Creativity Tip 17: Boredom Breeds Creativity (The Mental Cigarette Break)

Does boredom play an important role in creativity? If so, is technology ridding our lives of boredom at a perilous cost? On this Creativity Tip minisode, the truth gets 'curiouser and curiouser.' Along the way we explore research in neuroscience regarding the Default Mode Network, and psychological research that potentially proves the link between boredom and creativity.

Try the Mental Cigarette Break Challenge:

• Five minutes. Every day. For seven days.

• Turn your phone notifications off. Put your devices to the side.

• Stare out of a window. And let your mind wander for five minutes.

• Take note of how you feel, what you thought about, and the quality of your awareness in that state.

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Episode cover art: Brain image showing the main regions of the Default Mode Network (in yellow) with the paths of connectivity between regions. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Default_Mode_Network_Connectivity.png

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Research mentioned in this episode: 

- Dr. Marcus Raichle, the neurologist who discovered the Default Mode Network through brain imaging studies. Find out more about his important work at this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0r15-Xde66s&t=6s

- Dr. Sandi Mann & Rebekah Cadman's research study on the link between boredom and creative problem solving: http://clok.uclan.ac.uk/22263/1/22263%20Does%2520being%2520bored%2520make%2520us%2520more%2520creativeV2.pdf

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Creative Codex is written & produced by MJDorian

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