Most modern consumer technology is geared towards interrupting our boredom. Not so much at work though, where you're kinda stuck doing what's making you bored, like it or not.
But as it turns out, that might actually be good for your overall productivity.
According to new data from the Research School of Management at Australian National University....boredom is still boring, yes. That hasn't changed. However, they're insisting that spates of boredom can spark creativity.
Their study asked 52 volunteers to complete a mundane task. They had to sort a bowl of red and green beans with only one hand for 30 minutes. Meanwhile 49 other subjects in a control group were told to create art projects with paper, beans, and glue.
After the time period, each group was instructed to spend five minutes coming up with reasons why a fictional person was two hours late for a meeting. What the researchers found was that the bored people actually came up with more ideas than the other group, and they were more creative too.
Similar follow-up studies also looked at other data like participants' frustration and anger. They compared it to previous research that boredom at a job can lead to dissatisfaction. While that could still be true, they found that it didn't necessarily lead to emotions or stress that could worsen their mental health. In fact, the people that were bored might have been better off eventually because they walked away with improved creativity.
"People want to get out of a boring state, so they indulge in novelty-seeking unique thinking, which brings out creativity," said the study's lead author Guihyun Park. You can overdo it though. Being bored all day won't make you any more creative, it's better off in short spurts.
"My study is unique because it says boredom can be helpful. Not always helpful, of course," Park added
So don't be afraid to let your mind wander for a bit at work. You may end up with your best idea for the next task at hand.