Is Boredom Good?

Families are stronger when children, teenagers, and adults understand that boredom is a good thing. Most people “find boredom uncomfortable and strive to avoid it,” according to Megan Feldman Bettencourt who wrote about boredom in an article published in The Deseret News. 

It is safe to say that many people prefer to be entertained. However, this is not true for children.

When my older children were starting school, I lined up activities for them every day of the week. One day they would twirl batons, another day they would have dance lessons, and the other days they were involved in some other activities. This went on for several weeks before my oldest daughter said to me, “Mom, do we have to go somewhere every day. We never have any time with our friends in the neighborhood.” I thought that I was doing a good thing for my children, but I was not. We soon narrowed the activities to one or two days per week, and everyone was much happier.

Being on the go all the time is not good for children, teenagers, and adults. We all need “rest, relaxation, hobbies, unstructured time, in-person social connection and even boredom itself” in order to be happy.

American workers are reporting record-breaking rates of burnout and stress, while skyrocketing rates of depression, anxiety and suicidality in kids have prompted children’s hospitals to declare a national state of emergency for youth mental health. Bettencourt continued her report:

… Americans workers are reporting record-breaking rates of burnout and stress, while skyrocketing rates of depression, anxiety and suicidality in kids have prompted children’s hospitals to declare a national state of emergency for youth mental health. It turns out that boredom is important for stimulating creativity and problem-solving, as well as for giving our busy brains some much-needed rest. When we notice the stillness or disinterest that most of us characterize as boredom, responding in constructive ways pays dividends in productivity, creativity, social connection and mental wellness.

So if boredom really is good for us, then how can we learn to incorporate it into our lives despite the constant pressure to avoid it?

In psychiatric literature, boredom is defined as a state of mind featuring disinterest or lack of stimulation or challenge. Ironic, since being bored these days is a challenge itself. Boredom often arises from repetitive tasks or a lack of novelty, and can make us feel restless. We ideally learn to tolerate and productively manage that restlessness, starting in childhood. Being bored prompts kids to make imaginary games, initiate play with other children and take a proactive role in their own activities. This builds creativity and problem-solving skills, as well as social acumen, resilience, independence, initiative and self-esteem.

School is out for the summer recess all over America, and parents are busy trying to find enough activities to keep their children busy. According to Bettencourt, busyness is not necessary. Parents who allow their children to become boredom will help them to learn better problem-solving skills and develop more creativity.

Wise parents will encourage their children to learn to enjoy reading for the fun of reading. If such children are bored, they can always pick up a book and read – thus improving their reading capabilities and gaining knowledge. I was with one of my granddaughters one day, and she was sharing all kinds of information with me. I asked her where she learned so much, and she replied, “I read, and I remember what I read.” She is a current high school graduate and is starting college soon. She has never been truly bored because she knows how to entertain herself.

Since we now know that boredom is a good thing, we should allow the rising generation to be bored once in a while. Wise parents who encourage their children to have some down time could be helping their children to avoid mental health problems. Wise parents will help their children to be healthy physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Healthy children and wise parents create strong families, and strong families strengthen their communities, states, and nations.