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Carey, Benedict. “You're Bored, but Your Brain Is Tuned In.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 5 Aug. 2008, www.nytimes.com/2008/08/05/health/research/05mind.html.
My NY Times article explains that are actually our smartest when we are bored. Boredom is good for us and is essential to living a good life. We have our most ground breaking thoughts and ideas when bored. Boredom is a long for stimulation and allows our thoughts to broaden and be creative. The author explains that boredom is more so an opportunity to organize ones thoughts and schedules. In the article, the most shocking read was that time seems to go by slowly when in a state of boredom because our brains are shut down and use less energy, our perception of time is slowed down. It also explains that boredom tends to keep bad company like substance abuse and depression but mainly focuses on the good and doesn't go in depth explaining the bad things.

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High scores in these tests tend to correlate with high scores on measures of depression and impulsivity. But it is not clear which comes first - proneness to boredom, or the mood and behavior problems. "It's the difference between the sort of person who can look at a pool of mud and find something interesting, and someone who has a hard time getting absorbed in anything," said Stephen J. Vodanovich, a psychologist at University of West Florida in Pensacola.

Boredom as a temporary state is another matter, and in part reflects the obvious: that the brain has concluded there is nothing new or useful it can learn from an environment, a person, an event, a paragraph. But it is far from a passive neural shrug. Using brain-imaging technology, neuroscientists have found that the brain is highly active when disengaged, consuming only about 5 percent less energy in its resting "default state" than when involved in routine tasks, according to Dr. Mark Mintun, a professor of radiology at Washington University in St. Louis.

That slight reduction can make a big difference in terms of time perception. The seconds usually seem to pass more slowly when the brain is idling than when it is absorbed. And those stretched seconds are not the live-in-the-moment, meditative variety, either. They are frustrated, restless moments. That combination, psychologists argue, makes boredom a state that demands relief - if not from a catnap or a conversation, then from some mental game.

"When the external and internal conditions are right, boredom offers a person the opportunity for a constructive response," Dr. Belton, co-author of the review in the Cambridge journal, wrote in an e-mail message.

Some evidence for this can be seen in semiconscious behaviors, like doodling during a dull class, braiding strands of hair, folding notebook paper into odd shapes. Daydreaming too can be a kind of constructive self-entertainment, psychologists say, especially if the mind is turning over a problem. In experiments in the 1970s, psychiatrists showed that participants completing word-association tasks quickly tired of the job once obvious answers were given; granted more time, they began trying much more creative solutions, as if the boredom "had the power to exert pressure on individuals to stretch their inventive capacity," Dr. Belton said.

In the past few years, a team of Canadian doctors had the courage to examine the fog of boredom as it thickened before their (drooping) eyes. While attending lectures on dementia, the doctors, Kenneth Rockwood, David B. Hogan and Christopher J. Patterson, kept track of the number of attendees who nodded off during the talks. They found that in an hourlong lecture attended by about 100 doctors, an average of 16 audience members nodded off. "We chose this method because counting is scientific," the authors wrote in their seminal 2004 article in The Canadian Medical Association Journal.

The investigators analyzed the presentations themselves and found that a monotonous tone was most strongly associated with "nod-off episodes per lecture (NOELs)," followed by the sight of a tweed jacket on the lecturer.

In a telephone interview, Dr. Rockwood, a professor of geriatric medicine at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, said when the material presented is familiar, as a lot of it was, then performance is everything. "Really, what it comes down to," he said, "is that if you have some guy up there droning on, it drives people crazy."

Dr. Rockwood and his co-authors have followed up with two more related reports and attribute the inspiration for the continuing project to Dr. Patterson.

Early on in one of those first dementia lectures, he went out cold.

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Boredom May Let the Brain Recast the World in Productive, Creative Ways

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High scores in these tests tend to correlate with high scores on measures of depression and impulsivity. But it is not clear which comes first - proneness to boredom, or the mood and behavior problems. "It's the difference between the sort of person who can look at a pool of mud and find something interesting, and someone who has a hard time getting absorbed in anything," said Stephen J.

