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IGNITE the Boredom Challenge. Part One

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IGNITE the Boredom Challenge. Part One

By Shayla A

If you have ever been a kid, you have experienced the feeling of boredom. If you have ever been around a kid, you have heard the phrase, “I’m bored.” Boredom is inevitable. Boredom is relative. Boredom is personal. It hurts feelings. It creates anxiety. It gets a bad rap. In reality, boredom is good. Boredom is motivating. Boredom is empowering. In the next two episodes of IGNITE, we are going to discuss how to navigate boredom in all the ways it shows up in our lives.

According to psychologytoday.com (Mar. 18, 2025), boredom is when “a current activity or situation isn’t providing engagement or meaning.” Boredom is telling us that our brain is not being stimulated enough. Boredom is telling us our brain is at rest. For most of us, our brain at rest can feel uncomfortable. It can feel uncomfortable to pause with minimal activity or brain stimulation being provided to us. Today’s world provides excessive stimulation with elaborate visual effects and sound effects. Today’s world provides us with a technology bombardment that increases dopamine surges giving us a quick fix and decreases hormone levels leaving us unsatisfied long term. It is the polar opposite type of brain activity needed to be more productive, more creative, and more responsive.

Albert Einstein is quoted, “Creativity is the residue of time wasted.” He is saying in his genius way that being bored leads us to multitudes of creativity. Being bored has many benefits. Allowing your brain to rest and do nothing gives the brain time to recharge. Our brain never shuts off- ever. It is constantly inputting, processing, reprocessing, fixing, working, working, working. Allowing yourself to sit in boredom prompts mental wandering (daydreaming) and introspection. Not only does boredom allow space for increasing creativity, it also increases task engagement, job production, and problem solving skills. Being bored allows your thoughts to flow freely without constraints, prompts, or detours. It plans a journey never thought of before. It allows natural brain cell stimulation to occur. If we cannot find mental stimulation, our brain will create it if it is allowed to be bored!

So, the next time you hear “I’m bored,” whether it is yourself or someone else saying it, remind yourself that boredom is beautiful. Boredom is the canvas to a journey soon to be travelled. Boredom is the idea for a new warm-up routine. Boredom is the first step towards a new dream or goal. Mark Applebaum is another genius who believes “boredom is the real secret behind innovation.” Being bored forces your brain to think without outside stimulation forcing it to process at a certain speed and longevity. Sitting in boredom will encourage the creative nodes to spark, peaceful nodes to rest, and motivated nodes to enlighten.

So, the next time you hear “I’m bored” from inside your head or someone else’s, respond with grace and understanding that being bored is uncomfortable initially. Embrace the boredom with the motivation to challenge it and see it through. Empower it with the ideology with boredom comes ingenious thought and problem solving. You are bored, what are you going to do with it? Your girls are bored, what are they going to do with it? What will our brilliant minds construct and voyage through on the Boredom Boat? Come back next week for Part Two when we discuss navigating the challenges of boredom using our empowering language. Until then, stay bold and confident!

Shayla A is the Coach Mentor for Girls on the Run Greater Kansas City. Her background comes from the classroom, coaching, day treatment schools, wellness, and advocating for children with special needs. She enjoys empowering and advocating for girls and coaches in every challenge and celebration. Connect with her for support and assistance this season via call, text, or email. shaylaaranda@gmail.com | 816-284-9770

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