At Capella University, learning online doesn't mean learning alone.
You'll get support from people who care about your success, like your enrollment specialist, who gets to know you and the goals you'd like to achieve.
You'll also get a designated academic coach who's with you throughout your entire program.
Plus, career coaches are available to help you navigate your professional goals.
A different future is closer than you think with Capella University.
Learn more at capella.edu.
Every holiday shopper's got a list, but Ross shoppers, you've got a mission.
Like a gift run that turns into a disco snow globe throw, pillows and PJs for the whole family, dog included.
At Ross, holiday magic isn't about spending more, it's about giving more for less.
Ross, work your magic.
Why do we need to get bored more often?
Thanks for asking.
In this day and age, we barely have time to be bored.
What with the endless stream of notifications coming from our smartphones music, TV shows games, work and social media all demanding our attention around the clock, our brains have become addicted to constant stimulation.
And as a result, doing nothing has become almost unbearable.
But there are actually benefits to getting bored, which is what we're going to talk about today.
That's a good question.
You're probably familiar with feeling a little irritated or frustrated when you get bored.
Some neuroscientists have even compared it to pain.
Before smartphones had become as advanced and ubiquitous as they are these days, science had already shown that we're generally not very good at doing nothing.
A 2014 study from the University of Virginia saw researchers lock volunteers alone in a room for 15 minutes with no distractions.
The only thing they could do was press a button that gave them a mild electric shock.
Two-thirds of the male participants and one-quarter of the female participants actually chose to shock themselves rather than sit alone with their thoughts.
That may be because our brains switch to something called the default mode network when we get bored, which makes us think about things that make us feel uncomfortable, like existential questions.
If it's so unpleasant then why should we let ourselves get bored?
First of all, boredom makes the brain more efficient.
These empty moments allow it to sort information, organize memories and build long-term recollections.
Boredom can also push us to innovate, stepping outside our comfort zones.
And that's backed up by a number of scientific studies.
In 2019, psychologists Shane Bench and Heather Lynch suggested that boredom actually serves a function in human evolution driving us to move, to seek improvement, to look for something better.
In 2014, British researchers Sandy Mann and Rebecca Cadman explained that the brain needs emptiness A space without specific goals, in order to wander freely.
During these pauses it starts to seek novelty, forming new ideas and connections.
What's the right way of getting bored then?
Well, not by scrolling on our phones for one thing.
Talking to the BBC in 2017, Sandy Mann suggested scheduling daydreaming time or doing activities like swimming, where the mind is able to wander without electronic distractions.
And while the kind of existential questions that come up when we get bored might make us uncomfortable, there's an argument that they're still incredibly important to spend time thinking about.
Writing in the Harvard Business Review in August 2025 under the title You Need to Be Bored?
Here's Why Professor Arthur C Brooks suggested this could help people find meaning in their lives, thereby reducing the risk of depression and anxiety.
Brooks recommends regular phone-free periods of 15 minutes or more, as well as device-free meal times at home.
There you have it.
Now you know why we need to get bored more often.
In under three minutes, we answer your questions and help you understand the true meaning behind the trends, concepts and acronyms that are making headlines.
Listen along and you will really know for sure.
Apple Watch measures your bedtime consistency. interruptions, and sleep duration.
Then, every morning it combines these factors into an easy-to-understand score from 1 to 100.
So you'll know how to take the quality of your sleep from good to excellent.
Introducing the new sleep score on Apple Watch, iPhone 11 or later required.
Hey, Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile.
Now, I don't know if you've heard, but Mint's Premium Wireless is $15 a month.
But I'd like to offer one other perk.
We have no stores.
That means no small talk.
Crazy weather we're having.
No, it's not.
It's just weather.
It is an introvert's dream.
Give it a try at mintmobile.com slash switch.
