It’s actually good to be bored at work, writes Fast Company, with new research showing boredom can spark precious creativity.
In a study conducted by the Research School of Management at Australian National University, 101 participants were separated into two groups—one of which was assigned a “boring” 30-minute task, while the other was assigned a “creative” 30-minute task. However, when researchers asked participants from both groups to come up with reasons why a hypothetical person was two hours late for a meeting, the “bored” group was able to come up with more reasons, and more creative ideas, than the control group.
“People want to get out of a boring state, so they indulge in novelty-seeking unique thinking, which brings out creativity,” the study’s lead author, Guihyun Park, told Fast Company.
Of course, not every type of job permits the luxury of boredom, and some types of people are more susceptible to a boredom-based creativity boost than others. But for designers and anyone in a creative field, boredom is not something to fear, but to embrace.
