
I live on the 10 floors of a high-rise in Chicago. My desk looks out the window and I can see all the people below.
One thing that I have become jaded about is the amount of people that are constantly on their phones.
Without being at risk of sounding like an old timer, I know this drum has been beaten many times.
It is not that we can’t walk down the street without earbuds in or looking at a TikTok video. It is that we do not want to.
Why do something that is boring when you can look at something that is awesome?

Mismatch Between Our Brains And Tech
Our brains are not wired to constantly be stimulated by something going on every second of our life.
Boredom was more of a rule than an exception in the past.
It’ll probably be several more decades before we understand the repercussions of having zero boredom in our lives but I have a feeling that lack of boredom is hurting our creativity.
Imagine what you would do after work if you had no option of the internet or TV? What would you do?
If it were me, I would probably spend more time tidying up my environment, reading, socializing, or creating something.
When there isn’t something in the environment to stimulate us, we make up the stimulus with our imagination.
In fact, as I am writing this article, I have been getting distracted by other things in the environment. First, it was a TV show, then it became a YouTube rabbit hole. The escape hatch is too easy.

Eliminate The Escape Hatch
Giving your brain an easy way out will ensure that you will never be comfortable with your own thoughts.
You must eliminate the escape hatch.
Go on walks without your phone. Go to a coffee shop with nothing but a book or a journal. This way you will limit the options of what you can do.
Humans are more creative when their options are limited than when they are open. It’s shown that paralysis by choice is a real thing. Having an infinity of entertainment in your pocket at all times isn’t a good thing and it’s a quick way for the brain to hit the dopamine lever.
The temptation to check is too great. The best way to help yourself with it is to eliminate it and break the habit. Habits like this aren’t broken overnight. It requires to be intentional every day.
The Limit To Learning
One of our rationalizations for always consuming videos and entertainment is that we “are learning.”
What is the limit on how much a person can retain in a day?
Studies show that our working memory can only retain about 3–5 chunks of information a day So, all that doomscrolling on TikTok or YouTube shorts probably isn’t sticking with you long term, even if it’s educational.
I know from experience that I couldn’t recall anything that I saw on Instagram or YouTube yesterday.
Limit Your Options
Doing something that isn’t ultra-stimulating is good for you. Limiting your options instead of having every option is the best thing that you can do.
If you must work on your computer or a device, write a note to yourself of what your goal is. When you notice yourself getting distracted, refer back to that note of what your goal is.
The best way to learn something is to be intentional about learning it. Passive learning is usually not real learning.
Sure, you may learn some facts but understanding the information is different than factually knowing it.
Be intentional about how you go about your day. Personally, I know the reason why I spread myself thin is because I want to be everywhere all at once. Life feels like I am always in a hurry.
Instead of being in a hurry to get everything done all the time, enjoy the present moment.
One remedy to this is to set a larger buffer into your schedule each day. Everything that you add into your schedule, adds extra time to each end of it. Stop trying to squeeze blood from a rock. It’s not good for you and is counterproductive.
Why Boredom Is Good For You
When you limit the amount of things that you do on any given day, you start to get creative in the things that you are doing.
Imagine being locked in a room for 4 hours with nothing but a desk, chair, pencil, and a few sheets of paper. I bet that you would create some things that you never thought you would create at the beginning of that time. You certainly wouldn’t create it if you had a device with you.
Boredom allows the brain to relax. The moment you get bored is when the brain starts to regain some of its background processing.
There’s a reason why the shower ideas are often known to be the cliché “aha” moments.