The Benefits Of Boredom In An Era of Digital Distraction

Nobody enjoys being uncomfortable. In fact, we avoid it even if it can benefit us in the long run. Exercise, digital detox, going to bed early. None of that feels ‘fun’ but the discomfort can actually work in your favor.

When we can sit in the discomfort long enough to reflect, we can identify the root of our internal dilemmas or struggles. So often we perceive our intense feelings of frustration, anxiety, sadness, or annoyance as isolated instances, when in fact they are so often symptoms of something deeper. Why is it that we often struggle to get to the root of our discomfort? And is there any benefit to being uncomfortable?

To be honest, it’s easier to treat the symptoms.

It’s easier to isolate an issue and view it as a one-dimensional condition.

It’s easier to simply address the discomfort.

And typically, when we address the symptoms, the discomfort does go away… for a while.

This last week I addressed a discomfort in my life. I isolated what I perceived to be the issue, and treated the symptoms with a dose of digital detox.

I cleared my digital world by removing email and social media from my phone. I removed all notifications, except for phone calls, and I often put my phone in a different room than I was spending time in. And at first it seemed to be having the impact I had hoped for. I felt generally less scattered and more grounded. I even sat down long enough to write a letter, and read a book. Don’t get me wrong, I still checked my email and phone. But checking either one meant I had to purposefully walk to another room or pull out the computer, turn it on, and log on. It required more intention.

And for a while this seemed like the “cure”!

But as with any miss-treated condition, when symptoms are simply diluted temporarily, the discomfort returns. And I gotta be honest, when it did, I was completely demoralized. I was sure I had found the “fix,” and to be dead-wrong was deflating. I thought my plan was backfiring. But then I noticed something else. Sure the discomfort of the digital detox was still there. And at times, it was stronger because I had less distractions from it.

But it was almost as if it needed to get “badder” in order for it to get better.

I needed to allow the discomfort some breathing room – some space to exist – so that I could get a better look at it. And it was deep in that discomfort that the true root of the issue was discovered, and a more holistic “treatment plan” could be put into place.

So often when we’re in the midst of discomfort it can feel like it’s going to last indefinitely. We can reach for quick fixes to dull the feeling. We can begin to wonder what we did to feel so badly. It can color our experiences and make it seem like everything is less than it should be. But hopefully we can get to a point when we can also wonder if there could be any benefit to being uncomfortable?

Here’s the thing I discovered in that place of making space for discomfort:

It’s not about what you do with the lemons that life hands you. It’s about making sure you remember you’re always holding more than just lemons.

We can only do so much when we’re stressed and overwhelmed. Our rational brain can shut down and it can be tempting to just do what’s in front of us; to distract ourselves from the discomfort. But if we’re willing to sit with that “ick” feeling a little longer than we like, we can find that a deeper strength and wisdom is waiting for us on the other side.

So. The question remains: Is there any benefit to being uncomfortable?

At least in my case, I believe the answer is yes. But you’ll have to decide that for yourself.

For now, I’ll continue my digital detox. I’ll continue leaving space to go deeper when I feel discomfort. And I’ll continue to address the symptoms as a starting point – not an ending point.

Regardless of how you perceive discomfort, it might be worth remembering that you’re always holding more than just lemons.

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