5 min read
If you are a middle-aged Brit, you may recognise the main image used for this post. This has been my Facebook profile picture since 2020 when I decided to reduce my social media use. Recently, my kids quizzed me on why I chose that ugly picture and what it was. I explained that it was the “BBC Test Card” and it would be displayed on the TV when the BBC were taking a break (typically lasting a couple of hours if I remember rightly) from broadcasting any programmes. It should come as no surprise that these two children who have been raised in the age of on-demand TV found this idea perplexing. What? A break from broadcasting? What would you do if you wanted to watch TV during that time? Well, I can certainly remember the initial distress I felt as a 4-year-old seeking entertainment, only to be met with this strange image of a girl sat with a creepy-looking clown-faced doll. But time and time again, I recovered from my distress; and by early adulthood, I had mastered the art of overcoming boredom, being at peace in my own company and conjuring up ideas out of thin air.
The notion that children these days do not cope well with boredom has been written about by many social commentators and widely discussed in parent circles. But adults are not immune to this predicament either. One of the biggest problems of living in the modern world is our inability to pause. I was aware of this 30 years ago when I was an undergrad first dabbling with meditation, a time which coincided with the advent of the internet. Since then, even though the practice of mindfulness has hit the mainstream, we seem to have gotten worse rather than better at slowing down our mental activity. The “information superhighway” has allowed us to exchange information and communications at increasingly rapid rates; and since most of us now carry this ability around with us in pocket devices, the result is that our mental spaces are constantly bombarded with distractions – all day, every day.
At the dawn of another technological revolution in the form of Artificial Intelligence (AI), with its promises (or threats depending on how you look at it) to take over many of our everyday tasks and perform them with greater speed and precision. I would argue that the precision part still needs tweaking, but we can expect further enhancements over time and then AI will indeed take over many mental tasks currently performed by humans, in the same way that washing machines and dishwashers automated many manual tasks. The bitter irony of the advantages that are sold to us, namely time-saving and increased productivity, is that rather than enjoying the mental space created by AI-driven automation, we then seek to fill it with yet more mental clutter. The human brain and our nervous systems have not evolved enough to cope with such rapid rates of mental activity. Is it any wonder that many of us experience overwhelm or burn-out at some stage, and that ADHD is allegedly on the increase? There is so much more to say on that matter, beyond the scope of this short piece as I am aware that many of you have short attention spans and I would like to keep this brief! Many of us struggle to pause, some are even afraid of it, often mistaking it for boredom or a “waste of time”.
Research evidence suggests that from infancy and throughout our lives, routine and the expectation of having our needs met with a degree of regularity helps us to feel safe. Most of us thrive with routine and it is important for our mental well-being. In extreme cases of safety-seeking behaviours, often associated with traumatic or disturbing experiences, a strong attachment to routine elicits similar neurological responses as addictive behaviours. Staying on the hamster wheel can feel safer for those who fear change. But routine also comes with obligations and commitments that can wear us down over time, and even pleasurable experiences can lose their lustre once they are performed routinely. For those reasons, a short pause or change in routine is healthy. Not only does it allow for rest, relaxation and resetting our nervous systems, but can also create space for reflection and the formation of new ideas and perspectives.
Have you been feeling overwhelmed lately, or generally low? Consider pressing pause on your regular routine. If an extended break is too much of a stretch, try to steal an hour here or there to go for a forest walk or dip in the sea. There are observable mental health benefits to connecting with nature, particularly if you spend long hours using technology. See for yourself how it can lift your mood. When you create space, it allows for growth to occur.
