Boredom and Mental Health: What It’s Really Telling Us

06-08-2025

By Dr. Howard Friedman MD | Veteran | U.S. Army Medical Corps | Internal Medicine | HHOM LLC

In stillness, we meet ourselves. Not every pause needs filling—sometimes, it holds the truth we’ve been avoiding

We flee the space where silence grows,

And chase a thousand empty shows.

A scroll, a sip, a sudden high—

To hush the self we can’t deny.

But boredom, raw, may be the start

Of meeting life with open heart.

---Dr. Howard Friedman MD

Introduction – The Question of Boredom

What is boredom? Is it simply empty time—or an invitation? The relationship between boredom and mental health is often overlooked, yet it plays a profound role in how we respond to stillness, distraction, and our deeper emotional states.

We live in a world that fills every pause. A red light becomes a cue to scroll. A quiet moment at home sends us reaching for noise. Boredom has been cast as the enemy—a symptom of something missing. But what if stillness isn’t a problem to be solved, but a message to be heard? In my years of medical practice, I’ve seen how chronic restlessness feeds anxiety, how distraction can become addiction, and how the inability to sit with ourselves reveals deeper disconnection.

This is not a complaint about modern life. It’s a call to look more closely at what we flee—and what might happen if we stop running.

From Boredom to Distraction – The Addictive Loop

The jump from boredom to distraction is fast—and often unconscious. What begins as a quick check of the phone can become a compulsive loop. While compulsion and addiction are distinct, both are driven by our brain’s reward circuitry. Each ping, scroll, or message provides a tiny dopamine hit, reinforcing the behavior—especially when the reward is intermittent.

Compulsions don’t necessarily bring pleasure. They bring relief—temporary, fleeting, and often followed by guilt. Addiction, by contrast, seeks both pleasure and escape from discomfort. Yet both can feel inescapable.

We see this across the spectrum—from obsessive phone use to binge-watching, stress eating, online shopping, and more. Behavioral addictions often mimic the patterns of substance addiction: repetition despite negative consequences, loss of control, and mounting distress. Disorders like OCD, ADHD, or even high-functioning autism can amplify the discomfort of unstructured time, making distraction feel essential to survival.

A 2019 study from the University of Washington titled “Patterns of Compulsive Smartphone Use Suggest How to Kick the Habit” explored how these patterns form—and how we might break them. It’s worth a read. But beyond the data lies a truth we each know: our discomfort with stillness is a call to examine not just our habits, but our inner state.

The Root of the Restlessness – What Are We Avoiding?

Boredom isn’t the problem—it’s the symptom. In the silence we often hear faint echoes: grief we’ve buried, fears we won’t name, longings unmet. Viktor Frankl, Holocaust survivor and psychiatrist, wrote, “When a person can’t find a deep sense of meaning, they distract themselves with pleasure.” He also said, “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances.”

That’s what I believe at Howard’s House of Medicine: that freedom begins with awareness. We are not prisoners of restlessness. We are capable of choosing a different way of being.

Being with Boredom – Reframing the Void

Boredom can become a portal to presence. In spiritual traditions, boredom is often the beginning—not the end—of insight. Stillness is where creativity lives, where awareness awakens, where healing begins. But we’ve forgotten how to simply be. In a world wired for noise, the art of presence feels like a radical act.

There is wonder everywhere—in a patch of sky, a leaf’s detail, a piece of music that moves you. Meditation isn’t just about emptying the mind. It’s about returning to yourself. And that journey starts with one moment of not-doing. You are not a productivity machine. You are a human being. There has never been another like you.

From Escape to Encounter – Practices That Help

This doesn’t require a monastery or a mountain. Start small. Try five minutes with no input—no phone, no music, no book, no task. Just sit. Notice what arises. You don’t have to react. Just notice.

Those thoughts racing through? Most don’t require a response. The ones that do? You’ll know. Over time, stretch that stillness to six minutes, then ten. Journaling can help too. Try asking, “What do I feel when I do nothing?”

Nature is another teacher. Take a walk without your phone. Let the world come to you, unfiltered.

This isn’t about austerity. It’s about agency—reclaiming your time, your focus, and your inner life from compulsive loops.

Conclusion – A New Relationship with Time

We often think of boredom as wasted time. But what if it’s a gift?

If we can meet boredom without fleeing, we might rediscover what we crave most: connection, clarity, and meaning. Stillness can feel uncomfortable at first. But beneath that discomfort lies the soil where being takes root.

The most important journey may not be out there at all. It may be the one that leads inward.

And if you sit with boredom long enough, you might just find that it isn’t a void after all—it’s the beginning of coming home.

Thank you for stopping by. If you’re curious about other topics like this—health, healing, and the human condition—explore our blogs at www.hhomllc.com. If you have a question, you can always click the Ask Dr. Howard button. I’m here. Let’s talk.

—Dr. Howard Friedman MD

Board-Certified | Internal Medicine | Veteran | U.S. Army Medical Corps

Founder of Howard’s House of Medicine (HHOM LLC)

https://www.hhomllc.com

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q:Is boredom really bad for your health—or is it trying to tell us something?

A: Boredom, in itself, isn’t harmful—it’s a signal. It invites us to notice what’s underneath the surface. In my medical practice, I’ve seen how avoiding boredom often leads to distraction, anxiety, and compulsive behaviors. But if we pause and pay attention, boredom can become a guide. It may point us toward unresolved feelings, unmet needs, or a deep longing for meaning. It's not a flaw to be fixed—it’s often a doorway to healing.

Q: How is compulsive phone use or binge-watching linked to mental health?

A: These behaviors tap into the brain’s reward circuitry, giving quick hits of dopamine. The problem isn’t occasional use—it’s when the cycle becomes unconscious, habitual, and hard to stop. Over time, the need for constant stimulation can feed anxiety, erode focus, and even resemble behavioral addiction. For those with ADHD, OCD, or anxiety disorders, unstructured time can feel unbearable—so these distractions become survival tools. Awareness is the first step toward reclaiming control.

Q: What can I actually do to build a healthier relationship with boredom?

A: Start small and stay curious. Sit quietly for five minutes a day with no input—no phone, no task, no distraction. Let the discomfort come, and observe it without judgment. You can also journal or take walks without tech. Over time, these moments of stillness help you reconnect with your inner world. Boredom isn’t your enemy—it’s a forgotten part of your nervous system calling you back to yourself.