Why Boredom Boosts Creativity
You may have heard of this thing where people "raw dog" a long-haul flight. No movies, no food, no music. Twelve hours of staring at the seat in front of you. If you put aside the risk of dehydration and starvation, maybe there are some benefits?
But I got thinking about it on a run the other day, because I kind of do the same thing.
I do a lot of running, but I never run with music. No audiobooks, no podcasts. Just my thoughts. And when I tell people that, they look at me the same way they'd look at the guy ‘raw dogging’ the flight. Why would you waste all that time you could be learning something or being entertained?
Here's the thing. Most of my best ideas come from those runs. Talk ideas, business decisions, working through stuff in my own life. I post videos from the road because that's where the thinking actually happens. Not when I'm consuming, when I'm not.
There's a reason for that. When you take away the input, your brain switches into what researchers call the default mode network. It's the part that does the reflecting, connects old experiences to whatever you're stuck on now, and quietly works on problems in the background.
Running gets you there. Meditation gets you there. I'm not totally sure what it is about a plane, maybe the hum of the engines, but I'd bet it gets you there too.
The catch is we rarely slow down enough to let it happen. And I mean rarely.
There's a well-known study where researchers put people alone in a room for 15 minutes with nothing to do. They had one option: a button that gave them a mild electric shock. Two-thirds of the men shocked themselves rather than just sit there. A quarter of the women did the same.
We will do almost anything to avoid being alone with our own heads.
So the person raw dogging the flight isn't crazy. They've just found a spot where boredom is unavoidable and decided to use it.
You don't need a 12-hour flight though.
Next time you go for a run, a walk, a workout, a drive, or you're just sitting still, try pulling out the earbuds and see what shows up. If there's something pressing you're dealing with, go in with that as your intention. Or don't. Both work.
I journal with a video log. You might just write it down.
Whether you raw dog the flight or enjoy the exquisite airline cuisine, that's up to you. Choose your own adventure. There are plenty of ways to get there.
Please let me know what you try. I read every email you send!
Thank you for being part of this community and for continuing to prioritize not just performance, but well-being and mental health.
That commitment matters more than you know.
With gratitude,
Mike
7 Days Until Unlocked
There's another kind of undistracted time that's hard to find these days: two hours in a theatre, phone in your pocket, listening to people tell the truth about the hardest thing that ever happened to them.
That's Unlocked. Thursday, September 17 at the Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre. Andrew Allen, Aaron Volpatti and I each take the stage with stories about the moment everything changed and what it took to come back. We sold out the Powerhouse last year, so we moved to a bigger room.
Tickets are $30 for adults, $20 for youth, and 100% of ticket sales go to Men's Shed Vernon, Vernon She Shed Society, and Foundry North Okanagan.
[Get your tickets] → https://www.ticketseller.ca/tickets/event/unlocked
If you're in the North Okanagan, bring someone who needs to hear it. If you're not, forward this to someone who is.
Keith Construction presents UNLOCKED:
Andrew, Aaron, and Mike speak and perform on stages around the world, and for one night, they're bringing it home to Vernon, BC.
Unlocked is an evening of real talk, live music, and mental health, with personal storytelling from three men who've gone on to achieve remarkable things.
Opportunities to see all three together, on a single stage, in their hometown, are rare. Unlocked is that night.
100% of net ticket proceeds go directly to Men's Shed, She Shed, and Foundry North Okanagan.
or call 250-549-SHOW (7469).
I'd love to see you in Vernon on September 17.
A special thank you to Keith Construction, Chapman Sand & Gravel Ltd.,Vernon Toyota, and all our dedicated community partners for making this event possible.
Do you know someone needing mental health support?
Please share this post or let them know I’m here to help. I’m thankful for the meaningful changes I’m helping people make with GratusHealth.com. Connect directly at mike.s@gratushealth.com.
And grab a copy of Never Part of The Plan if you haven’t already!
#GratefulEveryDay
