> OUTWORK Everyone By Being Bored. Directed by Elijah Oxford, 2023. YouTube, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iNyqomXQt8>. # Boredom is an opportunity for improvement ^9f298b ![[Quotes MOC#^a069d2]] In an experiment, subjects were left alone in a room with nothing but a button that, if pressed, would discharge a painful electrical shock. 67% of subjects ended up pressing the button to evade their boredom, even though many of them declared that they were willing to pay to avoid being shocked. Boredom is painful. Excruciatingly so. That is why our current society is addicted to smartphones: they provide access to the Internet, which is a gateway to infinite distraction (see [[The Internet is addictive]]). Thus, most people are overstimulated and do not desire to better themselves since their life is good enough (see [[Addiction is caused by dopamine down-regulation]]). Boredom is an opportunity to evolve. Faced with the choice of doing either nothing or hard work, most people will choose to do the work, as it will be less uncomfortable than boredom. You can use this principle (see [[@riandorisHowControlYour2023|Embrace boredom to increase productivity]]): allocate several hours of your day for deep work in a space with minimal distractions, with clear objectives already written down so that you know exactly what you are working on. Make sure you have everything you need with you. Perform a "grand gesture", e.g. invest in noise-cancelling headphones or move out of your home for work (see [[@riandorisSmallTrickStay2023|Move and change your environment frequently to increase productivity]]). Downtime is important: during breaks, do low stimulation activites: go for a walk, take a nap or meditate. This will help you avoid attention residue. Extra tip: during or before work, listen to binaural beats at 40Hz, which have been shown to increase focus. ## 🔍 See also - [[@betterideasProcrastinationCureYou2022]]