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“5 Reasons Being Bored Is Good For You.” HuffPost, HuffPost, 10 Apr. 2013, www.huffpost.com/entry/7-ways-boredom-can-be-goo_n_3055006

This article lists multiple ways that boredom is good for one. Starting out with the fact that it can help one avoid a tech addiction. Our cellphones don't allow us to be bored, they allow us to constantly have something to do, such as watching TV or scrolling through social media. The article states that boredom is crucial due to the fact that it allows one to clear the mind and come up with new and creative ideas, whether it be for an assignment, or just in life. Lastly, the article goes into depth about boredom being a stress reliever. It is a stress reliever because your mind is clear and you can sort put your schedule or whatever has you stressed out.

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For all the wonderful ways that smartphones make life easier and information more accessible, they're also adding a whole lot of unnecessary distraction to our lives. After all, why walk, sit or simply wait when you could be tweeting or surfing Pinterest at the same time? But the truth is, we're not programmed to be constantly in "go" mode, and this overstimulation can have some seriously negative health impacts, including higher stress levels, lack of focus and creativity, and technology addiction. Our solution? Good old-fashioned boredom.

Taking time to be bored (no, we don't mean spacing out in chem class) and letting yourself pause from friends, obligations, and technology is actually one of the best things you can do for your health. If you're used to keeping yourself constantly occupied, doing nothing may initially make you feel anxious. But slowing down can actually make you more productive in the long-term -- not to mention more creative, happier and less stressed.

Scroll down for five reasons to turn off your phone, clear out your schedule, a give your mind a break by taking the time to simply do nothing.
1. It Will Help You Avoid A Tech Addiction.
Smartphone addiction is a real thing, and it's not pretty. It can cause you to feel upset and anxious when you can't check your phone, make you experience imaginary cell phone vibrations, and it can distract you from the (more important) real people and things that exist around you.

Constant mindless stimulation isn't healthy: Spending too much time using technology and social media has been linked to depression and anxiety, poor academic performance, and poor sleep.

So the next time you have five minutes or a full hour to kill, stick your phone in your bag and kill time the old-fashioned way: By letting boredom take you wherever it wants to, whether it's daydreaming, doodling, or just sitting around.
2. Boredom Can Boost Creativity.
Instead of thinking of boredom as a waste of time, try to look at it as a necessary rest for your brain that can leave your mind feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. Giving your mind a break from the constant stimulation of technology allows it to better take in new things and have new thoughts, which can boost creativity. Neuroscience research has even found that daydreaming involves the same processes that govern imagination and creativity. So if you're looking to get more creative, get bored.
3. You Can Discover New Hobbies & Interests.
Think of all the extra time, energy and brain-space that you'll have for new things when you stop trying to fill every moment of your time with mindless activities. If you use the extra energy you have when you're bored to try a new activity, you'll enjoy your time and learn something, whereas if you're just scrolling through Instagram, you won't really have gained anything. Make the most of your time by letting yourself be bored.

4. Doing Nothing Can Help You Cultivate Mindfulness.

Doing nothing is the essence of mindfulness, the practice of focusing one's awareness entirely on the present moment. Even if you don't follow a full mindfulness meditation practice, the research has found significant health benefits of mindfulness, including improved sleep, emotional stability and more success with weight-loss efforts.
5. Unplugging & Recharging Can Relieve Stress.
Heavy cell phone and technology use has been linked to stress, depression and fatigue in young adults. Take some time to unplug and recharge for improved sleep and less stress.

Tell us: Do you ever give yourself time to be bored? Do you find that slowing down helps you feel less stressed? Share your thoughts in the comments below or tweet @HuffPostTeen.

BEFORE YOU GO

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For all the wonderful ways that smartphones make life easier and information more accessible, they're also adding a whole lot of unnecessary distraction to our lives. After all, why walk, sit or simply wait when you could be tweeting or surfing Pinterest at the same time?

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Puniewska, Maggie. “The Surprising Health Benefits of Being Bored.” Shape Magazine, Shape Magazine, 14 Jan. 2016, www.shape.com/lifestyle/mind-and-body/surprising-health-benefits-being-bored
Author begins with a personal experience that relates to the reader and gets them hooked. She defines boredom as wanting but not being able to engage in anything satisfying. We feel the need to constantly keep ourselves busy but boredom is a must in order to keep your self sane.

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One morning during my commute, I found myself without my usual literary distractions. Instead, I had the rare opportunity to observe my fellow New Yorkers in their most natural and probably most frequented habitat: the subway. A 40-minute ride revealed that approximately 90 percent of them were locked into vigorous mobile games of Candy Crush or Words with Friends, or engulfed in print or digital reading materials. They were doing everything they could to avoid being present with the drudgery of a long subway ride.

