Overview :
Scientists claim that everything from drug addiction to academic failure may be affected by this common experience.
It was described by Sartre as the “leprosy of the soul.” It was the source of all evil in Kierkegaard’s eyes. Schopenhauer went much further, claiming ennui as evidence of life’s meaninglessness and emptiness.
There is no scientific agreement as to what causes boredom; it could be an emotion, a psychological feature, or a chemical imbalance.
“It is such a universal, human experience,” said Jacqueline Gottlieb, a neuroscientist at Columbia’s Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute who recently gathered a gathering of top experts in the subject for a conversation. “However, little is known about boredom. It received little attention from scientists until recently.
Researchers are now examining this condition—which makes people need relief—and how it impacts behavior, relationships, and decision-making.
Certain studies do, however, indicate that boredom, especially when it is brief, may have positive effects, encouraging creativity and productivity by allowing our minds to roam. The majority of research, however, indicates that boredom now has more negative effects on our lives than positive ones.
10 Reasons Boredom is Bad for Your Mental Health
1.Sixty-three percent of American adults experience boredom at least once every 10 days.
According to a report based on data from Carnegie Mellon University, boredom is more common in men, young people, single people, and people with lesser incomes.
Related : Boredom – Signs Causes and Treatment
2.Many of us would take pain over boredom.
According to a report based on data from Carnegie Mellon University, boredom is more common in men, young people, single people, and people with lesser incomes.
Related : 15 Fun Ways to Overcome Boredom
3.While seen in many cultures, boredom is more common in North America and Western Europe than in Asia.
According to researchers, North Americans place a higher value on excitement and adventure while Asians place a higher value on serenity and relaxation.
4.Boredom exists on a continuum.
A “boredom proneness scale” developed by psychologists helps them distinguish between persons who are predisposed to chronic boredom, which lasts for an extended period of time, and those who only occasionally suffer transient boredom, which is situational and brief.
Related : Are You Burned Out or Are You Bored?
5.Chronic boredom is associated with impulsivity and risky behavior, including careless driving, compulsive gambling, drug and alcohol abuse, reckless thrill-seeking and other self-destructive behaviors.
6.People who are bored easily are susceptible to depression, anxiety, anger, academic failure, poor work performance, loneliness and isolation.
7.Individuals with ADHD get bored faster and may have more difficulty than others tolerating monotony. In fact, many with ADHD feel understimulated, which may arise from failures in one of the brain’s attention networks.
8.Boredom is common among people with traumatic brain injury
 (TBI) and may even affect their recovery. Some people with TBI often begin to indulge in riskier activities after their accidents.
9.The leading indicator of relapse into addiction is boredom.
In a study of 156 addicts at a methadone clinic, ranging in age from 24 to 68, overcoming ennui was the sole reliable indicator of whether they would stay on track.
10.Religious people are less likely to get bored.
In a research with 1,500 participants, including agnostics, atheists, Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Muslims, and Hindus, non-religious persons who had to translate a manual on how to mow a lawn tended to express boredom more than religious people. They also expressed a desire to do something more meaningful than religious people more frequently.\
Source : Boredom’s link to mental illnesses
