In today's world, we often find people, especially teenagers, being addicted to something or the other. It can be as mundane as a food addiction to as serious as drug addiction. I wanted to explore more and understand the reason behind such addictions and their possible connection with boredom.
Boredom is broadly defined as the state of being weary and restless through lack of interest. It seems to be a specific mental state that people find unpleasant—a lack of stimulation that leaves them craving for relief, with a host of behavioural, medical and social consequences. Addiction is defined as an inability to control/stop using a substance or engaging in a behaviour/activity even though it is causing psychological and/or physical harm.
Boredom and addiction go hand in hand. When someone is bored, it is easier for them to be addicted, leaving them vulnerable. This is because boredom is caused by the lack of external stimuli in the brain. Another reason can be a hormone called serotonin, which is responsible for making you happy. During this state, the mind will look for anything that will occupy it. When the brain finds a task that releases high dopamine levels and is stimulating, it will become addicted to that task, which mostly clouds proper judgment. Without the right guidance, it can lead to disastrous situations.
There is a lot of progress made regarding the neurobiology of addiction. People who are addicted to a substance and/or activity generally show the following signs and symptoms:
Using more of the substance or indulging in the activity than the person initially planned
Unable to stop performing the activity or using the substance, despite negative health effects
Experiencing relationship problems as a result
Being unable to keep up with daily responsibilities
Though boredom is commonly perceived as a bad feeling, it can be used to our advantage in the right proportion. The human brain is a powerful tool and has to be channelized properly. Whether we are aware or unaware, the brain is thinking and dealing with decisions, stressors, and subconscious activities incessantly. But even though the human brain has a large capacity, it is not devoid of limitations. Boredom, in a sense, motivates people to approach new and rewarding activities. Thus, being bored can help foster observation and creativity. The observation and creativity, which may result from boredom, when channelized inward, can help us battle with the most common problem we face as teenagers: ‘Complexity Of Thoughts.’
A positive and right attitude plays a very vital role in having a healthy mindset. This mindset helps to curtail boredom leading to addictive behaviours.
Meditation helps in bringing this state of balance. As we meditate, we learn to manage our thoughts which in turn help in focusing and thus assist in achieving our desired goal with a clear mindset.
Especially when we are young, our minds are open to adapting to new ways to think, shaping our character and behaviour.
“Give boredom a try and see what your brain comes up with,” says Walf.
Bibliography
"The Creative Benefits of Boredom." Harvard Business Review. 05 Nov. 2014. Web: https://hbr.org/2014/09/the-creative-benefits-of-boredom
"Boredom: A Possible Road to Addiction." Psychology Today. Sussex Publishers. Web:https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/heartache-hope/201304/boredom-possible-road-addiction
Edited by Editorial StaffLast Updated: November 25, 2019. "The Addiction Cycle: Phases of the Chronically Relapsing Disease." American Addiction Centers. 25 Nov. 2019. Web:https://americanaddictioncenters.org/the-addiction-cycle
Uhl, George R, George F Koob, and Jennifer Cable. "The Neurobiology of Addiction." Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. John Wiley and Sons Inc., Sept. 2019. Web:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6767400/
Openness to experience, or just being open, is a fundamental personality trait that indicates your receptiveness to new information, ideas, and experiences. In order to retain newly gained knowledge in our memory, related brain changes need to occur. New connections between neurons and synapses are formed in places such as the amygdala, the hippocampus, the cerebellum, and the prefrontal cortex, which are involved in memory processing. It was once believed that as we aged, the neural networks became more rigid due to insufficient exposure caused by a lack of learning. But in the past two decades, research reveals that the brain never stops changing and adjusting. The capacity of the brain to change with learning is called plasticity. Neuroplasticity is the capacity of neurons and neural networks in the brain to change their connections. Neuroscientist Eleanor Maguire of University College London (U.C.L.) conducted a study on London's taxi drivers who could navigate the smog-fille...
Very well written..... Thought process is very clear. Am feeling very inspired
ReplyDelete