But even when he was a child, helping out on his parents farm in Southern Ontario, he managed to keep himself engaged — challenging himself to hold his breath when he was asked to undertake the harrowing task of literally harrowing breaking up big clumps of soil into smaller ones. As BBC Future has explored in the past , embracing a tedious experience — letting your mind wander rather than reaching for your phone, for instance — may enhance creativity.
The bad news for easily bored people, says Danckert, is that the susceptibility has been linked to a range of other issues, such as impulsive behaviour , substance abuse , gambling addiction , compulsive mobile phone use , depression , mental trauma that manifests as physical sensations like pain — the list goes on. Intriguingly, it also seems to be linked to several personality disorders.
Another is that once a covert narcissist has received the empty approval they crave from the people around them, they will lose interest and become bored.
In fact, boredom is just one of many unpleasant side-effects to keeping narcissism bottled up. For example, covert narcissists tend to have low psychological wellbeing, while overt narcissists are relatively happy and have higher self-esteem.
Other personality traits linked to boredom include anger — aggressive drivers tend to be especially susceptible — and neuroticism , which involves having high levels of anxiety, guilt and jealousy.
In all, being prone to boredom is generally a bad sign — and may be partly caused by having poor emotional control. I think the answer to that will be yes. The ultimate question is whether the strategies that make some people susceptible are all learned — or whether boredom can be genetic. This is something Danckert is currently looking into. However, Danckert expects that, as with all emotions, boredom is likely to arise from a combination of learned and genetic factors.
It looks like Hadfield honed his ability to cope with boredom in childhood — and with the right techniques, even the most agonisingly boredom-prone might be able to lead richer inner lives. Join one million Future fans by liking us on Facebook , or follow us on Twitter or Instagram. If you liked this story, sign up for the weekly bbc. Emotional Extremes Covid If not properly addressed, research has shown that chronic boredom can have serious consequences, ranging from depression and feeling alone to problems with your physical health.
Our natural curiosity, together with a desire for purpose and occupation has led us to discover new tools, develop different skills, and create new technologies. In our day to day lives, allowing ourselves to be bored and not immediately searching for a solution is linked to increased mindfulness and improved creativity , and can motivate us to reassess things like career goals and priorities. Boredom can be caused by a number of factors, but the most common is being stuck in a repetitive or monotonous experience.
We can notice this almost anywhere, from tedious tasks at work and studying right through to waiting in line at the supermarket.
Our ancestors were largely focused on survival , and even as recently as a few hundred years ago, essential tasks that we now take for granted would have taken hours. Our minds now have to work harder to occupy that time. Attention span is also closely linked to boredom. This is a particular challenge for those with attention deficit issues, and these groups tend to have a higher tendency towards boredom. Some of us have a greater need for external stimulation and excitement than others and therefore are more inclined to suffer from boredom than our introverted counterparts.
As with any problem, understanding it is the first step to overcoming it. It might seem like a lot of effort but even just a small amount of physical activity is incredibly beneficial for your brain. You might have disconnected to avoid engaging with a particular topic. Try talking about it with someone you trust. Screenplays are the building blocks for all of our favourite films.
A great film needs a great script, after all. This online course explores the key concepts behind a professional screenplay and is available to anyone with an interest in scriptwriting. Is it time to unlock your inner Sinatra? This is not necessarily a bad thing: there is some evidence that suggests a link between distractibility and creativity.
Are easily bored people more creative? Boredom may shed some light on what motivates you. Academic psychologist theorize that there are two categories people tend to fall into in terms of motivation: One force, known as the behavioral-activation system, drives you out into the world to discover new things.
People who are on the extreme ends of either of these tend to be more boredom-prone. Behavioral-activation types are high in sensation-seeking; these are the people who are jumping out of airplanes, traveling to exciting places, trying new foods.
Boredom also has a lot to do with the way you understand your own emotions. They also, the research has suggested, tend to be highly boredom-prone. This may have to do with the directionlessness that is tied up in boredom. Emotions are guides. But you could look at this link another way. Consider your own habits when boredom strikes. Do you reach for your phone to numb the feeling immediately?
Or do you dwell in the boredom for a bit, letting it nudge you toward a change you may need to make, something that would add more meaning to whatever is currently boring you? The key here may be less about how easily bored you are, and more about what you do with the boredom when it hits you.
But both feelings can be useful. Pain pushes you away from harm. Boredom pushes you toward meaning. Already a subscriber?
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