I think I have had flow in two situations. 1) when I am doing homework and I just get into it 2) when I am playing a video game and it all just melts together.
I always become bored when I reach a level of proficiency in a certain task. Learning how to do something is just more interesting than doing something I've learned.
***** As I mentioned, I get bored once I become 'okay' at it. Being the best just doesn't interest me. I've never been the competitive type. Besides, no matter how good you think you are, there's always someone better, or soon to be.
+Mark Contini I understand where you are coming from, and I just sent my buddy a picture of the graph. He can relax when he does mechanic work, because he is good at it. Where as that same work is boring to me if I do it at all because I am Low to low/medium skilled when it comes to turning wrenches. I do lawn and garden sprinkler systems professionally, after 10+ years I'm high skilled, so when I am repairing, I am relaxed and have even achieved "flow" and it really does feel good. Now that I am starting a business, Im not really good with the paper work, so it bores me, and sometimes leaves me with anxiety. But my point is the only real skill I have is because of work, not hobby.
It's because you're in the middle of the chart. You have gained some skill, but not enough to truly realize and accomplish the most challenging tasks. It is probably hard to find engaging tasks that bring you to the aroused point of the chart, because most things are either too hard or too easy.
I get you bro. I just finished building a couple 3d printers, was interesting at first, but now not so much. So, I started to draw in graphite, a year later I find my interest subsiding. People say that practice makes perfect, and their right, but perfection isn't all that important to me, it's the thrill of learning how or why. I may try painting with oils before I move on, but paint isn't cheap. :-( I was thinking of writing a short story.... " Hand of God, the tyrant " ;-)
What happens to me is i want to be the best, but after a certain point i too just get bored cause i ve "finished" the game when the progress bar of my skill becomes slow i lose interest, i dont know if thats because of what u said or i m just not competitive enough or just dotn want to give the extra effort
"Boredom is one of the biggest challenges of our modern lives" 1025BC scandinavia. Average farmer during the winter. ' Oh boy! Only 5 days until it is time to count our remaining cabbages and grainsacs! My life is so fulfilling! '
it's not an addiction, it's compulsion, look at the extra credits' episode on it. before you draw a conclusion that may offend people, do you even know a gamer, much less play a game (other than cod, it sucks)
Gamers are losers who can't take the pressures of real life so they retreat to a world where they feel safe because they spend hours and hours a day living in it.
I work as a concept artist and I experience flow almost every time I draw/paint something. I highly recommend trying art as a hobby for anyone who experiences boredom. There is nothing more fun and exciting to me in this world than the experience of creating an image of something that I imagined.
I think your channel is going to be very successful. When I first saw a video of yours posted on reddit I went through and watched all of them and then subscribed. Every one of your videos is interesting, informative and useful. Keep doing these, they are great.
Just wait until you have a day where everything you do seems boring though. I'll have it where I try to do different things but feel bored of them right away, i.e start one game, get to the load screen, ctrl+alt+delete. Just means it is nap time or bedtime for my brain to re-energize.
Myuniverse me? html, css, js, jquery, mysql, php, java, lua, recently started learning nodejs/react/redux/jsx and a few random things but i mainly focus on java (backend) and plan to jumping-over-to/ learning C# soon (should be easyyyy) and later C++ :)
This information and advice might be some of the best (if not the best) I have ever got. I don't know who you are the kind stranger, but I am deeply deeply thankful! I think I finally understand why I am so unhappy all the time and what I need to do to change it.
+Athrun000 Watching your favourite movies and shows should be Relaxed, on the right side of the chart. It's easy to do, and your "skill" is high because you know what will happen !
People who get bored often don't have a 'why'. Don't have a purpose to their life. Those who have a purpose for their existence are always working towards achieving that purpose. Find your purpose.
The following is a rough transcript of the dialogue track of the video. 00:00 Boredom is one of the biggest challenges of our modern lives. 00:03 I mean, how often do you think to yourself, "My life is boring, right now," or, "I've got nothing to do?" 00:09 Well, if you get these thoughts a lot, [then] it's a worrying sign. 00:12 People who are easily bored are, also, more likely to develop depression, anxiety, low work performance, and poor social skills. 00:21 Of course, you can imagine why being in a constant state of boredom can make you feel depressed, but did you know [that] there are actually two distinct personalities that are prone to boredom? 00:32 The first are the impulsive, thrill-seeking, types. 00:35 These people, naturally, need more stimulants to feel excited, so while we might only require a normal roller-coaster ride, they'll search for the fastest roller-coaster to feel the same rush of adrenaline. 00:46 Hence, the average day to them is a little bit more boring. 00:50 The second type are those who are overly sensitive. 00:53 These people want to do something exciting, but because they are more sensitive to pain and punishment, it's harder for them to go outside their comfort zone. 01:02 This leads to a general withdrawal from the world, leaving them with nothing to do. 01:07 Now, this is all sorta depressing, but boredom can be a good thing as well. 01:11 Think about it this way; over the millions of years, evolution has been incredibly efficient at stomping out unwanted traits. 01:19 If you have a trait that is harmful to your chance of survival, [then] this trait dies out over time. 01:25 Now, boredom has survived all these years of evolution, so there's probably a reason for it, right? 01:31 Well, it's likely that boredom motivates us to do something interesting; it makes us curious and more willing to explore new things in life. 01:39 Without it, we'd be sitting around, doing nothing, and making no progress. 01:44 So, the question is, how do we escape boredom? 01:47 Well, if boredom is defined as a lack of engagement with whatever task is at hand, then the opposite would be total engagement. 