I occasionally get bored. Most times, I could be physically engaged and other times, lounging. Yet, I am sensitive to that feeling that creeps in and my mind begins to wander in circles, seeking a novel or familiar stimulant. I know you feel the same way sometimes. We all do, and that is what makes us humans.

Here is a proven fact: when you feel bored, you are safe. How so? Let me explain. Boredom means you have nothing to suffer or enjoy. This is a quiet sail with less turbulence, the place where the mind is still but discontent. Boredom is not peace, although it often seems like it. Infact, boredom is that gnawing unrest of the mind, even though we are physically safe or active. You are seeking for some stimulation; physically, mentally, spiritually, emotionally.

Why do we need constant stimulation? The brain. It has to be engaged to function optimally. It subconsciously regulates and registers our response to stimulation. This is a primitive instinct that has helped humans survive the stone age. Seeking and playing are one of the seven primitive instincts of a mammalian brain. The others are Rage, care, lust, fear, and grief. A combination of seeking and playing is the process by which creativity is explored by the mammalian brain. It has been scientifically proven that if you are highly creative, there is a high possibility that boredom hounds you every day.

How then is boredom beneficial to your writing or creativity? It all boils down to one of the primitive instincts of seeking. When we are bored, we seek. We seek to quell this quiet discomfort by often engaging in the wrong activities; binge eating, Netflix, social media, and gaming, when we should be exploring the depth of the mind.

When we explore the mind, we ask questions, we take action, and we find answers. The journey between a question asked and an answer proffered is often an enthralling and gratifying experience. The more questions we ask, the more answers we seek. Seeking is problem-solving. Seeking is taking action. A combination of seeking and playing is creativity. This is the foundation and inception of all human invention: seeking. As diverse as we are, so are our thoughts, ideas, and methods for seeking. One might decide to seek through a painting and another might seek through reading a book, dancing with a loved one, or writing some lines of CSS code script. Either way, the mind is now actively engaged and boredom is far away.

Embracing boredom simply means ditching your phone, the console, social media, and Netflix. Embracing boredom simply means sitting with your mind, excavating and pruning thoughts that could lead to a higher creative awareness and mental inquisition.

Next time, when you feel the arms of boredom wrapping itself around you, that is your cue to think creatively and explore the inquisitive depths of your mind. And while you’re at it, turn on some sweet music. Who knows what you will find, create, and birth into existence? Who knows what problem you would solve?