What if one of the best things you could do for your brain today was…nothing. It sounds wacky, maybe, but Rally’s got some surprising new science that just might change the way you look at those quiet moments — and why you should make a real effort to have more of them.
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
RALLY:
Hey there, Beautiful People! Welcome back to the Silver Beast Podcast.
Hey, I’m Rally Preston here.
You know, I’ve got 70 years on the old odometer here – same age in fact as my grandmother’s Chevrolet Bel Air. I was just thinking about this. What a beautiful car. My uncle got it. But it was two-tone – white and coral. V8. Have you ever wonder what happened to those maybe classic cars you had once?
Or, maybe those your friends had. That was more the case for me. I drove around a beater, a beige Plymouth Valiant. And it had a hole in the floorboard, under the pedals. But if the brakes ever failed, you could just put your foot through it and stop the car.
Very boring car. And this has to be the most boring segue ever to today’s topic.
So, how many of you remember being bored as a kid? Uh-huh. There were times, right?
Like you were so bored you were counting the floor tiles, or trying to find faces in the popcorn ceiling…that was a big pastime of mine. Now that’s serious boredom.
Yeah. I remember being bored.
But you know, I grew up in a house where whining about being bored would earn you some kind of chore. Or sometimes, Mom would just look at me and say, “Just go outside and find something to do. Quit moping around.”
And you know what? We did. We’d cruise the neighborhood on our bikes, build stuff out of junk, collect empty cans or bottles for cash. Just whatever.
Ok, flash forward to today. Look at what we’ve got.
I’ve got a smartphone in my pocket that can answer any question I’ve ever had in like five seconds.
I’ve got a TV with nine thousand channels.
What else we got?
Social media, podcasts, YouTube, email, texts, too many streaming services I’m paying for and never use.
Well, guess what all that adds up to… I’m never bored now.
Which is good, right?
Yeah…maybe not so much.
Because science is telling us today that boredom — the sitting there with absolutely nothing to do kind of boredom — is really, really good for us.
Especially as we get older.
Now, I know. That sounds a little wacky.
How could being bored be good?
Well, when you’ve got nothing going on, those moments are actually good for your brain.
Yeah, no kidding, here’s the science on that…fairly new…last 20 years or so.
So when you’re not focused on something — no task, no screen, no distraction — your brain doesn’t just go blank.
The research says your brain actually switches gears.
Not to get too nerdy here, but there’s this network of brain regions that kicks into overdrive when you let your mind wander.
Here’s what it’s called: Default Mode Network.
So just in case Andrew Huberman is listening…I’m sure he’s a fan…this default mode network includes the medial prefrontal cortex, posterior cingulate cortex, and, my favorite, the angular gyrus. Just don’t ask me to point them out on a map.
So that’s the Default Mode Network.
So what does that do?
Well, this is where your brain does some of its most important work. Memory consolidation. Problem-solving. Creative thinking. Daydreaming. Mind-wandering. Making sense of your own life. Processing your emotions. Those kinds of things.
So basically, when you cut your brain off from outside stimulation – you know, the screens, noise, the busyness — your mind turns inward.
And that’s when a lot of good things happen.
Here, I’ll prove it to you. See if this sounds familiar…
So lots of studies show that people come up with their most original ideas doing something boring or repetitive. So maybe you’re walking. Doing the dishes. Mowing the lawn. Ironing clothes. Vacuuming. That’s when things come to mind. You ever get a great idea in the shower? Probably not a coincidence. That’s your default mode network kicking into high gear while you’re scrubbing up.
You know, I had one of my best ideas ever standing at the kitchen sink washing dishes. And that was – buy a dishwasher! Hello!
OK. Now here’s where this gets really interesting for us older adults.
Research shows that creative engagement helps protect against cognitive decline.
People who give their brains, uh, unstructured thinking time — just you know letting your mind wander around without an agenda — uh, those people tend to hold onto their mental sharpness longer. That’s what the studies say.
