Why do we need to get bored in our lives?
In this day and age, we barely have time to be bored. What with the endless stream of notifications coming from our smartphones, music, TV shows, games, work, and social media all demanding our attention around the clock, our brains have become addicted to constant stimulation. And as a result, doing nothing has become almost unbearable.
Why do we so hate being bored?
Before smartphones had become as advanced and ubiquitous as they are these days, science had already shown that we're generally not very good at doing nothing.
A 2014 study from the University of Virginia saw researchers lock volunteers alone in a room for 15 minutes with no distractions. The only thing they could do was press a button that gave them a mild electric shock. Two-thirds of the male participants and one-quarter of the female participants actually chose to shock themselves rather than sit alone with their thoughts.
That may be because our brains switch to something called the default mode network when we get bored, which makes us think about things that make us feel uncomfortable, like existential questions.
If it's so unpleasant then, why should we let ourselves get bored?
First of all, boredom makes the brain more efficient. These empty moments allow it to sort information, organise memories and build long-term recollections. Boredom can also push us to innovate, stepping outside our comfort zones, and that's backed up by a number of scientific studies.
In 2019, psychologists Shane Bench and Heather Lynch suggested that boredom actually serves a function in human evolution, driving us to move, to seek improvement, to look for something better.
In 2014, British researchers Sandy Mann and Rebecca Cadman explained that the brain needs emptiness, a space without specific goals, in order to wander freely. During these pauses it starts to seek novelty, forming new ideas and connections.
What's the right way of getting bored then?
Well, not by scrolling on our phones for one thing. Talking to the BBC in 2017, Sandy Mann suggested scheduling daydreaming time or doing activities like swimming, where the mind is able to wander without electronic distractions.
And while the kind of existential questions that come up when we get bored might make us uncomfortable, there's an argument that they're still incredibly important to spend time thinking about.
Writing in the Harvard Business Review in August 2025 under the title, You Need to Be Bored, Here's Why, Professor Arthur C. Brooks suggested this could help people find meaning in their lives, thereby reducing the risk of depression and anxiety. Brooks recommends regular phone-free periods of 15 minutes or more, as well as device-free mealtimes at home. There you have it.
词汇表
endless stream of 源源不断的，持续不断的
notification [ˌnəʊtɪfɪˈkeɪʃn] n.（社交媒体等的）通知消息，提示
around the clock 全天候地，昼夜不停地
constant stimulation [ˈkɒnstənt ˌstɪmjʊˈleɪʃn] 持续的刺激
ubiquitous [juːˈbɪkwɪtəs] adj. 无处不在的，普遍存在的
mild electric shock 轻微电击
shock [ʃɒk] vt. 使触电，使受电击
default mode network [dɪˈfɔːlt məʊd ˈnetwɜːk] 默认模式网络（大脑在休息时活跃的神经网络）
existential [ˌeɡzɪˈstenʃl] adj. 存在主义的，关于存在的
recollection [ˌrekəˈlekʃn] n. 回忆，记忆，往事
be backed up by 得到…的支持/证实
emptiness [ˈemptinəs] n. 空白，空虚；无意义
wander [ˈwɒndə(r)] vi. 漫游，走神，思绪游离
novelty [ˈnɒvəlti] n. 新奇事物；新奇感
scroll [skrəʊl] vi. （在屏幕上）滚动，滑动浏览，刷
daydreaming [ˈdeɪdriːmɪŋ] n. 做白日梦，空想
phone-free periods 无手机时段
device-free mealtimes 无电子设备的用餐时间
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