The loss of boredom

There was a time when being bored was simply part of the day.

We waited for something to happen, sat in the car, stood in a queue or found ourselves with nothing particular to do. There wasn't always something ready to fill the space, so we waited.

Now, an empty moment can be filled almost instantly. We can reach for our phone, check a message, read something, watch a video or find something new to look at. We don't have to wonder what to do with the few minutes in between things because there is almost always something available.

I’m curious about what happens when we rarely have to be bored.

When there is always something to do

Boredom can feel uncomfortable. We notice the time passing, our thoughts begin to drift and we may feel an urge to find something more interesting. Technology gives us an easy way to respond to that feeling. The moment becomes a little less interesting, and we reach for something that might hold our attention. A few seconds later, we are looking at something new.

There is nothing particularly wrong with that.

Sometimes we are simply looking for entertainment or connection. But perhaps something changes when every quiet moment becomes an opportunity to look elsewhere.

What happens in the empty spaces?

When we aren't being entertained or occupied, our attention has room to drift. We might notice what is around us, remember something, think about a question that has been sitting in the back of our mind or simply watch the world for a while. Some of these moments may feel unremarkable. Others might lead somewhere unexpected.

Boredom doesn't necessarily produce something useful. It doesn't need to. Perhaps its value is simply that it gives our attention somewhere else to go without telling it where that should be.

The urge to fill the space

We might notice the urge when we are waiting. Our hand reaches towards the phone. We wonder whether there is a message. We check the time, open an app or look at something simply because it is there. Perhaps our attention has drifted towards the possibility of something more interesting.

Again, there is no need to judge that.

The interesting part may simply be noticing the urge itself. I'm bored. I want to look at something.

We might look. Or we might stay with the moment for a little longer and see what happens.

Making room for boredom

Perhaps we don't need to bring boredom back into our lives as another thing to practise.

There is already plenty of it, if we are willing to notice it. Whether we find ourselves waiting for the kettle, sitting on a bus, looking out a window or standing in a queue. These small spaces don't necessarily need to be filled.

Our attention will naturally drift. It might drift towards our phone, towards a thought, towards the world around us or nowhere in particular. Sometimes caring for our attention means allowing it to drift without immediately giving it something else to hold.

There may be nothing to achieve in those moments. We might simply let the space be there.

I wonder what you might notice the next time you find yourself with nothing to do.