01:55 Just, think back to times when you've experienced pure joy. 01:58 Perhaps, there was an intense conversation with a friend, which made you lose track of time. 02:02 Maybe, it was a time when you lost yourself at a concert. 02:06 You may have, also, heard of artists claiming [that] they're in the zone when they're so focused on the task at hand and everything else is non-existent. 02:14 All these experiences have one thing in common; they're so engaging that you lose yourself in it, so it's no surprise that the Greek root word of ecstasy means, "standing outside yourself." 02:25 Psychologists have labeled this experience "flow." 02:29 To understand it, take a look at this graph. 02:32 On the x-axis, you have how skilled you are at the particular task. 02:37 On the y-axis, you have the perceived difficulty of that task. 02:41 As you can see, you are most likely to achieve flow when you are doing something that's challenging but, also, achievable with your skill level. 02:49 If it's too challenging for your skill set, you'll become anxious and won't enjoy yourself. 02:54 On the other hand, if it's too easy for you, [then] you'll find yourself bored again because you're not a hundred percent engaged in the activity, so you need to find a balance. 03:04 Now, as you can see, there are a couple of emotions in between, but the worst would be apathy; this is where we go wrong because, when we're bored, we resort to passive activities like browsing the Internet to pass time; however, they don't bring us as much satisfaction because there's no skill or challenge involved. 03:24 Furthermore, there's evidence to show that experiencing flow leads to better life satisfaction. 03:29 In one study, researchers followed the daily lives of participants via electronic messaging at random times throughout the day. 03:38 They would ask them what they were doing and the perceived challenge and skill level of their task. 03:42 Turns out, those who experience more flow repeated being happier, more creative, more excited, and more motivated. 03:51 If anything, this teaches us that it's important to keep challenging ourselves in order to live a rich and meaningful life. 03:59 Overall, if you're feeling bored, [then] don't despair too much. 04:03 Instead, view it as a sign that you need to start exploring new things. 04:07 My advice would be to find a worthy project, hobby, or task and try to achieve flow in it.
My current problem is that I find it difficult to stay on task when the task becomes difficult -- at a much lower threshold than when I was in college. It's part of the reason I think I may be experiencing some form of depression. But what it means is that feeling this way makes me reluctant to engage in things that I view as too mentally taxing -- not the original task I just left, and not moving on to another task that requires mental effort. At present I'm seeking "abnegation," or the low use of the brain, though I don't know if that's necessarily good for me right now. But it's something I've been doing for a while, shifting from short bouts of taxing tasks to longer bouts of passivity.
I would add, to experience a state of 'flow' you can also start physical activity, like dancing. Learning new dance moves challenges you physically and mentally. And you can experience flow on weekly basis :)
being that oversensitive type who gets very isolated and withdrawn, this video has helped me see how to help myself out a bit more. i achieve flow when drawing something slightly more challenging than what im used to, and when having deep discussions with friends. i should seek those out more
Nice video! Your videos put things into perspective in a very accessible way. Watching three videos I have learned that I get more anxious if I picture what I want to do and lack the confidence/experience of doing it and I want to get back to my comfortzone and be lethargic all the time. I'm also bipolar II, so depression plays a big part in it. But if I just start with doing things within my skill level, even if it scares me a little, I build up confidence/experience. Reflecting on what I have done would be a healthy and realistic self affirmation and constructively putting my anger and frustration into my making music and my gardening(when moving heavy stuff) helped me feel more confident and achieve more in the past, so I think it will work again. Anyway, enough talk. I want to do some shopping so I have the rest of the day to do some gardening. Thanks for the videos!
I pretty much only get bored in school or when I'm home with nothing to do, but I always have something to do (like homework of walking my dog or something) but I'm lazy so...
Boredom has been the bane of my life since I was a kid. I absolutely hate feeling bored, but how does one find a hobby when nothing seems interesting? I end up drinking way too much too regularly purely to alleviate boredom. Not a good combination I know, but it's the truth of the situation. Even one beer and everything seems so much more interesting and I begin to feel inspired. The problem with this however is that alcohol then makes me depressed and so the cycle continues. It sucks.
My problem is that I often focus on the perceived negative implications of doing anything. I don't want to play that game because I might lose. I don't want to talk to those people because I might make a fool of myself. I don't want to try something new because I might not enjoy it very much. I don't want to re-read that book because I already know the plot so it will be a bit boring. I don't want to write a story because it might not turn out right and maybe nobody will want to read it. This must be some kind of powerful, advanced pessimism. Sometimes, I think I am most happy whenever my worst predictions come true.
Well this is something I already figured out in my apprentieceship. I had some realy hard tasks in coding and as they we're hard but mostly doable for me they got me into the flow. As im a artist and pretty sporty those things sometime too lead to flow. But one particular part of the apprentice had been lead by someone who gave us either verry easy or simply undoable(with any level of skill) tasks which nearly lead to a depression in my case... but nice to have it displayed in such a nice maneer to visualize it. Thanks!
Really, really great video mate. It's interesting how you pull together these topics and give them a fresh perspective. Keep up the awesome work, your content is amazing.
In other words, set challenges that level with your skill. If it's outside of your skill, and you feel like you aren't able to keep up, you probably need to step down a notch with your challenge because now you're worried. (Just making note of this)
nothing is too difficult when it comes to the realm of mind. Sucees at what you perceive to be too difficult and you'll experience satisfaction. I was exactly like this when learning about the physics of electromagnetism, but I have sense overcome my mental barriers.
