Coping With Boredom

Boredom has gone from something we avoid to something we curate – a new metric in the self‑care economy to measure ourselves by. From 'rawdogging boredom' challenges to the obsession with performing “slow creativity,” we’re told stillness is a portal to a better, more imaginative self. But the research is messy, and our lived experiences even more so. This week, Alice Griffin and Jannah Anderson dig into the neuroscience of boredom, the rise of the serial hobbyist, the existential itches that keep us chasing novelty, and the cultural urge to make boredom meaningful – even when the moments in between fail to deliver us anything profound.☆ Are you a creative looking for support? Visit the ⁠Support Act Creative Industries Hub⁠ or call the Support Act Wellbeing Helpline on 1800 959 500 for a free and confidential chat (and remember, you don't have to be in crisis to call). Sometimes you just need to talk to someone who actually gets it and can hear you out. ☆Want to support our show? We'd be so grateful if you hit 'follow' or left us a 5-star review so we can bring you more Coping content.Plus, you can follow along with us on⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠ ⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and⁠⁠ ⁠Pinterest⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Find out more about what we're up to (and how you can get involved) at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠copinginc.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.They Want To Influence You To Do… Nothing by Alexander Nazaryan, The New York TimesBoredom, Sustained Attention and The Default Mode Network by James Danckert and Colleen MerrifieldYou Need To Be Bored, Here’s Why by Arthur Brooks, Harvard Business ReviewThe Association Between Boredom And Creativity In Educational Contexts’ by Anke Zeißig, Julia Kansok-Dusche, Saskia M. Fischer, Julia Moeller, Ludwig BilzBoredom, A Lively History by Peter TooheyJust Think: The Challenges Of The Disengaged Mind by Timothy D. Wilson, David A. Reinhard, Erin C. Westgate, Daniel T. Gilbert, Nicole Ellerbeck, Cheryl Hahn, Casey L. Brown, and Adi Shaked in ScienceWhat Does Boredom Do To Us And For Us? by Margaret Talbot, The New Yorker⁠Quit Romanticising Boredom⁠ by Anna North, The Cut