Embrace boredom

Can you put aside your phone for 30 minutes and sit in silence one on one with your thoughts? It sounds so easy, isn't it?

We live in a world of distraction. Our brains got used to multitasking and escaping boredom at all costs. Can you recall yourself having a long ride on public transport without looking at your phone? Do you often find yourself reading news, scrolling Instagram, or watching Youtube just not to feel bored? Why don't we like boredom so much?

Our hatred for this state is so extreme that in some cases, people would prefer being in pain to being bored. There was an experiment where students had to sit alone in a room with a shocking button for a short period of time (6-15 minutes). A quarter of the women and two-thirds of the men preferred to give themselves mild electric shocks to be somewhat entertained than to think. How crazy is that?

I don't have an answer on why we can't stand the boredom and always need some stimuli. But I believe that a bit of boredom is what we need to be more creative and productive.

Several experiments show that people are more creative after doing some boring monotonous tasks. My experience and Cal Newport's (author of "Deep Work") observations show that experiencing a lack of entertainment also boosts our ability to concentrate on some task for longer periods.

Moreover, I'd say that trying to avoid boredom but having no access to social media makes me want to start my work as soon as possible. This is why I like detox (no Youtube, no Instagram). You should definitely try it out as a one-week challenge. I'd like to hear about your experience and what you think about it.

P.S. Don't take it to extremes. Don't try to stay in total isolation for 3 days like this crazy guy.