No matter how much you love your job, at some point, boredom is bound to sneak into your work. A dull conference presentation numbs the mind in even the most exotic of settings. If you’re an academic, even a famous one, you still will have paperwork – and tedium to deal with. If you work for Uber or Lyft, you might get stuck in hours-long waits at airports.
But boredom isn’t all bad, according to a newer study. In a clever study, researchers found that being bored led people to generate more ideas, as compared to a control group that was not bored. The study discovered that boredom seems to prompt individuals to explore alternative solutions to problems or to “challenge the status quo.”
The researchers also asserted that “without the innate ability to experience boredom, human beings would be less compelled to move out of their comfort zones and seek different, and sometimes better, circumstances.” The ultimate takeaway for today’s earthbound employees is to at least stop being afraid of downtime and to develop an appreciation for routine tasks that you might otherwise feel are beneath you.
