You should be bored

My daughter is home from college for the summer. She's used to a grueling schedule, classes, busy shifts (sometimes double) at the restaurant, and an active social life. While she was looking forward to all the free time, she just couldn't seem to settle in. A little lost. Home has become her college apartment, where all of her belongings and friends are. She knows what to do there. What's expected of her.

So off to the lake we went. Sunshine, water and a picnic are good medicine. Of course, she'll find her groove and settle in, have a wonderful summer, and then the next semester will begin. :)

Most of us don't know what to do, when there's nothing to do. We fill every free moment with noise- scrolling, texting, streaming, planning.

We treat boredom like an enemy, something to avoid at all cost. But what if it's a gift?

A little science to prove the point, let me get my pointer ready

When you are bored, your brain actually lights up. It goes into what researchers call the "default mode network"- the space where the mind wanders, daydreams, and connects distant ideas.

Boredom fuels:

-imagination

-deep thinking

-problem solving

-emotional processing

Blaise Pascal

"All of humanity's problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone"

Nikola Tesla

"Originality thrives in seclusion free of outside influences...Be alone- that is the secret of invention"

Leonardo da Vinci

"Every now and then go away...a short absence from work will serve you well"

T.S. Eliot

"I said to my soul, be still, and wait...so the darkness shall be light, and the stillness the dancing"

J.R.R. Tolkien

"Not all who wander are lost"

Psalm 46:10

"Be still, and know that I am God"

Isaiah 30:15

"In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength"

Psalm 131:2

"Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with his mother..."

This is a popular topic, especially now, as the world has become increasingly noisy and fast paced. We've forgotten how to sit still. Every moment is filled with work, distraction, and entertainment. We've lost the ability to"quiet our soul"

But the need remains. Stillness is not a luxury, it's a necessity.

This is important. Allow your children to be bored. Bored children are fed screens, instead of blocks and Play-Doh. They need time to learn how to regulate and sit. To reflect. A space to grow.

When left alone, they invent and explore. They problem solve.

So when you hear "mooooommmm, I'm boreddddd!',Don't rush to rescue them. Just say, "Go find something to do" I've sat through many homemade plays performed by children who've had enough time to write the script, plan the costumes, and practice their lines.

Scenes from the day

Picnic provisions