Why do you need to be bored to be more creative?

We live in an age of fatigue. How many of us end our day exhausted, as if we’ve run a marathon? It’s a paradox: Even though we have an arsenal of tools and resources to help us deal with our daily tasks, mental health problems like burnout, depression, and anxiety are on the rise.

But there is a scientific antidote that can reverse this burnout: time to do nothing. Logically speaking, the idea of ​​doing nothing at all is impossible, especially since our brain continues to do many things even when we are ready to completely stop whatever we are doing. There are ways to get around the fact that our brain does not shut down and achieve the desired stillness of doing nothing.

Meditation is perhaps one of the best examples of this. The constant flow of thoughts in our daily lives crowds the mind and leads to stress. The goal of this ancient practice is not to hold onto these thoughts, but to let them flow, as if we were watching them pass through a car window. There is already endless evidence that practicing meditation reduces stress and calms the mind, which is essential for creativity to emerge.

Another way is not to direct attention to something specific. It’s letting it wander, allowing things around you to capture your attention without you making a conscious effort to do so. When I was younger and still studying, I would let my mind drift along the street until I reached the bus stop where I would get off. It’s as if I’m sitting on the bench and not there at the same time. Researchers have noted since the 1980s that we need to make time for this undirected attention. Otherwise we may suffer from attention fatigue.

The speed brought by the digital world has made us unaccustomed to waiting. It is as if simply standing in line at the supermarket is enough to cause a great deal of anxiety, irritation and stress. Know that monotonous moments are a great opportunity to practice this undirected attention.

The suggestion of taking time to let the mind wander has gained more modern versions, so to speak. The Dutch concept “niksen” suggests a time for simply “being.” This means, for example, moving away from the “do-do” to perform simple movements, such as looking at the rain from your window, or even from your car, while driving. Instead of getting caught up in traffic and horns, listen to the sound of water hitting your hood, for example. Research conducted in 2012 suggests that allowing the mind to travel creates an environment conducive to the emergence of ideas.

This is one of the ideas behind the concept of creative entertainment, which became popular in the 1990s. Creating spaces in life for leisure and intentional rest is key to embracing new ideas and creativity. By the way, free time is not the opposite of work, but rather an essential complement to it, without which our minds become rustier.