Why you need more boredom becomes obvious the moment you catch yourself gripping your phone with nowhere urgent to go.
The other day, I caught myself leaving the house with my phone clutched in my hand.
Not in my purse. Not in my pocket. In. My. Hand.
At first, I laughed at myself … always good medicine. Then I became curious.
Living in Mexico, my phone isn’t just a phone anymore. It’s my Uber connection, my translator, my shopping list, my camera, my Spanish teacher, my map …
My calculator (“How many grams are in a cup of oats?”)
My World Cup update (“Who’s Mexico playing next?”), and occasionally …
My answer to that maddening question: What’s the name of that one song?
Somewhere along the way, every little pocket of waiting had become another opportunity to get something done.
- Waiting for an Uber > Check my email.
- Riding in the Uber > Duolingo lesson (while an actual Spanish-speaker drives me!)
- Standing in line > Look something up.
- Taking a walk > Earbuds in.
On paper, it all looks wonderfully efficient. In reality, I’m unintentionally, but effectively, crowding out one of the most valuable resources I have: empty space.
Your Brain Needs Somewhere to Wander
For years we’ve celebrated productivity. Fill every minute. Learn while you walk. Listen while you drive. Multitask your way to becoming a better version of yourself.
Goodness knows, I understand the appeal. I love learning. I love podcasts. I love discovering new ideas. But somewhere along the way, I stopped leaving any room for my own wisdom to surface.
The irony isn’t lost on me. I’m constantly feeding my brain information while wondering why inspiration doesn’t visit as often as it used to. Turns out, inspiration is a polite guest. It doesn’t interrupt. It waits until there’s room.
Here’s What Science Knows
Researchers studying creativity have found that many of our best ideas don’t arrive while we’re concentrating harder. They show up when our minds are allowed to drift … walking, showering, looking out the window, or sitting quietly with a cuppa.
Why You Need More Boredom, According to Science
These moments activate what’s called the brain’s default mode network, a collection of regions that becomes active when we’re not focused on an external task. It’s during this quieter mode that the brain connects ideas, solves problems, processes emotions, and generates insight.
So, high achievers, frame it this way if you need to: Doing “nothing” isn’t nothing. It’s invisible productivity.
Midlife Gives Us a Different Invitation
One of the unexpected gifts of this season of life is that we no longer have to prove we can stay busy. Been there. Check. Moving on.
Our invitation now is practically the polar opposite. Can we trust ourselves enough to leave a few moments beautifully unoccupied? Can we resist the urge to fill every silence? Can we remember that wisdom doesn’t always arrive through another podcast?
Sometimes it arrives while watching clouds drift over the Sierra Madres, listening to birds, or staring into space and simply breathing.
An Experiment
This week, I’m trying something radical.
I’m intentionally leaving a few moments empty each day. Ten, in fact. No earbuds during part of my walk. No phone while I’m in my Uber. No immediate Googling every curious thought that pops into my head.
Those answers will still be there in ten minutes. What might not be there is the lightbulb moment that’s been trying to find me.
What If…
We spend a lot of time chasing insight. Maybe insight has been chasing us all along … it just couldn’t get a word in edgewise.
This week, leave a little room.
Your next great idea may already be on its way.
It just needs an open field to land.
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About the Author:
Diane Amelia Read is an experienced growth partner, health and mindset advisor, stereotype disrupter, and surfer wannabe. She’s a Reiki Master Teacher, podcaster, StreetWise MBA graduate, and samba singer, Law of Attraction mentor, and motivational speaker.
Her mission is to make the world a more loving and interconnected place by helping women love themselves first so they can bring their most joy-filled awesomeness to everyone and everything else without depleting themselves
As a Mind & Body Alchemist For Women Over 50, Diane Amelia’s unique personal transformation toolbox is chock full of options for midlife women ready for sustainable improvement in their health, confidence, mindset, income, community, or all of the above.