I am a very bored person and I have to say that to some degree I'm both of those. I'm highly resistant to stimulation and at the same time I don't bother doing anything. You might wonder why I don't do extreme stuff. Because I don't enjoy it.
"like browsing the internet [...] there is no skill or challenge involved" -> i have to heavily disagree. it depends on "what" you do while browsing the internet. The first big challenge you face engaging the internet is: "How do i find the information i seek?" ~ not always an easy task. for example: are you looking for copyright or patent-law protected information? This is the internet, it sure is somewhere out there. (for example scientific papers via sci-hub, entertainment, software and educational material over torrent sites) another thing i personally love to do: confront yourself with some conspiracy theories. This is super challenging, in my opinion ~> there is a lot of stupid stuff and conscious planted false information, but non-the-less there is some really interesting stuff in between. Very challenging to differ. Than again: there are a lot of theories, philosophy, hypothesis (and so on) out there. (not only conspiracies^^) I love to read philosophical articles, scientific research papers (mostly physics, math, A.I. dev), and even "simple" blogs. Yes, the internet is for pr0n. But that's not all there is ;p well... this text got a bit long, if you consider, that i only wanted to state, that i would categorize "browsing the internet" as very challenging :3
I agree with you it really depends on what you do while browsing. In my case, I watched this video because I was bored and couldn't sleep, but after watching it I want to know more about the flow so I will look it up and will read some articles about it. or sometimes I have an discussion on the comment section on YT about politics, I know it's weird, but I have to make sure my arguments are right or have actual examples or studies or so on, so I will start reading articles, blogs and so on about the discussion. It might see like a waste of time but it also gives me more knowledge and it is not really boring more likely interesting to know new things.
+Victor Kyrg Geniuses tend to be very sensitive because they aren't used to things going exactly as they plan or expect, especially when things are outside their control.
It's strange I never feel bored, or let's say I do feel bored when I am in the wrong places (like in a bar with loud music and people doing small talk) but there are always so many interesting things in the world to think about or create stuff. That's how it seems strange to me when I hear people being in a place with all the possibilities and feel bored. But it's interesting to me because there is something people feel that I can't feel. Maybe it's hobbies and special interests, since a younger age, I was thinking too much of things, analyzing, philosophising, I could be left in an empty room and not feel bored because my mind would wander around. Then I had special interests, like programming and others, so there is always a new idea to try coding. Even a single hobby with such reach creativity posibilities can never get me bored (and most of the time I have one hobby, because I spend too much time on it and don't find time for multiple ones, or new hobbies need to learn everything from the beginning). But this is me, it's just always thinking about it, and always having one grand hobby that is more than a hobby really (it's not a way to pass time, it's rather an obsession) to keep me forever interested. But I do wonder what happens with people who are bored, are they really bored or afraid to start something new, or haven't found a hobby that occupies them? My other issue though is procrastination, or maybe my feelings that I do so. When I had this hobby, I thought I could focus more on it and make a good use of it, and instead of programming small stuff, I could program something big that makes it out of the world, but then I never get to do so. There are many days that pass that I avoid it, and always wonder, what would happen if I was 100% productive (or even 30%) instead of 5% as I am during the day. I feel like an artists doing small impressive creations here and there but nothing big and focused. So, I am in another category, I never feel bored, I never understood true boredom, but I feel like I procrastinate and never focus my work into something big. Or sometimes, because I am inspired by many things, I have 100 ideas of things I could do with computers, and don't know what to start. I know I have to select one and focus on it for long periods, but I know this will not happen. So, I don't know what advices to give to people who get bored because I don't know how this is. But at the same time, I know how procrastinating or not focusing on a single goal is, but no matter how much I analyzed it or read articles about it, I don't know what advices to give to myself and others :P p.s. I'd love to see an article on procrastination, although maybe I describe only a specific version of it. There is also procrastination on things you don't really want to do but want them to be done. Like boring studies or filling your taxes and everyday activities you'd rather not do.
I feel the same way. I was a deep thinker too when I was younger and it takes a lot to make me bored. I don't think you're procrastinating, more like you just lack the motivation to take the first step. You have to be really inspired in order to focus all your energy into your work.
Valuable information. Terrific and informative video. After watching - I plan to try the experiment mentioned - and who knows - this may create a new and positive pathway in my life. Thank you.
I assumed that the experience of boredom as common phenomenon among ordinary citizens was a relatively recent thing. Hard to imagine one 300 years ago having to work without modern machinery or pipe borne water or power at a flick of a switch . Did anyone have time to be bored then?
Holy crap! I left this video because I got bored of it. Then, I realized the irony of me leaving a video explaining boredom because I got bored of it and came back just to type this message.
What if I'm being severely shunned by everyone who has power over me, leaving me blocked from almost all autonomy and relatedness? That leaves me trapped in a perpetual state of worry and anxiety, severe enough and long-lasting enough to be considered living a traumatic lifestyle. Are there any videos that deal with this?
I don't remember ever being bored since I got a stable internet connection. Decision paralysis is more of a problem for me, there's just so much stuff out there. Though I guess you could call procrastination that results from it boredom.
