July 19th, 2012Top StoryThe Holy Trinity of Inactivity: How Boredom, Distraction, and Procrastination Are Vital to Healthy LivingBy Thorin Klosowski
It probably sounds a little counterintuitive to suggest to anyone that they start slacking off, but in reality it's about as important to your brain's health as sleeping is. Being bored, procrastinating, and embracing distraction all help your brain function. In turn, you understand decisions better. You learn easier. You even foster creativity and productivity better. Let's take a look at this holy trinity of inactivity from the points of view of both science and creative types. How Boredom Works to Boost Creativity and Positive Behavior
It's that boredom that comedy writer Graham Linehan embraces as part of his creative ritual. In an interview with The Guardian, Linehan describes his process:
Psychology Today also notes boredom is a stepping stone to bigger and better things:
The argument is that boredom gives you a blank slate to work with. This is echoed in research from the University of Limerick that suggests boredom can lead to more prosocial behavior because it pushes you toward meaningful activities. Boredom on a large scale might be a sign of depression, but cutting off the world for a little while each day is a good way to help make sense of it. Photo by Monica Kaneko. How Distraction and Focus Work Together
Distractions aren't just necessary for creative types and problem solvers, they're important for you to focus.NY Magazine explains:
The ideas in NY Magazine are backed up with research from the Journal of Neuroscience that suggests that daydreaming improves focus by creating long-range neural connections. In short, getting distracted and letting your mind wander can actually make you smarter and more focused in the long term. You shouldn't stop in the middle of a productive moment and surf the internet, but if you catch yourself being distracted you don't always have to fight it. Photo by Ben and Kaz Askins. Why Procrastination Helps You Make Better Decisions
In his book Wait: The Art and Science of Delay, author Frank Partnoy suggests that procrastination is integral to good decision making. He also suggests a simple two-step method is necessary for making good decisions and being happy. He calls this, "don't just do something, stand there." At a presentation at the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA), Partnoy lays out his process:
If Partnoy's philosophy sounds a little odd, it's because it's in exact opposition with Malcolm Gladwell's praise of gut-reaction thinking in his book Blink: The Power of Thinking without Thinking. Where Gladwell praised our innate decision making ability, Partnoy's idea is that we're not good at decisions and we should give them more time by procrastinating. These aren't just decisions about yourself or your life, but also political decisions, corporate decisions, and everything else. In an interview with the Smithsonian Magazine, Partnoy adds an importantant disclaimer to this idea:
The study Partnoy refers to is out of Columbia University and suggests that some procrastinators make a deliberate decision to put things off. In itself, this isn't a bad thing and provided you know the time frame you can take action within, procrastination can have the same positive effects as getting things done right away. Photo by Paul Swansen. How to Avoid the Excess and Embrace Inactivity Without Becoming a Slob
We've talked before about prioritizing nothing as a means to give yourself a break and just relax. It's advice I've had to take myself because I found I was filling every moment of my day with something. If there wasn't a screen in front of me there was audio playing. Now, I'll let myself be a little bored when I'm cooking dinner instead of listening to a podcast, and I don't always force myself to focus on things all the time. More importantly, I've taken Partnoy's advice stopped using procrastination as a bad word. After a couple weeks of this I feel less anxious, and more resolved in my decisions. As for other methods? Here's Linehan again, with his solution:
As for procrastination, Partnoy has his own solution to delay without forgetting entirely:
With all three pillars of inactivity it's about finding what works for you. You might need to actually schedule in a time on your calendar where you're not doing anything. Or force yourself to take a walk outside, linger around the coffee cooler, or take a nap. Photo by Kiran Jonnalagadda. We can't be inactive all the time, but it's a task we're losing touch with. Like all things, it's about balance, but the next time you're sitting at the bus stop, consider leaving your phone in your pocket. Take a walk without those headphones now and again. Procrastinate on your decisions for a couple of days. A lot of things in life happen at warp speed and you can't do anything about it, but a few moments each day can help you better understand the world. Title image remixed from Subbotina Anna (Shutterstock).  |
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