Latest / The Burnout Podcast with Fexingo: Workplace Exhaustion, Recovery, and Sustainable Careers / How Boredom Can Actually Prevent Burnout
Transcript
- Lucas: So I want to start with a kind of uncomfortable admission. I have not had a single genuinely boring day in probably three years. Luna: Wait, you mean like nothing to do, staring at the wall boring? Lucas: Exactly that. And I think that's actually a problem. Because there's a growing body of research suggesting that the absence of boredom might be directly fueling the burnout epidemic. We've engineered stimulation out of every corner of our day, and in the process, we've also engineered out a crucial recovery mechanism. Luna: I can feel that. I can't remember the last time I stood in line without pulling out my phone. It's like any gap gets filled instantly. Lucas: Right. And that constant filling has a neurological cost. When we're bored — truly bored, with no input — our brain activates something called the default mode network. It's a set of regions that become active when we're not focused on an external task. And it's linked to self-reflection, memory consolidation, and creative problem-solving. Luna: So boredom is actually productive for the brain? Lucas: In a recovery sense, yes. One study from the University of Central Lancashire found that people who completed a boring task — copying numbers from a phone book — actually performed better on a subsequent creative challenge than those who did something interesting first. The boredom seemed to prime their brains to make novel connections. Luna: I love that. But let's be real — most workplaces are allergic to any appearance of downtime. If you're sitting at your desk staring into space, you look unproductive. Lucas: That's the cultural problem. And it's costing companies. There's a specific experiment I want to talk about. A Danish company called Specialisterne — they do IT consulting — they actually introduced a mandatory 'boredom time' once a week. One hour, no screens, no work tasks, just sitting or walking alone. Luna: Mandatory boredom. That's brave. What happened? Lucas: They tracked it over six months. Burnout reports dropped by 27 percent. And self-reported creative output — new ideas generated — went up by about 15 percent. Employees started using that hour to reflect on problems they'd been stuck on, and solutions would emerge. Luna: So the boredom was actually unlocking insight. But I imagine some people hated it at first. We're so conditioned to fill every moment. Lucas: Absolutely. In the first few weeks, people reported feeling anxious. Restless. But after about a month, most said it became the most valuable part of their week. The key was making it mandatory — because if it's optional, nobody does it, and anyone who tries feels guilty. Luna: Right, the guilt of doing nothing is almost worse than the stimulation itself. Lucas: Exactly. So this isn't just about companies. On an individual level, we can start with what I call micro-boredom. Tiny pockets of unfilled time. Five minutes without your phone before a meeting. Walking to the coffee shop without headphones. Waiting in line without scrolling. Luna: I've actually been trying something similar. I take a ten-minute walk after lunch with no phone, no music, no podcast. At first, it felt wasteful. But now it's the part of my day where I actually process what happened in the morning. Lucas: That's exactly the default mode network at work. You're not 'doing' anything, but your brain is doing important maintenance. The problem is that most of us have trained ourselves to feel uncomfortable with that silence. We reach for a device within seconds. Luna: There's a concept I came across called 'attention restoration theory.' It says that directed attention — the kind where you're focusing on a task — depletes over time. But effortless attention, like staring at nature or just daydreaming, allows it to recover. Boredom might be a form of that. Lucas: That's exactly what's happening. And the modern workplace is basically a directed attention minefield. Constant notifications, context switching, back to back meetings. There's no gap for the brain to reset. So by the end of the day, your attentional reserves are completely drained. Luna: No wonder people feel burned out. You're not just tired from work — you're tired because you never had a moment of true mental rest. Lucas: Right. And that's why the Danish experiment is so compelling. It's not about adding more breaks — it's about adding a specific kind of break that allows the brain to wander. One company I read about took it further: they have a 'do nothing' meeting on the calendar every Thursday at 3 PM for 30 minutes. No agenda, no talking, just sitting together in a room. Luna: That sounds incredibly awkward. But probably effective. Lucas: Reportedly, yes. People said it felt weird for the first few sessions, but then they started looking forward to it. Some people just closed their eyes. Some stared out the window. One person said they solved a problem they'd been wrestling with for weeks. Luna: I wonder if this is harder for remote workers. At home, you're always in your environment. It might be easier to fill every gap with household tasks or more work. Lucas: That's a great point. Remote workers might actually need more intentional boredom because the boundaries between work and home are blurred. One recommendation I've seen is to have a 'boredom corner' — a specific chair or spot where you sit with no devices, no books, just your thoughts for ten minutes a day. Luna: A boredom corner. I love that. It's almost like a meditation practice, but without the pressure to 'meditate correctly.' Just being allowed to be bored. Lucas: Exactly. And the research backs this up. A study from the University of Southern California found that people who experienced more boredom in their daily lives actually reported higher levels of overall well-being and lower levels of burnout — but only if they didn't immediately try to escape the boredom. If they sat with it, they benefited. If they reached for their phone, the benefit disappeared. Luna: So the key is not avoiding boredom, but allowing it. That's almost counterintuitive in a culture that tells us to optimize every second. Lucas: Completely. And that's the angle I want to land on. We treat boredom as a problem to be solved, but maybe it's a signal that our brain needs a reset. The next time you feel that urge to grab your phone during a gap, try pausing for thirty seconds. Just notice the feeling. That tiny act of resistance might be more restorative than an hour of 'relaxing' with Netflix. Luna: Before we wrap, I want to say something that ties to this. A few listeners have mentioned they actually look forward to this show as a kind of mental break — a time to step away from the noise and think about their career differently. And that's exactly the kind of thing we wanted to create. Lucas: It's funny you mention that. Because in a way, this podcast is a bit like a boredom corner for the mind. And we're able to keep it completely ad-free because a small group of listeners chips in monthly through buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. That support literally funds the time we spend researching and recording. Luna: Yeah, and it's not about perks or anything — it's just that a few people have found value in what we do and want to help keep it going. We're really grateful for that. Lucas: So if you've ever thought about supporting the show, that's the place. And if not, no pressure at all. The episodes will keep coming either way. But it does allow us to keep doing exactly what we're doing. Luna: Right. So back to boredom — I think the practical takeaway is to schedule one block of empty time this week. Even fifteen minutes. No phone, no book, no podcast. Let your mind go where it wants. Lucas: And if you feel anxious, that's normal. Just notice it. Over time, that feeling fades, and you might find that those empty moments become the most productive part of your day — not for output, but for recovery. And that is the real antidote to burnout. Luna: I'll try the boredom corner idea. I'll let you know how it goes. Lucas: Please do. And for everyone listening, we'd love to hear your experiences too. Until next time.