I think the highly sensitive types are actually experiencing loneliness rather than boredom. Sometimes I feel an intense "boredom" I can't figure out what is wrong and I don't want to do any of my hobbies, but then my sister calls me and then I'm fine and I start to enjoy everything again.
having a break from doing my school project. (it's a comic) since I am a bit bored. after I finish this,I'm sure it's going to be better than all the ones my friends made.
you took the words out of my mouth, and put them into the words of a million dollar selling authers book! i absolutely agree to that vid! i like these vids, it helps me understand how i can change for a better me, so less time is waste! thanks
People who are more interested in the concept of Flow can read the book; Flow: The psychology of optimal experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. It's one of the best books on psychology.
I have to stop you at 1:30. Just because boredome has passed evolution, doesn't make it beneficial. Geuss what? Depression passed through evolution, cancer too and a ton of other health related diseases and illnesses. Let's not forget mental illness too. And while we're at it, poverty and world hunger is still here after all that evolution.
That's a wrong way to apply evolution analysis dude. Boredom is a universal human trait. Medical depression and Cancer are not. They are not universal. In that sense, boredom, or the tendency to get bored, is as much an ability as sight or taste. I think that's how the video also uses boredom.
aktake2 Perhaps they're not as universal, but they are spread out through the entire human species. Depression is still here in countless countries after all that evolution. But hey, if ~10% of most countries doesn't make it universal let's use another example. Colds are something nearly everyone gets. It makes you sick and snotty, and there mayhaps be some kind of reaction to bacteria or something it has still passed evolution. Like it or not, the countless diseases in the world have passed evolution, and just because it's a percentage that's statically noted doesn't make it any leas universal. I may have gotten off topic with my world hunger but my point stands, evolution doesn't always mean good. Like the point the guy in this video is making, "if we evolved it, must be a good reason".
Sure, what you're saying broadly makes sense. But think about the counter too. We haven't learnt to fly by evolution. Does that mean it's definitely bad? No, right. I don't think the general premise is that passing evolution is proof of benefit. Rather that it makes more sense to approach negative traits through a functional approach.
There is a fundamental flaw in your understanding of evolution when you try to apply it to boredom, though I still agree with your conclusion. The simple fact that a trait has been persistently passed down only means that it is not a negative trait. This means that while it could be positive, it could also be neutral. The trait for blue eyes, for example, is on the rise, but it is a neutral trait, not a positive one.
This is fuckin hillarious. The only reason why I am currently watching all of your videos is because I am bored LOL
I think I have had flow in two situations.
1) when I am doing homework and I just get into it
2) when I am playing a video game and it all just melts together.
My highest sense of flow yet was that one time when I was 11-2 in arena... I lost but it was freaking fun
Why can't I find my flow in COD?
I always become bored when I reach a level of proficiency in a certain task. Learning how to do something is just more interesting than doing something I've learned.
***** As I mentioned, I get bored once I become 'okay' at it. Being the best just doesn't interest me. I've never been the competitive type. Besides, no matter how good you think you are, there's always someone better, or soon to be.
+Mark Contini I understand where you are coming from, and I just sent my buddy a picture of the graph. He can relax when he does mechanic work, because he is good at it. Where as that same work is boring to me if I do it at all because I am Low to low/medium skilled when it comes to turning wrenches. I do lawn and garden sprinkler systems professionally, after 10+ years I'm high skilled, so when I am repairing, I am relaxed and have even achieved "flow" and it really does feel good. Now that I am starting a business, Im not really good with the paper work, so it bores me, and sometimes leaves me with anxiety. But my point is the only real skill I have is because of work, not hobby.
It's because you're in the middle of the chart. You have gained some skill, but not enough to truly realize and accomplish the most challenging tasks. It is probably hard to find engaging tasks that bring you to the aroused point of the chart, because most things are either too hard or too easy.
I get you bro.
I just finished building a couple 3d printers, was interesting at first, but now not so much.
So, I started to draw in graphite, a year later I find my interest subsiding. People say that practice makes perfect, and their right, but perfection isn't all that important to me, it's the thrill of learning how or why.
I may try painting with oils before I move on, but paint isn't cheap. :-(
I was thinking of writing a short story.... " Hand of God, the tyrant " ;-)
What happens to me is i want to be the best, but after a certain point i too just get bored cause i ve "finished" the game when the progress bar of my skill becomes slow i lose interest, i dont know if thats because of what u said or i m just not competitive enough or just dotn want to give the extra effort
who saw ths vid because he was bored
Did you assume my gender???
shit man, you triggered someone, and about gender?! Have you learned nothing?!
Lizy Gonzalez "Shit man" what about "shit woman" huh? #Triggered
yes
why just he?
"Boredom is one of the biggest challenges of our modern lives"
1025BC scandinavia.
Average farmer during the winter.
' Oh boy! Only 5 days until it is time to count our remaining cabbages and grainsacs! My life is so fulfilling! '
Asger HB 😂😂😂
now I get it why you get addicted to games. because they give you the flow. I feel like a fool not knowing that until now.
a fool*
it's not an addiction, it's compulsion, look at the extra credits' episode on it.
before you draw a conclusion that may offend people, do you even know a gamer, much less play a game (other than cod, it sucks)
♥♪!? Gaming yeah, I am a gamer, otherwise I wouldn't have known it.
Gamers are losers who can't take the pressures of real life so they retreat to a world where they feel safe because they spend hours and hours a day living in it.
sensory place
nah, I play games because I have time to kill in school...
I work as a concept artist and I experience flow almost every time I draw/paint something. I highly recommend trying art as a hobby for anyone who experiences boredom. There is nothing more fun and exciting to me in this world than the experience of creating an image of something that I imagined.
