Why Boredom Is Good for Your Creativity & Mental Health

The Surprising Benefits of Embracing Boredom

Smartphones have trained us to believe that every pause in life must be filled. Waiting for the bus, standing in line anywhere (at the grocery store checkout or at the post office), or lying awake at night, we instinctively reach for the screen in our pocket. The result is a life with less silence, fewer wandering thoughts, and, paradoxically, less meaning. 

But let’s flip the script. 

What if boredom isn’t a problem to solve, but a gift we’ve forgotten how to accept?

Why We Avoid Boredom

In 2014, researchers from Harvard University and the University of Virginia asked participants to sit in a room with nothing to do for 15 minutes. The only distraction was a button that delivered a painful electric shock. Would you believe it that almost half of the participants chose the shock? Seriously. In fact, one man pressed the button 190 times, even though he had previously said he would pay money to avoid that exact pain. Yikes! ^[1]

The study revealed something striking: people would rather endure pain than be left alone with their thoughts.

That was 11 years ago. Now, let’s think about the constant access to technology today: most of us carry around a far more appealing “shock button”: the smartphone. It offers instant distraction, saving us from the discomfort of boredom, but at a cost we rarely acknowledge.

The Brain on Boredom

When we have nothing to do, the brain switches on a system known as the default mode network. This network is what sparks daydreams, creative insights, and reflections on life’s bigger questions.^[2]

Arthur C. Brooks, Harvard professor and author of The Happiness Files, explains that boredom, while uncomfortable, is the doorway to meaning. Left without distractions, our minds begin to ask questions like “What does my life mean?” or “What truly matters to me?” ^[3]

These questions can feel unsettling. Yet, they are essential. Without them, we risk drifting through life, constantly busy but unmoored from purpose.

The Smartphone Shortcut

The problem is that our devices let us bypass boredom instantly. The moment we feel restless, we check notifications, refresh newsfeeds, or scroll social media.

Research shows that people often turn to their phones when bored, however, instead of easing it, screen time makes boredom worse. A study found that bored employees who reached for their phones ended up feeling even more bored afterwards.^[4]

Why? Because digital distraction captures attention, however, rarely provides meaning. Hours of scrolling can leave us overstimulated, yet strangely empty, reinforcing the cycle of dissatisfaction.

Boredom as a Signal

Psychologists suggest that boredom, like hunger or loneliness, is a signal. It’s the mind’s way of telling us we need something different: more engagement, more meaning, or both.

When we listen to that signal instead of silencing it, boredom can become transformative. It can push us to start a creative project, deepen a conversation, or simply notice the world around us in a way that scrolling never will.

However, when we ignore it, when we smother boredom under endless digital noise, that’s when it often morphs into chronic boredom, linked to anxiety, depression, risky behaviors, and poor life satisfaction.^[5]

How to Embrace Boredom

Like any skill, learning to tolerate boredom takes practice. 

Here are a few ways to start:

• Device-free moments: Leave your phone behind for short periods, on a walk, at the gym, or during your commute.

• No phones at meals: Give your full presence to the people around you.

• Create digital boundaries: Try a no-device policy after a certain hour in the evening.

• Allow quiet: Commute without music or podcasts. Let your thoughts wander.

• Try mini digital detoxes: A few hours, a day, or a weekend away from screens can reset your mind.

• How about a longer digital detox: If you're up for it, you can do try a screen-free weekend and a longer digital detox.

READ: What is a digital detox?

At first, the silence can feel uncomfortable, even irritating. However, with time, you may find that your most creative ideas and most meaningful reflections emerge in those moments of stillness.

Boredom, Creativity, and a More Meaningful Life

Here’s a fun fact: Boredom isn’t a flaw in the human experience, it’s a feature. That’s right. Boredom gives the mind the space to wander, to create, to reflect, and ultimately to find meaning.

At Mudita, we design our technology to respect this truth. Devices like the Mudita Kompakt and our mindful alarm clocks, Mudita Bell & Mudita Harmony are built to minimize distraction and encourage space for your thoughts, so that boredom can do its quiet, essential work.

By welcoming boredom (YES, without instantly reaching for a screen) you may find not only more creativity, but also more happiness, more purpose, and a life that feels a little freer.

READ: Digital detox makes you more creative, productive and happy