The irony is not lost on me…while killing my boredom one afternoon watching video after video on YouTube, the algorithms shuffled a video exclaiming “You Need to Be Bored. Here’s Why” into my feed. So I bit, and clicked on the video to give it a watch. After all, it was from Harvard Business Review so it must be good…right?
With more than 5.8 million views (as of the time of this post), Dr Brooks spends his six minute video explaining to the audience all the benefits of being bore…Which was eye opening.
He’s right. I need to be bored….I need to be very bored to allow myself time to think, process, daydream, and be creative. For far too long I’ve allowed my phone to take up every moment of inactivity-as if I’m afraid to just sit there and be still, but instead I find myself mindlessly scrolling, or even worse shopping on Scamazon for things I really don’t need.
I’ve traded activity for mind numbing isolation. Spending hours upon hours clicking next on YouTube or Facebook, or Instagram all for what? to see images of what I wish I was…I muscled twenty something social media sensation.
But that’s not what I want to be. I want to be me which at this point is a middle-aged guy looking for a more deliberate and purposeful life. Long before I stumbled upon Arthur Brooks, I had deleted Instagram, and removed the FB app from my phone as a means to stop wasting so much idle time. However, I think I have increased my TV watching and YouTube intake. It can be difficult to calm the mind and tell yourself its really not so bad just sitting in silence.
In the last few weeks I’ve found myself in the evenings clicking through my streaming entertainment services completely uninspired by the choices. When that happens, I need to teach my brain to turn off my TV and put down the remote and do something that brings me enrichment and fulfillment. Whether that be reading, meditating, praying, going out and being social…anything but mindlessly consuming content.
I’ve watched the video below several times, each time is like a booster shot, a reminder to get moving and stop numbing my brain with consumption. I love Brooks’ message, and have also binged on his Podcast: Office Hours.
It’s okay to be bored…I promise. Put down the phone, switch off the TV and see the world around you. The time is now.
I’d love to hear your thoughts. Leave a comment :)