Is Boredom a Bad Thing?

The start of the new year can sometimes feel tough—it’s still dreary and cold but without the festivities. Our resolutions may already be fizzling as the seemingly endless days of winter and repetitive tasks press in. We might be reevaluating our goals, our jobs, or even our lives as we yearn for spring. In short, we may be bored.

But is boredom always a bad thing?

No. Sometimes it’s just the kick in the pants we need.

If you think you know what boredom is, you might—like us—find this Big Think article anything but boring.

Science is starting to look at boredom in a different way.

It turns out that boredom is most likely an emotion, like anger or happiness. And, like other emotions, it’s complex. We don’t always know why we feel it, we just know it’s there and it’s making us uncomfortable. It’s an itch we need to scratch. In fact, it’s the not scratching that can become a problem.

Occasional boredom is inevitable, and we all need a break from constant stimulation to focus on calmer or more mundane tasks at times. But chronic boredom is hazardous to our health. When we’re bored too long and too often, we indulge in more impulsive and risky behaviors. We become more anxious. Our nutrition suffers. And we perform more poorly at work.

But if we pay attention to when and why we’re bored, it can be a revelation. As social psychologist Erin Westgate says, “. . . it signals instances to us when we're not meaningfully engaged in the world, and it gives us an opportunity to fix it.”

That’s the key: fixing it.

• Find the antidote for yourself and your team by paving the way for professional and personal development.

• Seek out the meaning in your work, which can be as simple as connecting with an end user—if you make a widget, talk to someone who uses that widget; if you design elearning, reach out to a learner.

• Foster connection on your team.

• Give your team members as much freedom as possible to work on projects that excite them.

• Stay curious about everything. You never know where it will lead you.

At a recent EPI team meeting, our team member facilitator had us reflect on what word, image, or phrase each of us wanted to inspire and propel us in 2023. We left feeling more connected, engaged, and motivated. Discover what scratches your itch of boredom and talk to your team about theirs. Share. Learn. Spark. And let us know what chases your doldrums away!