Why boredom

The bored folks outperformed the artists both in terms of idea quantity and quality, as ranked by objective outsiders who assigned uniqueness scores to each one. Those findings are likely no surprise to Sandi Mann, a senior psychology lecturer at the University of Central Lancashire in the U.

Mann is the author of The Upside of Downtime: Why Boredom Is Good , and a proponent of embracing the emotion, negative connotations and all. You may be surprised by what you come up with when you do. Studies have shown, for example, that modern tools including work emails , social media and dating apps can strain mental health — so taking a break can be a valuable opportunity to recharge. Boredom may occur when you feel energetic but have nowhere to direct your energy. It may also occur when you have difficulty focusing on a task.

Boredom is a common complaint among children and adolescents. Boredom is marked by an empty feeling, as well as a sense of frustration with that emptiness.

You may feel apathetic, fatigued, nervous, or jittery. Almost everyone experiences boredom from time to time. Some age groups might experience more boredom than others. Adolescents frequently experience boredom.

Not knowing where to focus can lead to boredom. Boredom is a normal response to some situations. And while there are no tests to diagnose boredom, boredom that lasts for long periods of time, or occurs frequently, may be a sign of depression.

Symptoms of boredom and depression are sometimes similar. Working with a mental health professional and also asking questions may give you clues about what your child may be experiencing. If boredom is interfering with your ability to complete necessary tasks, or hampering your quality of life, talk to your doctor. Your boredom may be related to depression if you experience the following symptoms:. Your doctor will be able to help you distinguish between boredom and depression and get you the necessary treatment.

For example, you may want to consider trying some new hobbies or other new diversional activities. Joining a club can be a good way to thwart your boredom. Reading clubs, hobby groups, or exercise groups are all great places to start.

Joining a community group that organizes activities and outings is another good idea. You can help your child cope with feelings of boredom when they arise.

So far, she is one of the few psychologists to have forayed into such mind-numbing territories. After all, admitting that you study boredom might itself sound a bit, well, boring — but that is far from the truth. Boredom, it turns out, can be a dangerous and disruptive state of mind that damages your health — and even cuts years off your lifespan.

Bored to death. But perhaps because of its prevalence in our lives, scientists had been slow to explore the sensation. Yet as Eastwood set about exploring the reasons for boredom, he found that there are two distinct types of personality that tend to suffer from ennui, and neither are particularly dull themselves. Boredom often goes with a naturally impulsive mindset among people who are constantly looking for new experiences. The second kind of bored people have almost exactly the opposite problem; the world is a fearful place, and so they shut themselves away and try not to step outside their comfort zone.

Tedium can push you to self-destruction Thinkstock. Without boredom, humans would not have the taste for adventure and exploration that makes us unique Thinkstock. Fiddling with your smartphone may relieve your immediate tedium but it can't solve longer-term ennui Thinkstock. Share this story on Facebook , or message us on Twitter.

In Depth Psychology.