This video stopped my boredom and I didn't have to do anything challenging to achieve it.
ikr...
You were engaged in learning and look around a bit, it's apparently a skill people are good or bad at.
Rylan Patry k
I think your channel is going to be very successful. When I first saw a video of yours posted on reddit I went through and watched all of them and then subscribed. Every one of your videos is interesting, informative and useful. Keep doing these, they are great.
I love this channel. Hope you start making videos again, man. I rewatch these every now and then, and they always are worth it.
Very cool, Thanks for the video!
Gabriel Venegas Thanks for the compliment :)
best way to deal with boredem: legos, coding (something simple to do), reading, hard maths.
but thats just me
+Mr. Pasta XBOX
Just wait until you have a day where everything you do seems boring though. I'll have it where I try to do different things but feel bored of them right away, i.e start one game, get to the load screen, ctrl+alt+delete. Just means it is nap time or bedtime for my brain to re-energize.
The single most significant factor in boredom is ugly, and its more severe variant, fugly.
SteamPunk you a funny guy
Don't forget the third and terminal stage, furry.
i always liked boredom, i get to sit back and think about ideas to code
your traits will soon die out my friend
suleymen kand why so?
***** why not?
Myuniverse me? html, css, js, jquery, mysql, php, java, lua, recently started learning nodejs/react/redux/jsx and a few random things
but i mainly focus on java (backend) and plan to jumping-over-to/ learning C# soon (should be easyyyy) and later C++ :)
Myuniverse thank you ^^ :) i always considered trying to learn python since its apperently a good rougelike programming language
the amount of ambiguity in those graphs makes me cringe so hard
Boredom is nothing other than the sensation of the emptiness of existence.
"Explore new things"
Are you telling me to go outside? ._.
This information and advice might be some of the best (if not the best) I have ever got. I don't know who you are the kind stranger, but I am deeply deeply thankful! I think I finally understand why I am so unhappy all the time and what I need to do to change it.
Where does watching Movies/shows fall on that chart?
Watching my favourite movies/shows makes me feel happy...!!
+Athrun000 Watching your favourite movies and shows should be Relaxed, on the right side of the chart.
It's easy to do, and your "skill" is high because you know what will happen !
People who get bored often don't have a 'why'. Don't have a purpose to their life. Those who have a purpose for their existence are always working towards achieving that purpose. Find your purpose.
The following is a rough transcript of the dialogue track of the video.
00:00 Boredom is one of the biggest challenges of our modern lives.
00:03 I mean, how often do you think to yourself, "My life is boring, right now," or, "I've got nothing to do?"
00:09 Well, if you get these thoughts a lot, [then] it's a worrying sign.
00:12 People who are easily bored are, also, more likely to develop depression, anxiety, low work performance, and poor social skills.
00:21 Of course, you can imagine why being in a constant state of boredom can make you feel depressed, but did you know [that] there are actually two distinct personalities that are prone to boredom?
00:32 The first are the impulsive, thrill-seeking, types.
00:35 These people, naturally, need more stimulants to feel excited, so while we might only require a normal roller-coaster ride, they'll search for the fastest roller-coaster to feel the same rush of adrenaline.
00:46 Hence, the average day to them is a little bit more boring.
00:50 The second type are those who are overly sensitive.
00:53 These people want to do something exciting, but because they are more sensitive to pain and punishment, it's harder for them to go outside their comfort zone.
01:02 This leads to a general withdrawal from the world, leaving them with nothing to do.
01:07 Now, this is all sorta depressing, but boredom can be a good thing as well.
01:11 Think about it this way; over the millions of years, evolution has been incredibly efficient at stomping out unwanted traits.
01:19 If you have a trait that is harmful to your chance of survival, [then] this trait dies out over time.
01:25 Now, boredom has survived all these years of evolution, so there's probably a reason for it, right?
01:31 Well, it's likely that boredom motivates us to do something interesting; it makes us curious and more willing to explore new things in life.
01:39 Without it, we'd be sitting around, doing nothing, and making no progress.
01:44 So, the question is, how do we escape boredom?
01:47 Well, if boredom is defined as a lack of engagement with whatever task is at hand, then the opposite would be total engagement.
01:55 Just, think back to times when you've experienced pure joy.
01:58 Perhaps, there was an intense conversation with a friend, which made you lose track of time.
02:02 Maybe, it was a time when you lost yourself at a concert.
02:06 You may have, also, heard of artists claiming [that] they're in the zone when they're so focused on the task at hand and everything else is non-existent.
02:14 All these experiences have one thing in common; they're so engaging that you lose yourself in it, so it's no surprise that the Greek root word of ecstasy means, "standing outside yourself."
02:25 Psychologists have labeled this experience "flow."
02:29 To understand it, take a look at this graph.
02:32 On the x-axis, you have how skilled you are at the particular task.
02:37 On the y-axis, you have the perceived difficulty of that task.
02:41 As you can see, you are most likely to achieve flow when you are doing something that's challenging but, also, achievable with your skill level.
02:49 If it's too challenging for your skill set, you'll become anxious and won't enjoy yourself.
02:54 On the other hand, if it's too easy for you, [then] you'll find yourself bored again because you're not a hundred percent engaged in the activity, so you need to find a balance.
03:04 Now, as you can see, there are a couple of emotions in between, but the worst would be apathy; this is where we go wrong because, when we're bored, we resort to passive activities like browsing the Internet to pass time; however, they don't bring us as much satisfaction because there's no skill or challenge involved.
