Instant Alert: 6 scientific benefits of being bored

MANAGE SUBSCRIPTIONS   |   UNSUBSCRIBE   |   VIEW ONLINE   6 scientific benefits of being bored by Rachel Gillett on Jan 27, 2016, 2:57 PM "I'm bored!" Never will you hear more exasperation in a child's voice than when they utter these words. When we were kids, the very thought of being bored seemed insufferable. But now, as adults, we've got so much going on in our lives — so many distractions, responsibilities, and technology at our fingertips to amuse ourselves with — that boredom just doesn't seem like an option anymore. Unfortunately for us grownups, research suggests that we could be missing out on a lot by not being bored. Here's why it's a good idea to unplug and get back to boredom for a while: SEE ALSO: 9 scientific ways having a child influences your success DON'T MISS: 13 bad habits you should break in 2016 to be more productive It can make you more creative. Researchers believe that being bored can lead to some of our most original thoughts. During a study by UK psychologist Sandi Mann, researchers gave subjects various boring tasks to complete and then asked them to use their creative thinking. The subjects who had the most boring task — reading the phone book — came up with the most interesting uses for plastic cups, which is a standard test of divergent thinking. Mann says that boredom encourages people's minds to wander, leading them to more associative and creative ways of thinking. It lets you know when something is amiss. As researcher and philosophy professor Andreas Elpidorou explains in a psychology journal article that cites numerous studies, boredom "acts as a regulatory state that keeps one in line with one's projects. "In the absence of boredom, one would remain trapped in unfulfilling situations, and miss out on many emotionally, cognitively, and socially rewarding experiences. Boredom is both a warning that we are not doing what we want to be doing and a 'push' that motivates us to switch goals and projects," he writes. It makes you more goal-oriented. When people's minds wander and they're not thinking about what's going on around them, they're more likely to think about the future, European and American researchers found. In a process known as "autobiographical planning," people most frequently plan and anticipate their future goals while daydreaming. See the rest of the story at Business Insider   Share the latest business news with your network: Email sent to:   |   Manage your email preferences   |   Unsubscribe Terms of Service   |   Privacy Policy Business Insider. 150 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10011