Most people would rather shock themselves with electricity than sit alone with their own thoughts. That's not a joke, it's a finding from a 2014 Harvard study. And since then, smartphones have turned every quiet moment, every pause at a red light or line at the store, into an opportunity to escape our own minds. In 2025, just a few seconds of empty time feels unbearable.
But what if that discomfort, that itch to do something, is exactly what your brain needs?
Harvard professor of public leadership Arthur Brooks argues that boredom isn't a flaw in our design. It's a feature, a built-in mental reset button that helps us reflect, imagine, and reconnect with meaning. And in the age of infinite scrolling, it's disappearing fast.
The Science of Boredom: Your Brain's "Default Mode"
When you're not focused on an external task, like reading or typing, your brain activates something called the default mode network (DMN). This network connects areas responsible for memory, imagination, and self-reflection. It's what allows you to connect the dots between past and future, to think about your goals, your values, your relationships — the parts of life that give you meaning.
The problem is that the moment we feel even slightly bored, we interrupt this process. We reach for stimulation: TikTok, Spotify, a text, a podcast, anything to drown out the quiet hum of our own mind.
In doing so, we're turning off the very system that helps us make sense of our lives.
"We've figured out how to eliminate boredom. And that's a doom loop of meaning."
Neuroscience backs him up. Studies show that the default mode network becomes active during periods of rest and introspection. People who engage it regularly tend to score higher in creativity and emotional insight. Those who never let their minds wander often report higher stress, anxiety, and a vague sense of emptiness.
Why We Avoid Boredom and Why That's Dangerous
Boredom feels uncomfortable for a reason. When your brain enters its default mode, it often stirs up big, existential questions:
- What am I really doing with my life?
- Am I happy with where I'm going?
- Why do I feel so restless?
These are not questions you can scroll past. They're heavy, and our brains, wired for instant gratification, prefer quick hits of dopamine to deep reflection.
In one Harvard experiment, participants were asked to sit alone in a room for fifteen minutes with nothing to do except press a button that delivered a mild electric shock. Most chose the shock instead of sitting quietly with their own thoughts.
That's how addicted we are to stimulation. We would rather hurt ourselves than be bored.
Brooks calls this "the doom loop of meaning." Every time we reach for a phone to avoid boredom, we train ourselves to avoid introspection. Over time, that avoidance erodes our ability to find meaning or satisfaction. Psychologists have linked this constant stimulation to rising rates of anxiety, depression, and a hollow sense of disconnection.
The Hidden Benefits of Boredom
If boredom sounds bleak, here's the surprise: it's one of the most powerful creative tools we have.
When the default mode network is active, your brain starts making loose connections between ideas that normally stay separate. That's why your best ideas often appear in the shower, on a walk, or during a long drive with no music.
Research published in NeuroImage and Psychological Science shows that mind-wandering can improve creative problem-solving by helping the brain explore new mental paths. In other words, when you are bored, your brain is exploring.
Boredom also helps with emotional regulation. When you sit still long enough, your mind naturally starts processing buried feelings — the ones you've been numbing with noise. It can feel uncomfortable, but it's also deeply restorative. It's your mental maintenance system doing its work.
How to Reclaim Boredom in Everyday Life
Arthur Brooks doesn't just preach this idea. He practices it. He has a "no devices after 7 p.m." rule, doesn't sleep with his phone, and avoids screens at family meals. He also does regular "screen cleanses," taking breaks from social media and news altogether.
He admits the first hours feel awful. "It's like children screaming in my head," he says, describing the dopamine cravings that come from phone withdrawal. But eventually, the noise quiets down, and what follows is peace.
If you want to try it yourself, here are a few simple ways to start retraining your brain.
1. Schedule Boredom
Pick moments each day when you'll intentionally do nothing. Wait in line, sit in your car before starting it, or walk without headphones. Let your thoughts wander.
2. Commute or Work Out Without Screens
Try Brooks's challenge. Go to the gym or drive without a podcast or playlist. Let your mind be your only company. You may be surprised by what surfaces.
3. Create No-Phone Zones
Meals, bedtime, and mornings are sacred. Keep your phone in another room. You can still allow emergency calls, but "what's trending" does not qualify as urgent.
4. Try a Weekly Screen Fast
Pick one day each week to log off social media, disable push notifications, and let your attention recalibrate.
5. Lean Into Curiosity
When boredom hits, don't rush to fill it. Ask yourself what your brain might be trying to tell you. Write down what comes up. Boredom is a doorway to meaning if you walk through it.
The Paradox of Modern Life
Our grandparents didn't know what was happening in Washington D.C. every ten minutes, and somehow they got by just fine. Today, we can know everything instantly, yet feel more anxious, distracted, and disconnected than ever.
We've optimized every second of our lives for stimulation, but stripped away the silence that gives life depth.
Brooks puts it simply:
"Put down your phone. You need more meaning in your life. And so do I."
A Challenge for the Week Ahead
For the next seven days, schedule fifteen minutes each day of pure boredom. No phone. No music. No conversation. Just you, your thoughts, and the quiet hum of your mind.
It will feel strange at first, maybe even uncomfortable. But stay with it. That discomfort is not a problem. It's a sign that your brain's natural rhythm is returning.
And once it does, you might realize that the meaning you've been searching for wasn't lost at all. It was just buried under too many notifications.
Sources
- Brooks, Arthur. Interview and remarks on boredom, meaning, and digital distraction. Harvard Kennedy School, 2024.
- Wilson, T. D., Reinhard, D. A., Westgate, E. C., et al. "Just think: The challenges of the disengaged mind." Science, Vol. 345, No. 6192 (2014).
- Harvard Gazette. "Arthur Brooks on why you need to be bored." The Harvard Gazette, 2023.
- Neuroscience News. "Boredom is good for you: Why embracing it calms the brain." NeuroscienceNews.com, 2024.
- PsyPost. "Inside the bored brain: Unlocking the power of the default mode network." PsyPost.org, 2023.