So, all those years of idle summer afternoons, long drives without the GPS, sitting on the porch watching the fireflies? We were basically doing cognitive maintenance and we didn’t even know it.
OK, so this next thing is pretty interesting.
Did you know there’s a difference between good boredom and bad boredom? Well, yeah, there is.
So good boredom first – that’s the occasional unstructured time, low stimulation, that’s what eventually nudges your brain into being more creative, maybe, or at least more reflective. That’s good boredom. Or we can spin that to “productive boredom” if you want. Yeah, that sounds better.
OK, now let’s go to the dark side…so there is bad boredom. That they say is chronic, empty, purposeless time with no end in sight — that’s the kind they say can easily slide into loneliness, inactivity, and maybe, eventually, depression. Not good. The researchers say that too much unchecked boredom, especially when you’re already by yourself, uh, isolated, can be harmful.
So you obviously you don’t want to go sit in a dark room and stare out at basically nothing, which you know, that sounds like the last movie I saw in a theater.
So the research says the positive use of boredom is to build into your life some kind of intentional quiet time. Or uh, deliberate downtime – that sounds better.
You know, our generation growing up, used to do this naturally, I think.
It wasn’t so easy to be distracted back then, right? I mean, no one handed us an iPad for the long drive to Granny’s house. You did a lot of staring out the window. But when we did that, we now know our brains were working the whole time.
There’s a Mayo Clinic piece I read on this, and it says it pretty well: Balance your structured activities with real rest time. Not passive TV watching, not the doomscrolling, but actual quiet time. Because when you do that, you’re recharging your brain, it kind of reconnects with itself, and starts generating ideas and reflections – and those kind of things makes your life feel a little richer.
And hey — by now, I think we’ve earned a little quiet time. Don’t call it laziness. You’re being neurologically responsible.
So alright. What do we do with this new science on boredom?
It’s not a bad thing. And this is fairly new research…and the studies say we could probably use more of it.
Alright, so I’ve got some action steps for you. And don’t worry, there’s not much action in these…but that’s the whole point.
Alright, Action Step One: Put down the phone for 20 minutes today. Now that’s not to take a nap. Don’t flick on the TV. Just…sit. Or maybe take a slow walk – no music, no earbuds, no podcast playing. Just you and your own thoughts. Just let your brain unwind and do its thing. It knows what to do — so just try that. Twenty minutes.
OK, next, Action Step Two: When boredom shows up – and I’m sure it will, it still does once in a while, right? Don’t try to fill it with something. Just give it a minute. Let it take over. And for many of us, that might feel uncomfortable. But you know, just go with it, ride it out for a bit…maybe it’ll spark some creative thought or a deeper insight. Let your mind do the driving on this one.
Alright, last one, Action Step Three: Try doing something that isn’t digital. Got some time to kill? So whip out a jigsaw puzzle. Do a random crossword. You can doodle…I know you used to do that in grade school. Or you know, you can just sit on the porch, or backyard or something, with a cup of coffee. No agenda, nothing to do.
These kinds of quiet, low-stimulation activities give your Default Mode Network a little room to run. Let go of the reins. Don’t interrupt. Just go with the flow, Silver Beasties. You know, you’re going to wonder why you haven’t been doing more of it.
Alright, here’s the bottom line on boredom.
Look at today’s world…look around you…what do you see?
A world terrified of silence.
Every spare second gets filled with something. A notification pops up. A must-see show on TV. A phone feed that needs scrolling. There’s always something – and the scary part? We think that’s normal.
But we know now, your brain was built for quiet moments. It does some of its best work when nobody’s asking anything from it…including you.
So this weekend, go outside and find something to do that’s kind of mindless. Or just take some time to do absolutely nothing. Either one of those works.
Boredom can be productive, my friends.
Just try it a few times…trust the process. I think it’s kind of brilliant.
Alright, this is Rally Preston. Hey, go ahead and be bored.
But when you’re ready for some real excitement, hey, stop back by The Silver Beast Podcast.
Ok, I’ll catch you next time. Take care!