03:24 Furthermore, there's evidence to show that experiencing flow leads to better life satisfaction.
03:29 In one study, researchers followed the daily lives of participants via electronic messaging at random times throughout the day.
03:38 They would ask them what they were doing and the perceived challenge and skill level of their task.
03:42 Turns out, those who experience more flow repeated being happier, more creative, more excited, and more motivated.
03:51 If anything, this teaches us that it's important to keep challenging ourselves in order to live a rich and meaningful life.
03:59 Overall, if you're feeling bored, [then] don't despair too much.
04:03 Instead, view it as a sign that you need to start exploring new things.
04:07 My advice would be to find a worthy project, hobby, or task and try to achieve flow in it.
My current problem is that I find it difficult to stay on task when the task becomes difficult -- at a much lower threshold than when I was in college. It's part of the reason I think I may be experiencing some form of depression. But what it means is that feeling this way makes me reluctant to engage in things that I view as too mentally taxing -- not the original task I just left, and not moving on to another task that requires mental effort. At present I'm seeking "abnegation," or the low use of the brain, though I don't know if that's necessarily good for me right now. But it's something I've been doing for a while, shifting from short bouts of taxing tasks to longer bouts of passivity.
challenge yourself always worth it
Nah. it's boring.
I would add, to experience a state of 'flow' you can also start physical activity, like dancing. Learning new dance moves challenges you physically and mentally. And you can experience flow on weekly basis :)
Hardest part of the final word of advice for me: something "worthy" feels impossible. Thus frequent sadness. Nice vid, tho.
being that oversensitive type who gets very isolated and withdrawn, this video has helped me see how to help myself out a bit more. i achieve flow when drawing something slightly more challenging than what im used to, and when having deep discussions with friends. i should seek those out more
Nice video! Your videos put things into perspective in a very accessible way.
Watching three videos I have learned that I get more anxious if I picture what I want to do and lack the confidence/experience of doing it and I want to get back to my comfortzone and be lethargic all the time. I'm also bipolar II, so depression plays a big part in it. But if I just start with doing things within my skill level, even if it scares me a little, I build up confidence/experience. Reflecting on what I have done would be a healthy and realistic self affirmation and constructively putting my anger and frustration into my making music and my gardening(when moving heavy stuff) helped me feel more confident and achieve more in the past, so I think it will work again.
Anyway, enough talk. I want to do some shopping so I have the rest of the day to do some gardening. Thanks for the videos!
I pretty much only get bored in school or when I'm home with nothing to do, but I always have something to do (like homework of walking my dog or something) but I'm lazy so...
Wonderful video and the photos are amazing.
Boredom has been the bane of my life since I was a kid. I absolutely hate feeling bored, but how does one find a hobby when nothing seems interesting? I end up drinking way too much too regularly purely to alleviate boredom. Not a good combination I know, but it's the truth of the situation. Even one beer and everything seems so much more interesting and I begin to feel inspired. The problem with this however is that alcohol then makes me depressed and so the cycle continues. It sucks.
Thank you so much for your videos. Seriously, its so brilliant and I really needed some of them, especially this one. Thanks! Keep up the great work
My problem is that I often focus on the perceived negative implications of doing anything. I don't want to play that game because I might lose. I don't want to talk to those people because I might make a fool of myself. I don't want to try something new because I might not enjoy it very much. I don't want to re-read that book because I already know the plot so it will be a bit boring. I don't want to write a story because it might not turn out right and maybe nobody will want to read it.
This must be some kind of powerful, advanced pessimism. Sometimes, I think I am most happy whenever my worst predictions come true.
if you're having boredom problems I feel bad for you son I got 99 problems but boredom ain't one
noxabellus :)
I am never bored but I am constantly in the top left corner of that graph... the anxiety goes away after awhile
Well this is something I already figured out in my apprentieceship. I had some realy hard tasks in coding and as they we're hard but mostly doable for me they got me into the flow. As im a artist and pretty sporty those things sometime too lead to flow. But one particular part of the apprentice had been lead by someone who gave us either verry easy or simply undoable(with any level of skill) tasks which nearly lead to a depression in my case... but nice to have it displayed in such a nice maneer to visualize it. Thanks!
Really, really great video mate. It's interesting how you pull together these topics and give them a fresh perspective. Keep up the awesome work, your content is amazing.
His voice relaxes me.
In other words, set challenges that level with your skill. If it's outside of your skill, and you feel like you aren't able to keep up, you probably need to step down a notch with your challenge because now you're worried.
(Just making note of this)
so... the cure for boredom is to find something new to do? revolutionary.
Mike Ock 😂😂😂
Awesome! Thanks! Now that's the reason why I was using Facebook and browsing so much...
We get bored because modern life really isn't that exciting.
2:39 If the graph is right, then high-skilled people can never get bored.
This video is so great! I can relate so much, very interesting!! I subbed :)
when I try to study, everything is always too easy or to difficult for me, and I never do anything :C
nothing is too difficult when it comes to the realm of mind. Sucees at what you perceive to be too difficult and you'll experience satisfaction.
I was exactly like this when learning about the physics of electromagnetism, but I have sense overcome my mental barriers.
Catervarri - Apparently not your English "mental barriers"
ALPhaKiLLer l Hacking Channel Because I misspelled Succeed?? You must have not overcome your literacy and critical thinking "mental barriers".
"people who are more easily bored are also more likely to develop depression, anxiety, low work performance and poor social skills"
3 out of 4.
nice.