As digital technologies have enabled constant engagement, it can seem like we as a society have entered a battle with boredom (either actual or anticipated), and that any moment without distraction or entertainment signifies a "loss" in the duel.

But as it turns out, we might be thinking about boredom all wrong. Research suggests that, rather than a feeling to be avoided, boredom (in moderation) should be embraced. The happy balance between chronic boredom and constant engagement can prove beneficial for our minds and even our careers.

RELATED: 22 Ways to Improve Your Life in 2 Minutes or Less
What It Means to Be Bored
Though boredom may seem like a phenomenon of the 21st century-an unfortunate consequence of briefly unplugging after being plugged in all the time-it's actually been recorded for centuries. The doldrums that are familiar to us were illustrated in Pompeian graffiti, described in Roman philosophy as a kind of nausea, and documented in Christian tradition as a "noonday demon." Virtually everyone- from Socrates to the kid on the subway-gets bored.

While the concept of boredom is as old as time, scientists are just chipping away at what exactly it means and how it occurs. The most widely accepted definition is described in terms of attention: boredom is the frustrating experience of wanting but being unable to engage in satisfying activity, meaning a bored person cannot engage the internal (thoughts or feelings) or external (environment) factors necessary to produce a satisfying activity.

For instance, if you're sitting in your room watching Keeping Up With the Kardashians (but the fact that Kim is picking out her 100th Gucci onesie is not interesting) while checking Instagram (but the photos of your friends' lunches or engagement rings are not stimulating), you might end up feeling bored because you can't find something that adequately captures your attention at the moment. Once an engaging activity is found (say, you start planning the healthy meals you're going to bring to the work potluck), the sense of boredom seems to disappear.
Bored To Tears Genius-The Upsides of ENNUI
Boredom may seem like an annoying feeling that we should try to dissipate immediately, but science says it can actually benefit our thoughts and lives. Research suggests that passive, so-called "boring" activities, such as reading or attending meetings at work, can lead to more creativity. That's because being bored can promote daydreaming, which can allow us to make new, innovative connections.

It's a novel concept to accept in the modern, workaholic world. Too often, many of us feel expected to be constantly engaged with something (or anything) for fear of appearing lazy-whether it's researching, calling clients, or asking for more work if we finish our share. No one wants the boss to walk by their desk while they're staring into space. And the boss probably doesn't want that, either: one survey found that many organizations view boredom as an obstacle to organizational efficiency and innovation.

But occasional, passing boredom (not the chronic kind) that increases daydreaming can actually help achieve the ingenuity that organizations seek. And it's in desperate demand: Psychologists have found that America is experiencing a creativity decline, with scores decreasing each year since 1990 (even while IQ increases).

Other research suggests that boredom encourages the pursuit of new goals when a previous objective is deemed no longer interesting. If a worker is disinterested with their job, for instance, it may signify that the job isn't the right fit or they're not being challenged. Realizing this, they might ask the boss for more responsibility or seek other opportunities. It's not to say one should call it quits after a couple of uninspiring days at the office (or dates with a significant other), but being aware of the caliber and frequency of boredom can serve as the catalyst for bettering a situation.
RELATED: Bored to Death Bad Health-When Boredom Doesn't Help 10 Ways to Be Happier at Work Without Changing Jobs
While occasional boredom can inspire creativity and deliberate action, it can also lead to less healthy behaviors. A common result of tedium is mindless snacking or eating, which research has found to occur both in obese and non-obese individuals. Researchers speculate that the mind enjoys eating while bored because preparing, cooking, and chewing food shifts our mind away from the bored state to a highly sensory one, which temporarily alleviates our doldrums.
Embracing Boredom-The Takeaway
Chronic boredom has also been linked to more serious mental health issues. One study revealed that participants' predisposition to boredom was a strong predictor of paranoia. Another study of undergrads found that those most prone to boredom also scored highly for symptoms of anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. The research doesn't imply causation, but it suggests that boredom may be a component of more serious mental health conditions. The key, it seems, is moderation.
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Occasional boredom is pretty much inevitable and can occur in a multitude of situations and for many different reasons. The point is not to eradicate boredom or to be bored all the time, but rather to aim for a healthy dose. A good bout of boredom shouldn't be viewed as a bad circumstance but rather as an opportunity to unplug, daydream, and let your creative juices flow. Need more proof? Newton was purportedly just sitting under an apple tree when he discovered gravity.

