Don't just do something, stand there
The single best line I’ve heard this week.
Apparently originated from the Disney Film Alice in Wonderland (1951), uttered by White Rabbit when speaking with Alice.
It reminds me of a term mentioned by Seth Godin on his podcast Akimbo.
Intentional boredom. Two words you have no doubt heard individually many times. But how often have you heard them back to back?
The phrase is self-explanatory but I want to give you the non-technical definition, and as is my norm, rant a bit.
Intentional boredom
Intentional boredom is the purposeful act of doing nothing without feeling guilty. In other words, don’t just do something, stand there!
This goes against our societal programming.
We’ve been told to be intentional with our actions and only boring people get bored. Yet I argue the exact opposite. Be intentional with our inaction and only brilliant people get bored.
Professional boredom avoider
I used to combat boredom with every fiber in my body. As a kid, I would immediately switch from playing legos, to gaming on the PS2, to shooting hoops outside, to eating a snack.
As an adult, I would immediately switch from reading a book, to watching YouTube videos, to listening to a podcast, to eating a snack.
The activities may have changed (besides the snacking) but everything remained the same. I had become a professional boredom avoider. A title I wore with pride.
Boredom avoidance tools
What do you see around you right now? If you’re anything like me, probably a phone, laptop, TV, video games, maybe a few books and a dog. I call these boredom avoidance tools. Their number one job is to prevent you from experiencing one zeptosecond of boredom. That’s one trillionth of a billionth of a second. I looked it up.
How much of your day is spent using your boredom avoidance tools? Probably enough to be considered a horrible part-time job since they pay less than minimum wage and make you work nights and weekends.
So why boredom?
Just like a hot steaming pile of spinach, boredom is good for us even if it stinks.
Intentional boredom is like a mental smoke break. It provides a moment of peace. No talking. No working. No watching. No scrolling. In other words, no stimulation. A moment to simply be. Ahhhhhh.
That alone would be worth it but there’s more to this.
My personal favorite is the abundance of interesting thoughts that arise.
This has been invaluable as I’ve become a writer who is always on the hunt for what to write about next. I’ve created a folder in my phone for writing prompts where I compile a huge list of potential topics to write about. Most of them will be worthless garbage that will never see the light of day. But a few of them could turn into the seedlings of some special writing. All thanks to intentional boredom.
If you aren’t a writer, then why do you care?
Because I guarantee you will still come up with thoughts worth jotting down during your intentional boredom sessions.
You may come up with the perfect response to that irate customer voicemail you received. Or you may not think much of anything which is a good sign that your mind simply needed to chill. Either way, it’s a win.
Start being intentionally bored
So what should you do to trigger these moments of intentional boredom?
Meditation has become my #1 preference. But if that word rubs you the wrong way, you don’t have to call it that. You can call it “sitting cross-legged with your eyes closed”, or whatever.
A close #2 is a warm bath for the mind, for my TLDR folks that’s an undistracted walk in nature.
A few others to consider are when you go to the bathroom to poop💩 or when you shower🚿. These are perfect moments of forced boredom as long as you resist the urge to bring your phone with you. Guilty!
Now let me be clear. The point of these intentional boredom sessions is not to come up with earth-shattering ideas. Although those can sometimes be an unexpected side effect. The point is to slow down in a world that is begging you to speed up.
The counterintuitive part that has been recognized by neuroscientists is that boredom is good medicine for the brain. Being bored actually amps up your creativity and problem-solving skills.
You have already experienced some moments of boredom without even trying. All I’m asking you to do is consider making it intentional. And welcoming it. Your mind, your body, and your soul will be grateful.
I love reading and responding to your insightful comments. Comments are below.
This resonates so much with me, Arman. So much so that it's been the subject of one of my recent essays. Love the way you develop the idea here, though. Nicely written!
Do you schedule your times for boredom in advance, or let them occur naturally? I feel I am more likely to use the boredom avoidance tools listed if the practice isn't set in advance.