I am a very bored person and I have to say that to some degree I'm both of those. I'm highly resistant to stimulation and at the same time I don't bother doing anything. You might wonder why I don't do extreme stuff. Because I don't enjoy it.
+Pink Bean me too. only sometimes i do (when is right in front of me )
I *may* start going to the gym/working out now.
you didnt show your units on your graphs, -2 points
This is my favorite of your videos! Very interesting :D Thanks!
"like browsing the internet [...] there is no skill or challenge involved"
-> i have to heavily disagree.
it depends on "what" you do while browsing the internet. The first big challenge you face engaging the internet is: "How do i find the information i seek?" ~ not always an easy task.
for example: are you looking for copyright or patent-law protected information? This is the internet, it sure is somewhere out there. (for example scientific papers via sci-hub, entertainment, software and educational material over torrent sites)
another thing i personally love to do: confront yourself with some conspiracy theories. This is super challenging, in my opinion ~> there is a lot of stupid stuff and conscious planted false information, but non-the-less there is some really interesting stuff in between. Very challenging to differ.
Than again: there are a lot of theories, philosophy, hypothesis (and so on) out there. (not only conspiracies^^) I love to read philosophical articles, scientific research papers (mostly physics, math, A.I. dev), and even "simple" blogs.
Yes, the internet is for pr0n.
But that's not all there is ;p
well... this text got a bit long, if you consider, that i only wanted to state, that i would categorize "browsing the internet" as very challenging :3
I agree with you it really depends on what you do while browsing.
In my case, I watched this video because I was bored and couldn't sleep, but after watching it I want to know more about the flow so I will look it up and will read some articles about it. or sometimes I have an discussion on the comment section on YT about politics, I know it's weird, but I have to make sure my arguments are right or have actual examples or studies or so on, so I will start reading articles, blogs and so on about the discussion. It might see like a waste of time but it also gives me more knowledge and it is not really boring more likely interesting to know new things.
I think he just meant the times when you are mindlessly scrolling down Facebook, RUclips or Twitter because you have nothing better to do.
You forget one type of person prone to boredom: the genius.
+Victor Kyrg he refrained from saying that for a good reason, it gives positive connotations to an obviously bad situation
+DBIYBIMWBIU thank god I found a sane person in the comment section
+Victor Kyrg
Geniuses tend to be very sensitive because they aren't used to things going exactly as they plan or expect, especially when things are outside their control.
if there so smart why don't they just entertain themselves. I guess you don't fall into this category though.
+Yonkage They could kind of fit into both categories in a way. But differently.
That's why videogames are better than watching TV... Oddly, reading an interesting book makes me forget time too, much better than TV could.
edi yeah
It's strange I never feel bored, or let's say I do feel bored when I am in the wrong places (like in a bar with loud music and people doing small talk) but there are always so many interesting things in the world to think about or create stuff. That's how it seems strange to me when I hear people being in a place with all the possibilities and feel bored. But it's interesting to me because there is something people feel that I can't feel.
Maybe it's hobbies and special interests, since a younger age, I was thinking too much of things, analyzing, philosophising, I could be left in an empty room and not feel bored because my mind would wander around. Then I had special interests, like programming and others, so there is always a new idea to try coding. Even a single hobby with such reach creativity posibilities can never get me bored (and most of the time I have one hobby, because I spend too much time on it and don't find time for multiple ones, or new hobbies need to learn everything from the beginning). But this is me, it's just always thinking about it, and always having one grand hobby that is more than a hobby really (it's not a way to pass time, it's rather an obsession) to keep me forever interested. But I do wonder what happens with people who are bored, are they really bored or afraid to start something new, or haven't found a hobby that occupies them?
My other issue though is procrastination, or maybe my feelings that I do so. When I had this hobby, I thought I could focus more on it and make a good use of it, and instead of programming small stuff, I could program something big that makes it out of the world, but then I never get to do so. There are many days that pass that I avoid it, and always wonder, what would happen if I was 100% productive (or even 30%) instead of 5% as I am during the day. I feel like an artists doing small impressive creations here and there but nothing big and focused. So, I am in another category, I never feel bored, I never understood true boredom, but I feel like I procrastinate and never focus my work into something big. Or sometimes, because I am inspired by many things, I have 100 ideas of things I could do with computers, and don't know what to start. I know I have to select one and focus on it for long periods, but I know this will not happen.
So, I don't know what advices to give to people who get bored because I don't know how this is. But at the same time, I know how procrastinating or not focusing on a single goal is, but no matter how much I analyzed it or read articles about it, I don't know what advices to give to myself and others :P
p.s. I'd love to see an article on procrastination, although maybe I describe only a specific version of it. There is also procrastination on things you don't really want to do but want them to be done. Like boring studies or filling your taxes and everyday activities you'd rather not do.
I feel the same way. I was a deep thinker too when I was younger and it takes a lot to make me bored. I don't think you're procrastinating, more like you just lack the motivation to take the first step. You have to be really inspired in order to focus all your energy into your work.
I saw this video because I was bored.
Pritam Thakur same
Valuable information. Terrific and informative video. After watching - I plan to try the experiment mentioned - and who knows - this may create a new and positive pathway in my life. Thank you.
staying home and get bored is much butter than engaging in life and be a subject for people to hurt you just because they are bored.