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The Surprising Health Benefits of Being Bored

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One morning during my commute, I found myself without my usual literary distractions. Instead, I had the rare opportunity to observe my fellow New Yorkers in their most natural and probably most frequented habitat: the subway.

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Fader, Sarah. “Boredom And Depression: Can One Lead To The Other?” BetterHelp,

BetterHelp, 23 July 2017, www.betterhelp.com/advice/depression/boredom-and-depression:-can-one-lead-to-the-other/
Boredom often motivates people to go out, take one new or old hobbies, or just do something they've always wanted to do, while for others who are already depressed it can lead to bad thoughts and feelings. The article defines boredom as destructive because often it leads to drug and alcohol abuse or an excessive amount of sexual partners . For most of us, boredom only lasts short periods of time, while for others its called existential boredom, meaning they don't find anything in life interesting and try so hard to find something stimulating that they go to extremes.

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Boredom And Depression: Can One Lead To The Other? | BetterHelp

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Boredom unfortunately gives can cause depression to worsen to the point of having suicidal thoughts. This can be refuted by a counselor by changing your mindset.

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Franzmeier, Stephen. “BOREDOM REALLY CAN MAKE YOU SICK TEDIOUS TIMES MAY TRIGGER PHYSICAL WOES.” OrlandoSentinel.com, 9 Oct. 2018, www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1988-12-20-0090160197-story.html.
Explains that TOO much boredom can lead to illness. Illnesses such as backaches, headaches, insomnia or even mental illnesses like depression and anxiety. It's now seen as one of America's biggest health problems. Drug and alcohol abuse is also linked to boredom. Due to our boredom we create problems for ourselves, its basically psychological and non existent, but hurts as much as actual pain. The article states that people do dangerous things to get high and once they come down from it, the boredom is inevitable which makes them create problems for themselves.

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It can give you a backache, a headache, insomnia, chronic fatigue -- even impotence.

Studies have shown it has a direct link to alcohol and drug abuse. It has also been associated with gambling, perverse sex and hypochondria. And millions suffer from it.

It's boredom.

According to one study, more than 20 million Americans are afflicted. On top of that, a Lou Harris survey found that 40 percent of American workers are bored sick with their jobs.

No longer seen only as a complaint of the chronic malingerer, boredom has come to be recognized as one of America's most serious health problems. Scientists have discovered that, in addition to causing psychological disorders, boredom is often at the root of many physical problems.

According to Estelle Ramey, Ph.D., professor of physiology and biophysics at Georgetown University Medical School, the physical symptoms of boredom may mimic a whole range of disorders, including: menstrual problems; chronic fatigue; sexual dysfunction; dizziness; skin rashes; headaches; backaches; shortness of breath; insomnia; excessive sleeping; stomach pains; personality changes and chest pains.

"When there's no physical cause for these ailments, they're often the result of boredom," Ramey says. "In other words, such pain is psychogenic, or mental, in origin. Unfortunately, psychogenic pain hurts just as much as any other kind."

Boredom even has been identified as a risk factor in heart disease.

And in a study at Ohio State University, boredom, compounded with loneliness, was shown to depress the body's immune system and thus retard its ability to ward off cancer.

Studies at Florida State University also found a strong relationship between boredom and the frequency of alcohol and drug abuse.

What are the most common causes of boredom? Psychologists list: unfulfilled expectations, unchallenging jobs, too much spectating and too little participating.

"Our society has created a population that can't tolerate monotony. Even a little loneliness or occasional inactivity is too much for some people to bear," says Ramey. She also blames the media, and television programs such as Dallas and Dynasty in particular, for hyping expectations about what our lives should be like. "We can't fulfill the sexual, power or wealth fantasies that we see on television," says Ramey. "We try. We fail. And then we're bored." Common phrases that signal a state of boredom include: "I'm frustrated," "I've had it up to here," and "I don't care anymore."

Boredom isn't limited to those who are idle and jobless. The workplace is also a major source of boredom, and consequently, a source of several psychological and physical ailments.

The National Centers for Disease Control anticipate a sharp rise in neuroses, depression, anxiety, irritability and drug abuse, as well as physical complaints such as headaches and stomachaches, as jobs in the American workplace become more repetitive and boring due to automation.

The same report predicts that the number of complaints stemming from boredom will soon be as high as is the number from accidental injury.

