How Boredom leads to creativity?

How Boredom leads to creativity?

I had to switch my phone off for 3 hours to write this blog, been thinking about it for weeks but was so jacked in, plugged in, distracted by my thoughts, screens, technology and multi-tasking that I found it difficult to structure this.

A bit of silence, lack of distraction and focus churned up new crops of ideas and helped me hit the target.

I remember when I was in pre-meds, sitting in our living room, not able to find any activity, bored to bones when my father noticed my quandary,  he gave me a piece of his mind and boy o boy I can still feel the impact of that piece of mind…

I at the time did not realise that one needs not to be occupied all the time and that sitting still and not doing anything can be astonishingly productive at times.  

Multi-tasking used to be a big thing then and was bragged about.  However, the recent evidence base (Daniel Levitin) suggests that when the brain shifts attention from one activity to another, it causes the prefrontal cortex and striatum to burn up oxygenated glucose, the same fuel they need to stay on task. It also creates a dopamine-addiction feedback loop, effectively rewarding the brain for losing focus and for constantly searching for external stimulation.

What we have to realise is that we do indulge in Multiple tasks all the time, it is required, it's the need of the moment, however, we ought to be careful not to spread ourselves thin impacting on our concentration and our energies too much. 

If we are distracted, we won’t conceive new ideas, what we never realised was how important silence and tranquillity is to incubate those ideas. To some silence is inactivity, however, there is a difference between inner peace and not doing anything.

My recent travelling time to my workplace is 3 hours in total, I try not to play songs, I have switched to YouTube Premier so that I can listen to YouTube whilst at the same time navigating myself to my workplace. I listen to motivational interviews, TED talks, documentaries and anything reflective of my interests. The 3 hours track is like a relentless exercise of daydreaming.

Daydreaming is good, so is silence, so is boredom as these seemingly insignificant activities help generate new ideas. When we are generally not doing anything, we are thinking of the past, present and future. Productive minds reflect and reflection paves way for change and inception of new ideas.

The novel ideas were conceived in the darkest hours, the toughest times as during those times one has one to oneself and a never-ending journal of adversities. A wandering mind, a plethora of reflections, a pile of adaptations, leading to a new world of innovations.  

Why do writers write in tranquillity, segregation and away from the hustle-bustle; they want a wandering mind, an empty glass capable of conceiving ideas, a world devoid of distractions and full of budding thoughts.

I am a Generation-X, cohabiting with millennials and Generation Z. the latter two don't have time to get bored, their timetables are packed, they are jacked in, hardly any time for reflections, the evidence-based suggests that people who don't have time to get bored or reflect are less creative than those who have.

Whilst daydreaming our brain gets into a default mode and according to Dr Sandy Man, it goes beyond the conscious, exploring the subconscious and making innumerable connections. It is called the default mode that's where the brain works the most. We do autobiographical planning, we create a personal narrative and set goals for ourselves and find a way to achieve it. 

We live in a world where our concentration at work changes every 45 seconds, we shift tasks on computer 500 times a day, check our emails at work 74 times a day, check our phones 231 times on average. We touch our phones for more than 2500 times a day.  We are in relationships with our phones and social media platforms unless we detach and procrastinate, we won't be able to populate our lives with creativity.  

Not all those who wander are not lost, similarly, not all those are silent and detached are unplugged. They are plugged to a deeper level, they are using brain more than those who are distracted, they are creating ideas, innovating creations and building new foundations.

I think, from time to time, we should seek time for ourselves, rid ourselves of distractions, create a tranquil world around us, detach ourselves from the rest, seek a place oozing peace and sit down and do nothing… this Nothing will give way to a New Something.


 

🌟Mandy 🌞 Sunner

Beyond 🌺 More Empathy Business Consultant | ACSM | ORSC Coach | Mentor

5y

Excellent post. Such valuable points. 🙏🏼 I thank You

Like
Reply
Eman Awad

Clinical Psychologist

5y

Loved it!

Like
Reply
Zaigham Aftab Qureshi

Graduate Lifting Engineer | Vice Chair of IMechE GLR YMP

5y

exquisite work of art, enjoyed reading this lovely blog!

Like
Reply
Faiz Rehman

Consultant Psychiatrist

5y

Wonderfully written.

Like
Reply

To view or add a comment, sign in

Insights from the community

Others also viewed

Explore topics