No one aspires to live a boring life, but did you know that periodically if we allow some boredom, it's actually really good for us?
I had so much going on in the U.S. to wrap up that once I got here to Taiwan, I struggled with periods of boredom. It felt so weird to be bored, especially during this age of entertainment. I was beginning to see a lot of gas stations with a screen installed at the pump so that we were forced to watch for the entire 5 minutes that we were pumping gas, though with my Prius, it was probably less than 5 minutes. Here in the crowded train, I look around and maybe 90% are looking down on their phones. With our new cell phone technology, everything is one click away. It's so easy to find entertainment or just keep busy. I even find myself watching Netflix movies more often because I feel bored at night, and I wanted to get off my sore feet.
For the first time, we didn't have Wi-Fi in our home. When Ted is home, he shares his hotspot with me. My phone has a weak signal and is very slow. So, when Ted is not home, which is quite often, I feel bored without Wi-Fi. In the old days, people didn't get entertained all the time. I love the old movies like "Pride and Prejudice". For entertainment, they read, talked, took walks, wrote letters, sew, paint pictures, played piano or sang. That was it. There was silence and boredom punctuating their day. That is no longer the case now. Though I can get Wi-Fi easily, I felt that this is a season that I needed to live with some silence and boredom. Though different people are bored for different reasons, I think one often gets bored from lack of interest, passion or significance. For myself, I am aware that I can do far more than what I am doing. It's an ache of untapped potential. Currently, I know I can do more, but the time has not come yet and I'm waiting on God to open doors. That's perfectly OK. Paul the apostle, after encountering Jesus on the Road to Damascus, he spent 3 years in Arabia before going up to Jerusalem. (Gal 1:17-18) Paul took time to transition and be absolutely sure about the will of God. I want to take time as well.
What benefits are there to take some time to allow our minds to wander and drift, to allow some blank time?
Boredom Boosts Creativity
One proven benefit from all the studies shows that boredom boosts creativity. One writer gets his greatest ideas from ironing his shirts. I am sure you have experienced it too. When you are in a shower, suddenly, an idea came out of nowhere. Sometimes we tried everything to solve a difficult problem, but it was precisely when our minds are blank, and we are not thinking about it that a lightbulb went on and the solution came to us. I was recently on a silent retreat, and there was more downtime than usual, and I was surprised that I was able to paint a picture of what I wanted my 2024 to look like. I'm not artsy or creative, so that was a huge shock to me. Maybe when we get bored, we get curious about things, and then we find answers.
Boredom Increases Productivity and Mental Health.
We often had to do tasks that require lots of mental energy and focus. It's like a lot of things in life, we cannot stretch ourselves to the limit at all times. There will need some time to rest and slow down. When we are bored, our brain is at the rest state. After some time of rest, our brains actually increase the ability to focus and perform better. Maybe that's why Google has a nap room on its campus. Not only it increases performance, it also improves overall mental health and well-being. After some rest, our tired bodies just feel better.
Boredom Promotes Altruism
One of the reasons for boredom is lack of significance or purpose. Therefore, when one is bored, he actually searches for meaning in life. This often results in helping others or being generous in some ways. who knew? Our society can be so much better off if we just allow some down time for people to think about life. One thing is for sure, if I didn't have any time for boredom, I wouldn't be writing in my blog because I would not know what to write.
Now that we know all the benefits of boredom, just schedule down some time to be bored. Don't forget the natural opportunities such as standing in line, waiting at a red light, or the hour before bedtime. It's not easy for a workaholic to slow down, but it's worth it. Surprisingly, I learned this really great truth from the Minimalist podcast, and I really love it. He was talking about when we enter an empty room, we just want to fill it with furniture and stuff while we are actually complete without anything. Similarly, when we have time, we just want to fill it with different things. Instead of looking at time as something we should fill, look at it as a really great gift from God. Podcast 429 | Filling Empty Rooms - The Minimalists
Just as the Psalmist asks the Lord to help him "number his days". Ps 39:4 "O Lord, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days, let me know how fleeting I am." Let's thank the Lord for the time He has given us and ask Him how we should spend it wisely....and listen.
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