How boredom can benefit you (and your productivity)

December 10, 2023

Welcome to The Productivity Blueprint newsletter 🗞️

How did the mindfulness challenge go last week? Did you feel your awareness and presence increasing? Personally, I felt it helped me control the overwhelm throughout my day to add in the breathing sessions. Although I can’t fully track how this helped my productivity, I’m sure it made a difference.

What about you? Hit reply and let us know.

If you missed last week, you can catch up here in our newsletter about deep work 🙂

Today, we’re looking a fun topic: why boredom is good for you! Let’s dive in.

Did you know that Da Vinci carried a notebook everywhere so that if a thought, observation, or passage caught him, he could write it down.

Do you find yourself constantly seeking distractions and stimulation in the digital age? It's time to rethink boredom.

Contrary to common belief, boredom can be a valuable asset for your mental health. According to recent research published in Psychology Today, boredom can serve as a catalyst for personal growth and well-being.

In a world overflowing with information and distractions, our brains are constantly overloaded. Boredom provides a crucial opportunity to step away from the digital noise, allowing your mind to relax and reduce stress.

By embracing moments of boredom, you can cultivate better mental health and regain control over your cognitive resources. And that’s not all.

Let’s take a look closely at some of these benefits:

  • Boredom is not just about doing nothing; it's a gateway to creativity and problem-solving. Studies have shown that mundane tasks and moments of boredom encourage the mind to wander, leading to innovative thinking. Boredom, in essence, ignites your creative spark.

  • Boredom sparks a desire for novelty. It drives us to seek new experiences and challenges the status quo. Think of it as the fuel for adventure and curiosity. Embracing boredom can help you tap into your innate drive for novelty-seeking and exploration.

  • Boredom can also act as an emotional signal, indicating that your current activities do not align with your desires and expectations. It motivates you to shift your focus toward more fulfilling goals and projects. Boredom becomes the compass guiding you towards a more purposeful life.

  • The ability to handle boredom is closely linked to self-control skills. Learning to endure boredom at a young age is excellent preparation for developing self-regulation, allowing you to better control your thoughts, emotions, and actions.

So, next time you find yourself bored, don't rush to escape it. Embrace it as an opportunity for self-discovery, creativity, and personal growth.

Brain.fm is a scientifically engineered music streaming service that provides background music to boost your focus, creativity, and productivity. Whether you're working, studying, or just need some background tunes, it offers soundtracks that sync with your brainwaves to enhance your cognitive performance.

What we love: Learn the science behind the music on their website! Super interesting.

Capture your thoughts and reflections during idle moments with a journaling app. Journaling can be a creative outlet and a way to track your personal growth journey (and make the most of those bored, creative thoughts).

What we love: The ‘on this day’ feature. This let’s you revisit moments from the past.

💡 Challenge of the week

Challenge yourself this week to dedicate at least 10 minutes each day to embracing boredom. Whether it's waiting in line, commuting, or just sitting quietly, use this time for self-reflection, creative thinking, or setting new goals.

At the end of the week, check out this article for 60 prompts for self-reflection to see how these moments of boredom worked out for you.

We wish you luck in your challenge to embrace boredom, and hope you have learned something valuable in this issue! I know that I will look at boredom in a new light from now on 🙂 

Until next week,

The Productivity Blueprint Team