Bored, Nothing To Do: Not Such A Bad Thing

Here is a great article about the benefits of boredom for children because it spurs creativity. I believe adults could use some boredom too. Somewhere along the way adults began to assume being busy was a measure of success. From a mental health standpoint, we know that constantly working without any down time leads to feelings of depression, anxiety, and potentially substance use because you feel like you are "wasting time" and not "self-optimizing." I often hear this fear when working with individuals in the medical profession, lawyers, and elite athletes. All of these professions expect a high level performance on a daily basis or "perfection." This leads to continued work past the end of the day to get the "competitive edge" in the market place. Well, what if we looked at our boredom as a time to create new opportunities for ourselves and live a more balanced life so we will perform at our optimal level when needed? For example, I was bored prior to reading this article. I enjoyed the article and felt a spark of creativity to share it with others. You don't need to create the Mona Lisa with your down time. Rather take the time to reflect, turn inward to hear what you need, and come back refreshed for the work week.