The Sunnier Face of Boredom

The idea that nothing is absolute is expressed time and again by many great minds. As Albert Einstein, the genius of all generations, said, everything is relative. Space and time depend on the observer’s point of reference and are not fixed by any measure.

I’m not venturing into any mind-boggling science. Rather, I’m simply trying to say that every situation, emotion, or feeling is dependent on factors that give it a final shape. 

For instance, let us look at boredom, something that often has gray shades attached to it. When someone tells you that you are sitting with a bored look on your face, it doesn’t quite come across as a positive comment. However, it may surprise you that boredom is not always that bad although it is associated with low motivation, lack of stimulation, and stuff with negative connotations. It does yield benefits.

Don’t forget that the mind needs rest!

A fitness regime is needed for our physical health, but we cannot keep on working out tirelessly. The muscles need rest. Similarly, the mind craves for moments of boredom to calmly process what is going around. 

It is essential that we sleep well or simply relax while literally doing nothing. The idle mind allows us to explore and think about what we could possibly do in the future.

Have a little introspection, and you will remember that it was the time when you sat bored when ideas struck you about making your professional or personal lives better. When you were neck- deep in work, those thoughts may have never crossed your mind. So will you not agree that you had not really sinned by being mentally idle?

The creative juices flow in a bored mind!

If your day is packed 24/7, how on earth can ideas spark in your brain? The mind can wander only in a bored state to observe, gain new insights, and make connections. 

History has provided ample examples of discoveries that have happened when the mind was in a restful state. It was during a break from his lab work when Alexander Fleming observed mold growing on a Petri dish, and that paved the way for the discovery of penicillin.

 “Eureka”, a Greek word which means “I have found it”, has become an exclamation for celebration or victory. It is linked to Archimedes, who screamed out the word in joy when he found a solution while in the bathtub. So the principle of buoyancy has its roots in a leisurely moment the scientist had and not when he was submerged in a pile of books.

Great works of art like music, painting, and literature have been inspired in states of boredom. Agatha Christie did not have any formal education till she was about 16 years old. In a 1955 BBC interview, she shared how she found ways to entertain herself, and that was the period when her writing talents started flowering. “There’s nothing like boredom to make you write,” she said.

You might end up doing something meaningful

Unexpected good might come without you planning for it. Being utterly bored, you end up calling  someone that you have perhaps not spoken to for ages. It definitely sounds very selfish, and there is no second opinion that you have thought about that individual only when you were bored. Yet you have done something good by establishing that social connection.

You may be wanting for a long time to read a good book, meditate, or go for a walk but haven’t had the chance to do so because you were busy. Now you are bored, so why not indulge in these activities that contribute to your well-being?

Looking for a ray of sunshine

As they say, there are two sides to every coin, and we have not just one but multiple perspectives. The positive and negative emerge from every situation. Being bored can be extremely stifling and can be such an immense strain. Yet it is not that all roads are closed.

Happiness is what we can create for ourselves, and every being is bestowed with intelligence to find ways to keep one’s self engaged. So why not look for ways to beat the boredom rather than sit and sulk?