We Are Addicted to Not Being Bored

I used to be a gamer. And I don't mean casual weekends. I mean I was a gamer. I sank hundreds of hours into obscure game nobody cares.

For the longest time, I told myself I did it for the "art" or the "challenge."

But if I'm being honest? The sole reason I played was because I was terrified of being bored.

We live in an era of infinite content. New games, new patches, 30-second TikToks, Twitter drama. The stream never stops. This continous stream of stimulation meant I never had to be bored. And because I was never bored, my brain just begs for "MORE."

The "Fog" is Real​

I was getting those little self-rewards, sure. But I never had a moment where I just... sat.

It hit me hardest in my freshman year. I felt this constant itch to be doing something. Even in my "off" time—eating lunch, the 15 minutes after homework, right before bed—I filled it with stimulation.

My mind felt active but constantly cloudy.

We're Being Medicated Against Boredom​

So I started digging into why I felt like this. I found this article about why games, which are designed to cure boredom can sometimes feel boring themselves.

It comes down to brain chemistry. Games (and social media, let's be real) are built on loops.

Think about simple stuff like Angry Birds or scrolling Instagram. It's repetitive, right? So why isn't it boring?

Progressive challenge and micro-rewards.

Every level is slightly harder. Every interaction or relatable content is a tiny hit of dopamine. These apps are perfected anti-boredom machines. They give you just enough juice to keep you pulling the lever so you're never left alone with your own thoughts.

My Solution​

I decided to try something simple, I let myself be bored.

And ngl, it was weird at first. But then, the fog cleared. I could actually think.

Turns out, this is a legit science thing. Our brains have this thing called the Default Mode Network.

If you fill every second with noise, you rob your brain of its ability to reset.

Il Dolce Far Niente​

There's this Italian phrase I found on the original post:

il dolce far niente.

It means the sweetness of doing nothing.

We usually say "killing time", like time is an enemy we have to murder.

But think about music. Without the silence between the notes and constant beats, it's just noise. That's what my life was: constant, dopamine-fueled noise.

Conclusion​

You simply have to stop seeing boredom as a failure.

• Embrace the void: When you have 30 minutes, don't reach for your phone immediately like an iPad kid who watches Cocomelon every minute.
• Sit with it: Let your mind feel cloudy/anxious for a minute. It'll pass and it's good to ponder.
• Let it reset: It's only in the silence that you can actually start to think.

It sounds simple, but it saved my brain. Idk if it'll work for everyone, but if you're feeling that brain fog, give it a shot.

Sources/Inspo: Why Neuroscientists Say Boredom is Good