Please don't stop making these!
what a great motivational video :D
Hevron it was
Boredom = the lack of devolpting yourself (or something)
if i understand it i can try to use it in a good way, so thanks for that
I assumed that the experience of boredom as common phenomenon among ordinary citizens was a relatively recent thing. Hard to imagine one 300 years ago having to work without modern machinery or pipe borne water or power at a flick of a switch . Did anyone have time to be bored then?
You know what to talk about. I like your videos.
In the zone or Flow is easy to achieve, just do something you like, such as your favourite hobby.
+The Major what if i dont have any hobby
2:56 Aren't Boredom and Relaxed supposed to swap positions?
highly intelligent people tend to get bored easily too
Holy crap! I left this video because I got bored of it. Then, I realized the irony of me leaving a video explaining boredom because I got bored of it and came back just to type this message.
What if I'm being severely shunned by everyone who has power over me, leaving me blocked from almost all autonomy and relatedness? That leaves me trapped in a perpetual state of worry and anxiety, severe enough and long-lasting enough to be considered living a traumatic lifestyle. Are there any videos that deal with this?
You forgot to mention that this idea is by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi from his book "''Flow''
Janis Salzemnieks ;)
This becomes a lot harder as we age..
I don't remember ever being bored since I got a stable internet connection. Decision paralysis is more of a problem for me, there's just so much stuff out there. Though I guess you could call procrastination that results from it boredom.
Superb video!
I've been doing this for years... Works perfectly.
I think the highly sensitive types are actually experiencing loneliness rather than boredom. Sometimes I feel an intense "boredom" I can't figure out what is wrong and I don't want to do any of my hobbies, but then my sister calls me and then I'm fine and I start to enjoy everything again.
having a break from doing my school project. (it's a comic)
since I am a bit bored. after I finish this,I'm sure it's going to be better than all the ones my friends made.
That moment when I realize I'm both thrill seeking and overly sensitive.
what if I'm not interested in doing things that used to take away boredom before? like painting and hanging out with friends
very nice video and explanation
you took the words out of my mouth, and put them into the words of a million dollar selling authers book! i absolutely agree to that vid! i like these vids, it helps me understand how i can change for a better me, so less time is waste! thanks
I never get bored, even when there's nothing to do, I have no problem sitting down and drowning in my own thoughts for awhile
Great video!
Very interesting video, as always. Thanks for the entertainment and keep up the good work :D
30 seconds in the video and you're describing me... FeelsBadMan
People who are more interested in the concept of Flow can read the book; Flow: The psychology of optimal experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. It's one of the best books on psychology.
the clock-ticking offbeat of this music is not 60 bpm and it irks the shit out of me
Think of it as a crosstick rather than a watch.
Now that this was mentioned, I had to stop the video.
cross stick
next time just turn the audio off ....it's the icon on the bottom of the video that looks like a sound horn...
*smirking like Robert De Niro* "You... You're good, you."
really cool. very thought provoking. cheers.
Haven't been bored since 5 years.
You are one smart person. Holy shit.
I have to stop you at 1:30.
Just because boredome has passed evolution, doesn't make it beneficial.
Geuss what? Depression passed through evolution, cancer too and a ton of other health related diseases and illnesses.
Let's not forget mental illness too.
And while we're at it, poverty and world hunger is still here after all that evolution.
That's a wrong way to apply evolution analysis dude. Boredom is a universal human trait. Medical depression and Cancer are not. They are not universal. In that sense, boredom, or the tendency to get bored, is as much an ability as sight or taste. I think that's how the video also uses boredom.
World hunger is a problem, not a hereditary trait. Are you dumb or trolling?
aktake2 Perhaps they're not as universal, but they are spread out through the entire human species. Depression is still here in countless countries after all that evolution.
But hey, if ~10% of most countries doesn't make it universal let's use another example.
Colds are something nearly everyone gets. It makes you sick and snotty, and there mayhaps be some kind of reaction to bacteria or something it has still passed evolution.
Like it or not, the countless diseases in the world have passed evolution, and just because it's a percentage that's statically noted doesn't make it any leas universal.
I may have gotten off topic with my world hunger but my point stands, evolution doesn't always mean good. Like the point the guy in this video is making, "if we evolved it, must be a good reason".
Sure, what you're saying broadly makes sense. But think about the counter too. We haven't learnt to fly by evolution. Does that mean it's definitely bad? No, right. I don't think the general premise is that passing evolution is proof of benefit. Rather that it makes more sense to approach negative traits through a functional approach.
Diseases and depression are acquired. You aren't born with cancer and aids.
Nice vid!
first video I watched and.... subscribed
excellent video. keep them coming
It would make sense that those who are bored reproduce often lol
There is a fundamental flaw in your understanding of evolution when you try to apply it to boredom, though I still agree with your conclusion. The simple fact that a trait has been persistently passed down only means that it is not a negative trait. This means that while it could be positive, it could also be neutral. The trait for blue eyes, for example, is on the rise, but it is a neutral trait, not a positive one.
"What are you doing and how hard is it" I'm playing a video game and HOLY SHIT IM PRESSING BUTTONS AT INHUMAN REACTION SPEED
You mix up causality and correlation a little but still a good video.
i don't get it,im probe to boredom but im not a thrill seeker nor overly sensitive. im just reallllllllly lazy
JVCD :)
I already know the cure, thinking at least your not underwater without oxygen
Great video. Thanks!
Very good video :) Reflects what I experience..
like the accent. I will think with this accent for the rest of the day now
Motivates me to acquire more skills, thanks!
Thank you for the information.