"Boredom at the workplace often occurs when people choose the safer, no- risk path -- not the path of variety and stimulation," says psychiatrist John Curran.

Explains Bobette Williamson, director of Motivators, a San Diego human resources development firm: "Often, people expect to be further along in their careers than they are and become discouraged and bored with their jobs. Ironically, the same people are often doing better than their contemporaries."

Physical inactivity is another likely cause of boredom.

"When we exercise, our bodies release hormones called endorphins into the bloodstream," explains Dr. Robert Heath, professor of psychiatry at Tulane University. "The result is a euphoria called kinesthesia -- a natural high that helps fight boredom."

But because of the sedentary nature of many jobs, few Americans get enough exercise to give them that high.

"We've also become a nation of spectator sportsmen," adds Heath.

Many experts agree that boredom is a major reason for thrill seeking,

gambling and even promiscuous and perverse sexual behavior.

Howard Glasser, president of Corporate Psychological Services in New York, says many people use thrills and excitement as a shortcut to the body's release of endorphins -- the same hormones secreted during exercise.

"People do dangerous things to get that natural high," says Glasser. "Though you may offset boredom for a while, after coming down, you sink into a hole worse than the one you started from."

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Stephen Franzmeier, Health & Fitness News Service

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BOREDOM REALLY CAN MAKE YOU SICK TEDIOUS TIMES MAY TRIGGER PHYSICAL WOES

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It can give you a backache, a headache, insomnia, chronic fatigue -- even impotence. Studies have shown it has a direct link to alcohol and drug abuse. It has also been associated with gambling, perverse sex and hypochondria. And millions suffer from it.

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Ducharme, Jamie. “Being Bored Can Be Good for You-If You Do It Right. Here's How.” Time, Time, 4 Jan. 2019,
www.time.com/5480002/benefits-of-boredom/
This article by Jamie Ducharme explains that brilliance strikes when you're bored. Unlike my other sources, Ducharme states that boredom actually promotes mental health and can help with anxiety and depression. But she also states it must be done in the right way. Yoga and meditation are not seen as boredom. Boredom would happen when one is on a walk or when swimming by yourself. When doing another activity, it's a healthier kind of boredom.

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Being Bored Can Be Good for You-If You Do It Right

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Boredom can be a good thing. The benefits of boredom include creativity, problem-solving and better mental health. Here's how to be bored.

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Eagleman, David. The Brain: the Story of You. Vintage Books, 2017.

Include possible facts about the brain to give reader background info before learning about main idea.

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This is a very subjective question. Meaning it always depends on who you're asking. Because none of this has yet to be "proven" people will argue forThis is a very subjective question. Meaning it always depends on who you're asking. Because none of this has yet to be "proven" people will argue for whoever's research and theories they agree with. I can give you some of my own personal (and I try really hard to be objective and steer clear of opinions, but that will always have a role so that's just my warning label of sorts, ha) but because this is such a big topic today it'd help if you were more specific... do you mean subconscious mind just basically like how we make decisions, fears, etc or do you want to go deeper meaning the abnormal subconscious mind and/or subconscious mind of trauma, etc. there are so many good out there. If you want recs let me know, but another good way to find is to do a bit of research online and/or going to a book store and looking at several books that deal with your specific questions... I hope this helps! ...more (less)

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This is a very subjective question. Meaning it always depends on who you're asking. Because none of this has yet to be "proven" people will argue forThis is a very subjective question. Meaning it always depends on who you're asking. Because none of this has yet to be "proven" people will argue for whoever's research and theories they agree with.

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I interviewed former classmate Alicia Nelson. She has faced severe depression and anxiety for many years now. She explained to me how she doesn't like to be bored, she needs to constantly have something playing in the background while she's asleep or she will always have her phone at hand because before she gets too deep into her thoughts she will go on her phone to distract her. For a while she would resort to drinking to get her mind off of things right away which is a good example of boredom leading alcohol or drug abuse. She felt that alcohol would take her anxiousness and sadness away so she didn't have to worry about any panic attacks.

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This was the scholarly article that I chose. It talks about boredom in adolescence and how it leads to feelings of loneliness and essentially leading to disorders. This article gives examples of two different people that faced loneliness and boredom and how it affected them.

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Loneliness at adolescence: Correlates, attributions, and coping

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The present study provides much needed empirical data on the adolescent loneliness experience. One hundred adolescents were given measures of loneliness, loneliness attributions, coping styles, and...