Jean-Paul Sartre, a French playwright, novelist, screenwriter, and political activist, called boredom a "leprosy of the soul”, and Danish theologian, Søren Aabye Kierkegaard, saw it as the root of all evil, but whatever it is—an emotion, a personality trait, a chemical imbalance (and no scientific consensus exists)—clearly boredom is unpleasant, wrote Carla Cantor in the article ‘Why Being Bored Can Be Hazardous to Your Health’. But many may wonder; how does boredom affect your health?

Though boredom is known to trigger creativity among some people, too much boredom may drive one to a place of overthinking that at times is negative.

Some studies state that adults who are prone to boredom have a diminished sense of life satisfaction and purpose, develop negative outcomes and well-being, which can result in making unhealthy and unsafe choices.

Experts say that boredom is marked by an empty feeling, a sense of frustration with that emptiness. It’s hard to focus while bored as you can easily get distracted.

When you’re bored, you may have a limited attention span and lack of interest in what’s happening around you. You may also feel apathetic, fatigued, nervous,

Boredom can exacerbate your mental health symptoms if you have a pre-existing mental health condition, such as an anxiety disorder, ADHD, or bipolar disorder. For individuals with schizophrenia and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), boredom can increase the severity and frequency of symptoms like paranoia, hallucinations, and mood swings, according to the National Institutes of Health—NIH.

Dr Celestin Mutuyimana, a clinical psychologist at Baho-Ubudaheranwa Clinic in Gikondo, says that people who experience boredom more frequently and with greater intensity are more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol, gamble compulsively, binge-eat, drop out of school, drive recklessly and suffer from anxiety or depression.

He explains that boredom is often experienced when an individual perceives themselves as being temporarily confined to a situation or activity that lacks value for one reason or another.

Dr Mutuyimana says that activities that have low arousal (interest) are associated with the release of lower levels of dopamine which in turn might be the cause of boredom.

However, he adds that boredom can be triggered by other antecedents. For example, boredom at work can result in a lot of obligation, routine, lack of social stimulation and an unfriendly environment. On the other hand, boredom at home can be preceded by alienation, loss of mobility, loss of incentive, and so forth.

Signs and how to get through boredom

Dr Mutuyimana notes that boredom creates restlessness, feelings of stress, trapped in frustration, fatigue, lack of concentration, awareness of time passing slowly, guilt about wasting time, meaninglessness, and much more.

He advises taking breaks, setting goals, getting occupied with something, and working with a team.

In addition, Dr Mutuyimana urges partaking in physical exercise, meditation or mindfulness, fun activities with others, acceptance and persistence.

He says that you should take part in positive philosophy, spirituality, do things of interest, accept the current situation, and have a sense of humour.

The National Institutes of Health states that although everyone gets bored from time to time, cultivating different interests and hobbies can help you avoid long stretches of boredom. When you’re engaged in an activity that you enjoy, it’s much easier to take care of your mental health. Some productive ways to combat boredom include, volunteering at a local organisation, spending time outdoors biking, hiking, or taking walks.

"Among others, such as, teaching yourself a new skill, like learning a new language, reading a book or listening to a podcast, joining a meetup group to connect with new people, and finding new ways to express yourself through writing or painting are all helpful.”

However, according to Healthline, in some cases, boredom may actually be beneficial. Feeling bored can help push you to try new activities or explore other hobbies and interests. It can also promote self-awareness and problem-solving by encouraging you to identify the cause of your boredom so that you can address it.

"Research over the last decade has shown that boredom alone won’t kill you. However, long-term boredom may increase your risk for an early death. This is because boredom may increase stress hormones in the body, which can lead to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease.”