logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2021
19m 29s

How boredom can lead to your most brilli...

TED
About this episode

Do you sometimes have your most creative ideas while folding laundry, washing dishes or doing nothing in particular? It's because when your body goes on autopilot, your brain gets busy forming new neural connections that connect ideas and solve problems. Learn to love being bored as Manoush Zomorodi explains the connection between spacing out and creativity. Manoush is the host of NPR's TED Radio Hour and ZigZag, a podcast from the TED Audio Collective. After the talk, Modupe gives suggestions for inspiring more boredom in your daily life.



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Oct 30
Unlocking Your Power at Work: Kara Swisher on how to get what you want | from Fixable
No matter where you fall on the corporate food chain, you have power at work—you just might not know how to use it. In this new series on Unlocking Your Power at Work, Anne and Frances dig into how to discover, build, and use your power, explore common power dynamics in the workp ... Show More
34m 24s
Oct 30
Unlocking Your Power at Work: Why you underestimate your own power with Deborah Gruenfeld
In the modern workplace, hierarchy and power differences are often viewed as problems to solve. But Deborah Gruenfeld has a different perspective: hierarchy is not only essential to organizations, but we actually crave it in our relationships and communities. Deborah is a profess ... Show More
42m 56s
Oct 30
Unlocking Your Power at Work: How to build your financial power with Mrs. Dow Jones
Money can’t buy happiness, but it can buy you the freedom to make powerful choices. Haley Sacks, also known as Mrs. Dow Jones, is the host of the podcast Financial Tea and a bestselling author the Wall Street Journal calls “the financial guru millennials listen to.” In this episo ... Show More
32m 53s
Recommended Episodes
May 2020
How boredom can lead to your most brilliant ideas | Manoush Zomorodi
Do you sometimes have your most creative ideas while folding laundry, washing dishes or doing nothing in particular? It's because when your body goes on autopilot, your brain gets busy forming new neural connections that connect ideas and solve problems. Learn to love being bored ... Show More
17 m
Jan 2018
Manoush Zomorodi, Host of 'Note to Self' Podcast
Manoush Zomorodi, the host of WNYC's "Note to Self" podcast, is an advocate for boredom because allowing our minds to wander, she says, can lead to problem solving and fresh ideas. Her book, "Bored and Brilliant: How Spacing Out Can Unlock Your Most Productive and Creative Self," ... Show More
58m 40s
Aug 2021
ATG 35: 4 ways to master the art of Strategic Boredom
<p>When’s the last time you were really bored? If you’re like me, it’s probably the last time you were in the shower. That seems to be the only time when I’m not trying to maximize productivity by multi-tasking or listening to an audiobook or podcast. <br/><br/>Most of us have pa ... Show More
30m 2s
Jan 2025
Feeling Bored? That May Actually Motivate You
Boredom – it’s a state many of us try to avoid. But, in a world full of distractions, maybe it’s time to embrace boredom as a way to spark creativity and reclaim our attention. Dr. Sanjay Gupta sits down with cognitive neuroscientist James Danckert to explore how boredom affects ... Show More
32m 47s
Aug 2023
Can boredom be good for you?
Boredom is something we all feel sometimes, when nothing seems fun or interesting. But have you ever wondered what’s actually going on in your brain when you feel that way? Can it ever be good for you to be bored? Molly and co-host Maisie explore how boredom can lead to creativit ... Show More
33m 39s
Sep 2025
You Need to Be Bored. Here’s Why.
What if the real solution to your problems isn’t working harder, learning more, or being more productive — but doing less? In this episode, I’ll show you how boredom unlocks your creativity, restores your nervous system, and gives you the wisdom you’ve been searching for. Feeling ... Show More
16m 29s
Aug 2025
The Brilliance of Boredom with creative polymath Elle Cordova
We’re wired to chase the next spark - scrolling, swiping, refreshing - but some of our brightest ideas sneak in when we stop chasing, let boredom settle in and give our minds room to wander. Elle Cordova knows the power of that pause. When the pandemic hit pause on her life as a ... Show More
1h 5m
Jun 2021
How to be Idle
Is crushing office boredom a curse or an opportunity?Manuela Saragosa hears from David Bolchover, a writer who spent years at major insurance firms with almost nothing to do all day, and Tom Hodgkinson, founder of the Idler magazine, on why being idle is so important to the creat ... Show More
18 m
Apr 2022
BITESIZE #63 | Mary Portas: Why being bored can be good for you
<p>This week’s bitesize highlight comes from retail and brand communication expert Mary Portas, who explains why boredom can be good for you, as it enables creativity and problem-solving by allowing the mind to wander and daydream.<strong>&nbsp;</strong></p><br><p>Listen to the f ... Show More
5m 59s