Is Boredom Really All That Bad?

For many, the thought of copying numbers from a telephone book seems like an astonishingly mind-numbing and fruitless endeavor. What use could such a tedious task have in the age of Google and ChatGPT? In a study led by psychologist Sandi Mann, PhD, participants were assigned to either an experimental group that completed the phone book activity, or a control group that skipped the phone book assignment.1 Participants were then asked to generate a list of as many uses as they could for a pair of plastic cups. The results provided compelling insight into the relationship between boredom and divergent thinking, or one’s ability to generate ideas. The participants who were intentionally subjected to a state of boredom through the phone book task generated significantly more creative uses for the cups, which included fashioning earrings, creating instruments, and sculpting flowerpots. Dr. Mann’s findings suggest that the boredom people feel during passive activities, such as reading reports or attending tedious meetings, generates a “daydreaming effect” that boosts creativity.1 Dr. Mann contends that “when we’re bored, we’re seeking something to stimulate us that is not present in our immediate surroundings,” and further emphasizes that “once you start daydreaming and allow your mind to wander, you start thinking beyond the conscious.”1 Although reading and rewriting a telephone book is only one exercise of boredom, this study demonstrates an important lesson: even passive, repetitive tasks serve as crucial tools for enhancing innovative thinking. WHAT IS BOREDOM? There are many cautionary adages about the dangers of boredom, such as “an idle mind is the devil’s workshop” or “boredom is the root of all evil.” Contrary to the classic belief that boredom breeds negativity and laziness, it may be a blessing in disguise. From a neurological perspective, the state of boredom leads to increased activity in parts of the brain involved in emotions and decision-making—the amygdala and prefrontal cortex—which suggests that boredom prompts people to seek new challenges, experiences, and stimuli.2 Researchers have proposed 2 evolutionary benefits of this phenomenon.3 First, boredom stops us from being constantly stimulated, enabling us to distinguish meaningful activities from less significant activities and refocus when necessary. Second, boredom pushes us to seek new challenges and experiences, helping us learn and develop mental flexibility. Overall, boredom serves as an important evolutionary function by prompting adaptive shifts in our attention and surroundings. Moreover, research shows that people experience boosts in creativity, resilience, and mental health when productivity is balanced with moments of idleness.4 Allowing the mind to rest creates the environment necessary for us to experience moments of insight and innovation.5 Instead of viewing boredom in a negative light, we should embrace the Italian sentiment of il dolce far niente (“sweetness in doing nothing”) and view boredom as essential to maintaining our mental health and productivity.6 HOW DOES BOREDOM BUILD CREATIVITY? When we are bored, we tend to get stuck in an uncomfortable state known as the “desire bind,” or the desire to do something that is not offered to us at the time, and it becomes difficult to stay focused on the task at hand.7 This causes our thought processes to shift in pursuit of new ways to make a boring task more engaging, specifically by considering unrelated ideas to satisfy the need for greater stimulation.8 These inner thoughts facilitate the formation of new associations and unconventional solutions (Fig. 1). For example, in one study, researchers observed that participants who were primed to feel bored outperformed participants in relaxed, elated, or distressed emotional states on a Remote Associates Test, which is designed to measure convergent thinking, a key indication of creativity.9 The researchers concluded that boredom boosts creativity because it motivates people to seek out new and rewarding activities to alleviate the bored state.Fig. 1.: The processes of boredom.Perhaps the most well-known example of boredom sparking creativity is the Harry Potter series.10 While sitting on a delayed train from Manchester, author J. K. Rowling had the sudden idea of a boy attending a wizarding school. Because the idea materialized out of nowhere, Rowling did not even have a pen or paper on hand to write down her thoughts, leaving her to imagine the details of her story at length, most of which ended up in the final publications of the books.11 As illustrated by this famous example, it is often during moments of mindlessness, such as washing the dishes or on our commute to work, that we have our most insightful thoughts. In Rowling’s case, she was able to envision virtually her whole series in the time it took her to travel from Manchester to London, highlighting the creative power of the mind when one is bored and invested enough in an idea. Daydreaming acts as a sort of mental playground where the imagination is free to make new connections between concepts. However, in our overscheduled and smartphone-driven world, space for the mind to wander is becoming increasingly rare. In 1958, American psychologist Ellis Paul Torrance created the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking, to measure creativity among elementary school students.12 When researchers followed up with students from Dr. Torrance’s original study over 20 years later, they observed that creativity scores were a better predictor than IQ of adult success as measured by number of publications, patents, and other creative achievements. Since the 1990s, researchers have observed a troubling decrease in children’s creativity scores, indicating a “creativity crisis” that is attributable to a growing overemphasis on standardized testing with a simultaneous decrease in the arts and leisure time within school curriculums.13 Though time for imagination is often dismissed as