Questions on My Mind about the Psychology of Boredom

1. What environments have been designed to elicit boredom? Places like prison cells.
2. What types of boredom are there? People suggest that there are psychological benefits to boredom because it can lead to productive mind wandering. But in my opinion, if there’s productive mind wandering happening then boredom is no longer taking place. I wonder if people define boredom differently.
3. What environments are most associated with boredom? Schools, prisons…?
4. What environments are least associated with boredom? Festivals, sports games…?
5. What internal elements are most likely to influence degree of boredom? Mindset, personality…?
6. What external elements are most likely to influence degree of boredom? Novelty, liveliness…?
7. What cognitive strategies do people use to combat boredom? Self talk, imagination…?
8. How can visuals be used to combat boredom? Eclectic spaces, maximalist environments…?
9. How can sound be used to combat boredom? Upbeat music, sounds of laughter and play…?
10. How are missions and goals correlated with boredom? I’d imagine people are less likely to be bored when they’re on a mission and they’re striving toward a meaningful goal.
11. What emotions and mindsets are closest and furthest from boredom? Closest might be lethargy and listlessness. Furthest might be intrigue and alertness.
12. How is novelty correlated with boredom? I’d imagine it’s more difficult to experience boredom while in a new space for the first time.
13. How do maximalist environments or clutter influence boredom? How do the presence of things like toys, reading material, and art influence boredom?
14. How does a change of scenery influence boredom? I’d imagine that simply moving to a new space is an effective strategy at combatting boredom.
15. How does a change of seating influence boredom? I often find that I can combat my own boredom by switching my position. Having the option between a bean bag chair, a floor pillow, standing desk, office chair, etc has been an effective way of combatting boredom.

“Boredom is a sign that you’re not meaningfully engaged in the world,” says social psychologist Erin Westgate of the University of Florida in Gainesville.

• Researchers, including Westgate, have identified two paths to boredom: a loss of focus or a loss of meaning.

Why Boredom is Good For You - YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKPwKFigF8U

Takeaways

• Scientific research suggests that their are downsides to avoiding boredom
• When you're bored your mind wanders and this has been shown to be useful for creativity
• A study of participants engaged in a boring task found that participant's were more creative after being relieved from their boredom, compared to participants who were not engaged in a boring task
• Studies have also shown that boredom may make us more altruistic
• Studies have shown that more bored participants were more likely to give to charity or donate blood
• Being bored has also shown to increase autobiographical planning
• Boredom leads to mind-wandering, which is useful for creativity

Favourite Comments