Boredom: A catalyst for action

Boredom is not your enemy; it’s an internal compass that tells you you’re neglecting your most important priorities and that it’s time to reconnect with what really matters to you. Listen to its message!

Memo :

Boredom results from underutilizing your cognitive resources and your frustrated desire for engagement.
Boredom is a warning to be heeded: It indicates that you are mentally disengaged from your activities and is an invitation to fix it.
Boredom is a great catalyst that reignites your desire for action, helping you take back control of your environment – and your life.

Boredom lies in wait whenever you engage in an activity that seems pointless to you. Though it leaves you feeling uncomfortable, boredom is not something you should run away from: If you’re in too much of a hurry to escape it, using contrived distractions or stimuli, it can lead you into a downward spiral of demotivation. If, on the other hand, you take the time to listen to the message it’s sending, boredom will act like an internal compass: In addition to enabling you to realign, it will be a source of support, helping you tackle the difficult situations – lockdowns, working remotely, the lack of social contact – forced on you by the health crisis.

Based on

Out of my skull : The psychology of Boredom
James Danckert & John D. Eastwood, (Harvard University Press, 2020).

Published by Marianne Gerard

Marianne graduated from HEC in 1998 and is now a freelance journalist specializing in management and higher education. What really fires her up is the human dimension and she is c taking a psychology course at Rennes 2 University. 

Boredom: A catalyst for action

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