unproductive, Dr. Torrence’s research demonstrates how crucial it is to our mental flexibility and success in life. Despite its negative association, boredom is essential to developing creativity and problem-solving abilities. Although excessive boredom is counterproductive, evidence demonstrates that periodic boredom encourages innovative thinking and effective problem-solving, and provides a valuable opportunity for reflection. The implications of these insights are significant for both individuals and organizations. By strategically making space for periods of boredom in our routines, it is possible to leverage the benefits of boredom as a catalyst for greater innovative thinking, mental wellness, and productivity within our personal endeavors and organizational practices (Fig. 2).14Fig. 2.: The cycle of boredom.WHY IS BOREDOM BENEFICIAL IN MEDICINE? Although society often romanticizes the highs of medicine, such as the moment a patient’s life is saved by CPR or a tumor is successfully excised, the reality is that most of a physician’s day consists of much less exhilarating duties, such as placing orders, writing notes, and coordinating patient care. However, this dreaded scutwork serves as a crucible for fostering creativity and fortifying resilience within medical practice, particularly among young trainees, who bear much of this responsibility. Repetitive tasks, by their nature, induce a sense of monotony, prompting doctors to seek intellectual stimulation and novel perspectives (Fig. 3).Fig. 3.: The applications of boredom in medicine.Establishing Foundational Skills In medical practice, boredom serves as an informal “initiation rite” that fosters both competence and community among medical professionals.14 New medical trainees must earn the trust and respect of their peers and mentors by demonstrating that they are able to reliably perform these fundamental patient-care responsibilities. Within the field of surgery specifically, repetition of these basic tasks builds the muscle memory and the competency necessary to perform more complex procedures. For example, though a medical student must focus on every step of a subcuticular suture, from loading the needle driver to entering the skin in the correct plane, the same stitch is second nature to a chief resident, liberating the more seasoned surgeons to think ahead and prepare for critical portions of a case. In addition, these shared challenges help forge strong bonds among trainees, creating a supportive network essential for their professional growth throughout residencies and fellowships. Embracing these monotonous yet essential duties help young physicians to become disciplined and responsible. In surgical fields, floor work, such as consultations and documentation, are often perceived as burdensome by medical trainees.15 However, these tasks provide valuable learning opportunities that are essential for the development of knowledgeable and well-equipped physicians. Even though repeated consultations for similar problems seem redundant and repetitive, each patient presents unique characteristics and challenges, giving trainees the opportunity to continually hone their clinical skills and deepen their understanding of diverse medical conditions. In addition, documentation, though often viewed as tedious and time-consuming, plays a critical role in the coordination of patient care, as accurate and thorough documentation is fundamental to ensuring that all physicians assisting in a patient’s care are informed and able to deliver safe and effective treatment. Therefore, it is crucial for trainees to master and become at this skill, as it is the pinnacle of the quality and safety of patient care. Scutwork Historically, junior physicians in many programs were often assigned routine or menial tasks outside their direct medical duties, such as drawing blood, transporting patients, and starting intravenous lines. This allocation of scutwork frequently occurred because other staff members, such as nurses and phlebotomists, were usually not available after hours or on weekends. This scutwork does seem mundane, but it also facilitates more physician-patient interactions, and some of these moments become cherished memories and motivation for physicians. For example, in his article “Scutwork,” retired internal medicine physician Dr. J. Rush Pierce reflects on a time he formed an emotional connection with a terminally ill patient during a routine task as he listened to the patient’s poignant thoughts about missing key moments in her daughter’s life.16 Dr. Pierce’s essay demonstrates that embracing scutwork is not just about performing routine duties, but rather recognizing the potential for unexpected human connection and finding deeper meaning in the simplest of procedures.15 These experiences reinforce the importance of compassion and empathy in medical practice, shaping well-rounded and emotionally intelligent physicians.17 Medical education reform aims to strike a balance between optimizing training and minimizing the undue burdens on trainees.17 Boredom, when viewed as a learning opportunity rather than a hindrance, prepares doctors for the unpredictability in the practice of medicine. It teaches essential traits, such as focus, patience, and creativity, which are critical for excellent physicians. By reframing monotonous tasks as opportunities for mastery, connection, and innovation, doctors will find deeper meaning in their work. Boredom is not an indication of a deficiency in medical practice but a prompt for physicians to discover the significance in repetition and to strive for excellence in their vital work. TAKEAWAYS AND INTERVENTIONS In their busy lives, physicians must intentionally create space for boredom in their routines to leverage the creative, technical, and wellness benefits of boredom to their advantage. Below are examples of strategies through which surgeons and trainees should harness the benefits of boredom (Fig. 4).Fig. 4.: How can we incorporate boredom in the medical workplace?Protected Time