Understanding Boredom: Triggers and Coping Strategies

Amy Taylor February 04, 2013

Every one of us has experienced boredom – even in places and situations where we least expected it. And it times of dullness, we try to look around, day dream or do anything that will distract our minds and amuse ourselves.

But what is boredom? What is the underlying mechanism behind this unwanted emotion? Is there any way to beat boredom?

Boredom is an emotional state experienced by a person when they are left without anything particular to do and are not interested in their surroundings. In a paper recently published in the Perspectives on Psychological Science, scientists looked at the factors that cause individuals to feel bored.

Attention and Boredom

Attention has a significant role in creating boredom. According to the researchers, there are two conditions to be met to experience it. First, you need to have a reasonable level of psychological energy or arousal. When you have low energy or arousal, you feel relaxed. But when you have high arousal, you have the energy to put on something. But the problem is – you can’t find anything interesting. As a consequence, you feel bored.

Another factor that triggers boredom is the difficulty concentrating due to the different distractions in our environment. When waiting for your flight in the airport for instance, you are faced with a plethora of distractions – people chatting and strolling, airport crew going around and checking on the passengers’ luggage, children crying, etc. As the clock ticks, you may find yourself looking for something to do. You may probably feel the need to read a magazine, watch TV, or check your email. Because you can’t concentrate, your mind tends to jump from one thing to another. Add the stress of waiting for your delayed flight. Researchers said that people usually attribute their inability to concentrate to boredom.

Is boredom bad for your health?

While boredom is often the key to unlock your creativity and find a more stimulating activity, it can also lead you to engage in unhealthy habits. Being bored can be physically painful and stressful. Being stressed alone can negatively affect your performance at work or in school. It weakens your immune system, which in turn makes you prone to illnesses. Some studies associate boredom with substance abuse and smoking, overeating, depression, anxiety and an increased rate in committing mistakes.

How do you deal with boredom?

People try to beat boredom by letting their minds wander. But despite the fact that it keeps their mind occupied, mind-wandering can actually cause people to feel more bored. Why? It’s because doing so makes you realise that the situation you’re in is indeed boring!

To ease boredom, control is necessary. If you can’t go away immediately from that boring situation, you should learn how to get through it instead. Practising mindfulness meditation can lower down your arousal level, which makes you feel relaxed rather bored. If you’re in a place with so many distractions, close your eyes and just listen to your favourite songs.

Lastly, take your time. It is normal for us to rush something that doesn’t interest us, such as listening to a lecture we don’t like, or reading a change-of-service notice from our internet provider. But rushing things don’t just aggravate boredom; it can also make you feel confused, angry and impatient! So relax, take it slow. Understand boredom and don’t try to get away from it – because the more you think of boredom, the more you get bored!

Dear Readers,

How do you cope with boredom? What strategies or coping mechanisms can you suggest for beating dull moments?

Share your comments below.