{"id":1228,"date":"2026-07-29T14:04:29","date_gmt":"2026-07-29T14:04:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/redzine.co.uk\/index.php\/2026\/07\/29\/three-ways-boredom-can-actually-be-a-benefit\/"},"modified":"2026-07-29T14:04:29","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T14:04:29","slug":"three-ways-boredom-can-actually-be-a-benefit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/redzine.co.uk\/index.php\/2026\/07\/29\/three-ways-boredom-can-actually-be-a-benefit\/","title":{"rendered":"Three ways boredom can actually be a benefit"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/span> Tiantip Deedet\/ Shutterstock<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Boredom is something many of us will do everything we can to avoid. We fill our time with social media, books and TV programmes and keeping our schedules packed with plans.<\/p>\n

But boredom doesn\u2019t always need to be seen as something negative. Boredom may, in fact, be good for you \u2013 but only if you effectively tap into its full potential<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1. It can push you towards positive change<\/h2>\n

Boredom tends to arise when we want to be mentally engaged but our current activity or environment isn\u2019t providing the level of challenge, stimulation or meaning<\/a> we need. This can leave us feeling restless<\/a> \u2013 especially if we don\u2019t know how to remedy the situation.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s for this reason that boredom can be used to push ourselves towards change and encourage exploration.<\/p>\n

But in order to make boredom really work for you, it\u2019s vital to avoid just reaching for the next easy distraction, like scrolling on your phone, online shopping<\/a> or visiting the pantry for a snack<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Positive change comes not from asking \u201chow do I stop feeling like this?\u201d but asking yourself \u201cwhat meaningful thing do I need next?\u201d Focusing on doing something meaningful<\/a> is key to making boredom a bridge to more productive or positive activities. <\/p>\n

While determining what\u2019s meaningful will differ for each of us, as a general guide meaningful activities require a bit of effort<\/a> while still being doable and making us feel like we\u2019re part of something bigger than ourselves<\/a>. <\/p>\n

So if you\u2019re someone who enjoys exercise or being in nature<\/a>, going for a hike is one meaningful way of quelling the boredom<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Or if you prefer creating things or doing crafts, the act of making something can be an opportunity to immerse yourself<\/a>, which can improve wellbeing.<\/p>\n

Sometimes boredom also indicates we need to get out of the house and see friends or family. Connecting with another person can provide meaning, responsiveness and a sense of belonging<\/a> that doing something alone cannot.<\/p>\n

2. It can improve problem solving and creativity<\/h2>\n

Ever taken a shower and found you\u2019ve come up with a really great idea, or solved a problem that\u2019s been bothering you? This it called the \u201cshower effect\u201d<\/a> \u2013 and the reason it happens has to do with boredom.<\/p>\n

The shower gives us a perfect, low-demand environment so our minds can wander. This lets the mind move into a state of \u201cproductive mind-wandering\u201d<\/a>, where attention can drift from the task at hand and thoughts can wander loosely.<\/p>\n

When we let our mind wander, the process generates spontaneous thoughts that are random or only tangentially related to the immediate present. But these spontaneous thoughts<\/a> often become productive ones \u2013 such as coming up with novel ideas<\/a>, making new associations between previously encountered materials, solving problems<\/a> we\u2019ve been grappling with, consolidating goals or memories and boosting our creativity<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\n \"A
\n There\u2019s a reason why many of us come up with our best ideas in the shower.<\/span>
\n Lopolo\/ Shutterstock<\/a><\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To make the most of mind-wandering\u2019s problem solving capacity, and avoid it turning into a spiral of worry and rumination<\/a>, preload your mind with good ingredients. If you know you\u2019re going to have a block of time during your day where boredom may arise, engage your mind in advance<\/a> with an analytical problem, creative project or prompt. <\/p>\n

This primes your thinking with lots of stimulating material. That way, when you do let your mind wander, you can get creative<\/a> and do something positive with your boredom.<\/p>\n

3. It can improve memory and learning<\/h2>\n

Boredom may be unpleasant \u2013 but it can be useful in supporting our ability to build memories and retain important information.<\/p>\n

Allowing our minds to go \u201coffline\u201d (also known as \u201cwakeful rest\u201d<\/a>) provides an important buffer to help integrate and consolidate new information<\/a>. Pausing and doing nothing, staring into space and doodling are all examples of wakeful rest.<\/p>\n

New memories do not leap fully formed into our long term storage. Instead, after a novel experience or learning something new, the trace memory must be stabilised and integrated through a process called memory consolidation. Taking some time out of consuming information and letting the brain rest helps with this process. <\/p>\n

Even just five to ten minutes<\/a> of wakeful rest a day can protect fragile new memories from competing with unimportant information. Wakeful rest is also shown to help people better remember<\/a> what they\u2019ve just learned \u2013 even when asked to recall that information a week later.<\/p>\n

Another key aspect of wakeful rest is that when the brain gets bored, it doesn\u2019t just switch off, it changes modes.<\/p>\n

The brain switches from focusing on external demands and tasks and moves into internal, self-focused processing<\/a>. This kind of internal processing happens best during down time \u2013 such as when we\u2019re bored. It supports us to make meaning, work out our values and who we are.<\/p>\n

It also helps us to reflect on our experiences and is involved in processing memories<\/a>, as well. Including a little wakeful rest in study time or when doing a new activity will not only support you in remembering what you learned<\/a>, but it will also help you stay focused on who you are and what\u2019s most important to you.<\/p>\n

How to be bored<\/h2>\n

So how can we learn to tolerate boredom? By accepting it as a normal experience<\/a> \u2013 rather than something negative.<\/p>\n

You also don\u2019t have to abandon technology entirely to better tap into your boredom \u2013 though it will help. Cutting back on the amount of rapid switching<\/a> between videos, apps and social media platforms may help to improve attention, satisfaction and meaning.<\/p>\n

If you manage to reduce switching, the next step is to practice staying with one ordinary experience, such as focusing on your breath. The more you can stay engaged in the present, the better you\u2019ll be able to tolerate boredom.<\/p>\n

Leaving space to do nothing and let a little boredom in is good for us \u2013 just be sure to make the most of these moments.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

Trudy Meehan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Tiantip Deedet\/ Shutterstock Boredom is something many of us will do everything we can to avoid. We fill our time with social media, books and TV programmes and keeping our schedules packed with plans. But boredom doesn\u2019t always need to be seen as something negative. Boredom may, in fact, be good for you \u2013 but […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1228","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/redzine.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1228","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/redzine.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/redzine.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/redzine.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/redzine.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1228"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/redzine.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1228\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/redzine.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1228"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/redzine.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1228"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/redzine.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1228"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}