boredom propels deeper thought, problem-solving, and creativity? What if our addiction to stimulus robs us of moments of epiphany and deep understanding?
Two studies from the University of Central Lancashire had 40 people do something boring (copying numbers from a phone book) before taking creative thinking tests. They came up with different uses for sets of cups, and their ideas were more creative compared to those who didn’t do the boring task. They found that people who copied the phone numbers ended up having more ideas and being more creative about what they could do with the cups.
We need to consciously allow ourselves to experience boredom. Many people have their best ideas when showering, pulling weeds, walking, chopping vegetables, dozing, and looking into dappled sunlight through a straw hat on a beach. These insights often come because they require disengagement from conscious thought.
When we’re too engaged in conscious thought—scrolling through newsfeeds, doing busy work—our creativity is stifled, and potential epiphanies elude us.
Walking can be a powerful way to enter into this zone. Sometimes, when we are walking, there are times when the mind is no longer on guard or maniacally jumping about. Ideas and bits of conversations that have been half-forming, unconsciously, in the back of our minds over time about all kinds of things – from the purpose of our lives through to how to rearrange the living room – start to emerge, coalesce and clarify. Because there is a lot less distraction to keep them from reaching full consciousness, we can think more freely and courageously, and ideas and solutions start to take form. The mind has been able to take a break, mix things up and make the odd, random juxtapositions so essential to creativity.
Experts Dr. Richard Paul and Dr. Linda Elder from the Foundation for Critical Thinking report that creativity is strongly linked with critical thinking and problem-solving—key aspects of excellence in thought (2009). In other words, the more creative your thoughts, the better you can analyse situations and come up with effective solutions in life and work.
So, let us all allow ourselves to take time now to ‘zone out’ and ‘die a little with boredom’. You get ideas from daydreaming. You get ideas from being bored. You get ideas in spaces of unscheduled time. Let us allow ourselves the space so that ‘The great Tao does (not) fade away’ (4th Century BC, Tao Te Ching’s 18th Chapter) and we try to fully savour the richness of life.
Thank you for your warm support and I look forward to us all coming together next term refreshed, rewired, reset and re-energised.