Harvard professor and happiness researcher Dr. Arthur Brooks explored why humans struggle with waiting, how modern life has erased boredom, and why learning to “be bored well” is vital for mental and spiritual health.
Brooks notes that our intolerance for waiting is worsening precisely because technology has made it so easy to avoid it: “We’ve eliminated waiting and boredom — to our neurophysiological detriment.”
Without moments of mental stillness, he argues, we weaken the systems that support deep reflection and long-term well-being.
Central to this is the default mode network (DMN) — a set of brain regions that activates when we are not focused on tasks.
Neuroscientists describe the DMN as the brain’s “meaning-making network.”
When boredom sets in, the DMN turns on, allowing us to connect ideas, examine our emotions, and form a coherent sense of self (Raichle et al., 2001).
Dr Brooks teaches students to practice boredom, including avoiding phones during the first hour after waking.
Such simple habits reduce dopamine-driven compulsions, restore focus, and create space for the DMN to function properly.
Below are five research-backed benefits of boredom that illustrate why we shouldn’t flee from quiet moments:
1. Boredom boosts creativity
When external stimulation drops, the mind begins to wander—and that wandering fuels creative thinking.
2. Boredom activates the brain’s meaning-making system
Brooks describes boredom as a trigger for the DMN—where introspection, memory consolidation, and a sense of purpose emerge.
3. Boredom helps regulate emotions
Allowing the mind to settle creates space for emotional processing. Psychologists note that DMN activation helps integrate past experiences with present feelings, supporting emotional resilience.
4. Boredom strengthens focus, reduces digital dependency
Brooks argues that limiting smartphone use—especially in the first hour of the day — decreases dopamine-driven habits.
5. Boredom encourages existential reflection
Moments of stillness often prompt people to contemplate purpose, gratitude, and faith — topics that rarely surface when constantly stimulated, ala Tiktok/Reels/Shorts.
Waiting can deepen spiritual awareness. Neuroscience reinforces this: DMN activation is associated with inner narrative, ethical reflection, and long-term meaning.
Modern life offers endless ways to avoid boredom, but the science is clear: boredom is not a flaw in the human experience — it is a feature.
By reclaiming quiet moments, we strengthen creativity, focus, emotional health, and inner purpose.
In a season that emphasises waiting, this message is timely. As Brooks puts it, “You need the DMN to find the meaning of your life.”
And boredom — once seen as an annoyance — might be one of the most important tools we have to access it.