The Psychology of Boredom: Why We Hate It, Need It, and Avoid It at All Costs

Dear Boredom,

We’ve been avoiding you for years.

We scroll past you. We multitask over you. We run errands just to escape the sound of your footsteps.

But maybe you’re not the enemy.

Maybe you're a messenger.

And maybe—just maybe—we owe you an apology.

🧠 The Psychological Function of Boredom

Boredom isn’t just “nothing to do.”It’s a motivational state—a signal that your current situation isn’t fulfilling a core psychological need.

Research shows boredom arises when:

• Attention is under-stimulated

• Tasks feel meaningless or repetitive

• We’re blocked from doing what we want to do

Your brain’s basically saying: “This moment isn’t working for me. Can we try literally anything else?”

❌ Why We Avoid It

Let’s be real: boredom is uncomfortable. It forces stillness, introspection, and awareness of unmet needs. For many of us, that’s… a lot.

Instead of sitting with it, we:

• Scroll endlessly

• Overeat

• Doom-shop

• Pick fights

• Fill every silence with noise

Why? Because in our culture, discomfort = bad. We’ve confused stillness with stagnation—and boredom with failure.

🔁 The ADHD and Boredom Loop

If you’re neurodivergent (especially ADHD), boredom isn’t just annoying—it’s painful.

Dopamine deficits make it harder to stay engaged in low-stimulation tasks.

Cue the loop:🧠 Understimulated → Bored → Distracted → Frustrated → Shame → Repeat

Therapy can help you break that loop by identifying meaningful goals, regulating nervous system states, and building sustainable habits that don’t rely on constant novelty.

✨ The Power Hidden in Boredom

Here’s the plot twist: boredom isn’t something to run from. It’s something to listen to.

When you get bored, your brain starts to:

• Default to daydreaming (aka subconscious problem-solving)

• Access creative insight

• Reconnect with your values and preferences

• Initiate behavioral change

Some of your biggest life pivots start with “ugh, I can’t keep doing this.”

Boredom creates space for the kind of thinking that doesn’t happen when you’re constantly entertained.

🔄 Reframing Boredom as a Tool

Want to try it?

• Leave blank space in your schedule. Resist the urge to fill every gap.

• Let your mind wander on walks or during chores.

• Track your boredom triggers. Is it monotony? Lack of purpose? Overstimulation?

• Ask your boredom what it wants. It’s probably trying to tell you something.

❤️ The Takeaway

You don’t need to be entertained to be engaged with your life.

Sometimes, the best ideas, shifts, and healing start in silence. In stillness. In you + boredom, just hanging out.

So next time boredom shows up, maybe don’t slam the door in its face.

Let it sit down. Ask what it wants. You might be surprised what it reveals. 💚

Feeling stuck or overstimulated? Therapy helps you reconnect with what matters most—even in the quiet moments.

📞 Call or text: 614-470-4466

📧 Email: admin@achievepsychology.org

🌐 Visit: www.achievepsychology.org

References:

Eastwood, J. D., Frischen, A., Fenske, M. J., & Smilek, D. (2012). The Unengaged Mind: Defining Boredom in Terms of Attention.

Bench, S. W., & Lench, H. C. (2013). On the Function of Boredom.

Danckert, J., & Eastwood, J. (2020). Out of My Skull: The Psychology of Boredom.

American Psychological Association. (2023). Understanding Boredom and the Brain.

Malkovsky, E., Merrifield, C., Goldberg, Y., & Danckert, J. (2012). Exploring the Relationship Between Boredom and Sustained Attention.