Off, Not Pretend Time Off Protected time off for residents and physicians is an essential factor in overcoming burnout within the modern health care system. The demanding nature of medical practice often results in chronic stress and burnout, which has detrimental effects not only on a physician’s well-being but also on the quality of patient care, health system efficiency, and medical innovation.18 As such, there is a need for complete disconnection during time away from the hospital to reap the full benefits of time off. Vacation time provides substantial restorative benefits, including improved job performance, greater productivity, enhanced creativity, and higher job satisfaction.19 In addition, it lets physicians devote more time to personal relationships, supports lower turnover rates, and leads to reduced burnout.19 Although these positive outcomes are crucial for physicians who face intense workloads and high-stress environments, a significant number of physicians do not take full advantage of their vacation time, with many failing to fully detach from work while on leave. About 60% of U.S. physicians take 3 weeks or less of vacation per year, and a striking 70% perform work-related tasks during their vacation.19 The failure to disconnect completely from work life is linked to higher rates of burnout, characterized by emotional exhaustion and depersonalization.19 Thus, it is recommended that system-level efforts are put in place to ensure physicians take adequate vacation days and have coverage for clinical responsibilities during their time off, including responding to patient messages and other tasks within electronic health records, which contribute significantly to burnout. Furthermore, vacations are also crucial for creating time for personal hobbies and interests, which contribute to a more fulfilling life and better professional performance. This mental respite is essential for maintaining emotional health and preventing burnout. Hobbies also contribute to cognitive rejuvenation, as this mental stimulation enhances cognitive flexibility, problem-solving skills, and creative thinking.20 These cognitive benefits translate into better diagnostic and decision-making abilities in clinical practice, as physicians are better equipped to think creatively and approach medical problems from various angles.18 Institutions and health care systems must recognize the importance of protected time off and encourage physicians to pursue their interests outside of medicine, as this holistic approach to physician wellness not only improves their quality of life but also enhances their professional performance and patient care outcomes. Mindfulness Exercises Incorporating brief mindfulness or meditation practices into the daily routine of medical trainees significantly enhances their resilience and creativity by improving their ability to “bounce back” after facing adversity and explore new avenues to solve a problem at hand.21,22 Integrating these practices, particularly during times of repetitive tasks or administrative work, provides substantial benefits. These mindfulness practices range from movements that focus on paying attention to the body during stretching exercises, to sitting meditation that guides the body toward relaxation while prioritizing breathing techniques.23 For example, before starting rounds or after completing a lengthy documentation session, physicians should participate in a 5-minute mindfulness exercise to reset their minds and cultivate a state of presence and awareness. Mindfulness exercises have been associated with an increased connection to the self and the patient, attentive listening, error recognition, and clinical insight.24 These practices perpetuate a routine of helping physicians stay grounded, manage stress, and maintain mental clarity. This then leads to improved medical decision-making. One study illustrates how mindful breathing practices within a multidisciplinary intervention program led to decreased medical administration errors, specifically through double-checking patient electronic medical records.25 As a result, mindfulness not only promotes personal well-being but also fosters a more reflective approach to clinical practice that improves overall effectiveness in patient care. Digital Detoxes Implementing digital detoxes outside of the hospital setting is crucial for physicians to create space for their minds to wander away from the distractions of emails, social media, and other forms of digital entertainment. By consciously taking breaks from smartphones before bed, physicians will achieve better sleep and increase mental relaxation.26 Embracing practices such as the Japanese concept of shinrin-yoku, or “forest bathing,” where one takes a walk in nature each week, is also highly beneficial in increasing gratitude and selflessness.27 These activities facilitate the reconnection with the natural environment, which reduces stress and fosters mental clarity.27 By engaging in regular digital detoxes, physicians create a healthier balance between their professional and personal lives. Such breaks from digital devices encourage reflective thinking and creativity, which are often stifled by constant connectivity and digital noise. This mindful separation from technology provides an opportunity for physicians to recharge mentally and emotionally, leading to improved overall well-being and resilience. Incorporating these practices enhances the ability to focus and be present, both in physicians’ personal lives and in patient care, ultimately contributing to better professional performance and personal satisfaction. DISCLOSURE Dr. Chung receives funding from the National Institutes of Health and book royalties from Wolters Kluwer and Elsevier. The remaining authors have no financial relationships to disclose. No funding was received for this work. ACKNOWLEDGMENT The authors appreciate the peer review and edits from Mike Stokes, staff vice president of communications at the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.