While most people find a day off to be a relaxing mental health break, doing nothing can be stressful for highly impulsive people. Now, two recent studies have found that highly impulsive people are more likely to act rashly and make unhealthy decisions when bored.
Everyone acts without thinking every now and then, buying a shirt they don’t need, spontaneously booking a trip, and so on. However, highly impulsive people take it to a whole new level. Chronic impulsivity is linked to several mental health conditions, such as ADHD, borderline personality disorder, and substance use disorder.
Recent studies, published in the journal Physiology & Behavior, found that boredom can provoke impulsive actions in people prone to high impulsivity. A look at their cortisol levels found engaging in boring tasks to be stressful, and impulsivity could be a reaction to this stress. The findings can help create more personalized treatments for reducing stress and improving the mental health of people with poor impulse control.
“Our findings shed light on the biological underpinnings of why some individuals, particularly those with high impulsivity, find boredom more stressful than others,” says James Clay, a researcher at the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research and Dalhousie University, in a media release. “By identifying how their stress response is triggered, and that cortisol is a key mediator, we can begin to better understand why this happens and to explore targeted interventions that help manage these reactions.”
From a psychological point of view, boredom is a type of psychological stress because it is a state of restless dissatisfaction. A bored person craves some form of stimulation. The authors argue impulsive people seek more extreme forms of stimulation because they are more affected by the psychological stress of boredom.
“We know highly impulsive people are more likely to develop addictions over a lifespan. There has always been a connection between impulsiveness and boredom, but the mechanisms behind this relationship aren’t fully understood,” notes Matt Parker, a neuroscientist at the University of Surrey.
Earlier theories about ADHD attempted to explain the connection between impulsive behavior and boredom. One explanation is that people are impatient. However, more research is needed to explain the mechanism for how boredom triggers these people to act impatiently. Understanding the mechanism could help create more effective coping strategies for feeling more comfortable with boredom.
The first study looked at 80 people completing a boring task and then being asked how it made them feel. The results showed highly impulsive people are more prone to boredom than others.
The second study took it one step further by looking at people’s bodily responses when bored. Saliva samples from 20 people before and after the boring task measured people’s cortisol levels — the physical response to stress. They found boredom increased stress hormone levels among highly impulsive people.
“Our research supports the hypothesis that high-impulsive people experience greater physiological responses to boredom. If we can find ways to mitigate these stress symptoms it might prevent them from seeking unhealthy stress reliefs, like drugs or gambling,” Parker concludes.
Whether it’s internet rabbit holes or endless social media interactions, a new poll finds the more time you spend obsessing over what’s happening on your screen, the worse your mental health gets.
According to the survey, the average American feels like they lose three days per month while consuming online content. The poll of 2,000 Americans revealed that 36 days of our year are lost to scrolling, streaming, and bingeing content. It’s even worse for younger people. Gen Z Americans feel like they lose closer to five days per month.
The comprehensive study on media consumption trends by Talker Research also revealed that excessive content consumption can result in feelings of guilt, with the average respondent having three pangs of guilt per month. On average, Americans consume about six hours of content per day, with Gen Z Americans consuming closer to seven.
In honor of World Mental Health Day, the data split respondents based on their self-reported mental health and found that poor mental health and media consumption appear to have an uncomfortable connection.
Those with “very poor” mental health lose nearly six days per month to content consumption, while 19% of those who say their mental health is “very poor” estimate that they lose 15 or more days per month. In comparison, those with excellent and good mental health lose the fewest days (2.7).
This also aligned with feelings of guilt. Those with“very poor” mental health feel guilty most often — roughly seven times per month. Nearly half of those polled (42%) admit they feel like they consume “too much” media, and 36% say their mood is “often” negatively affected by something they see on social media.
Gen Z Americans were the most likely to feel like they consumed too much media, with 66% agreeing with that sentiment. Interestingly, those with “very poor” mental health were also found to be the most likely to use TikTok regularly (38%) and the most likely to report being “very likely” to be on their phone while watching something on television (46%).
Dr. Sham Singh, a Harbor UCLA-trained psychiatrist at Winit Clinic, offered three helpful tips for managing screen time to alleviate feelings of guilt.
- Implement a “Tech-Free” Zone. “Creating designated areas where technology is off-limits in your home can significantly impact your daily habits,” Singh says. “For instance, by making your bedroom a tech-free zone, you promote better sleep hygiene and relaxation, free from the distractions of notifications and screens. Similarly, establishing a tech-free dining room encourages meaningful conversations and family bonding during meals. These intentional spaces reduce screen time, foster healthier interactions, or enjoy quiet moments.”
- Set Phone-Free Intentions: “Before you reach for your phone, I advise you to take a moment to set a clear intention for its use,” says Singh. “Ask yourself what you need to accomplish—checking messages, researching a topic, or responding to an email. This practice encourages a more mindful approach to technology, helping you avoid the trap of mindless scrolling. Having a defined purpose lets you stay focused on your task and minimize the likelihood of getting sidetracked by social media or other distractions.”
- Reflect on Content Consumption: “Keeping a journal of your experiences with various types of content can be an enlightening practice,” Singh suggests. “After consuming media—be it social media, news articles, or videos—take a moment to jot down your feelings and thoughts. Did you feel inspired, informed, or drained? This reflection helps you discern which content enriches your life and which might feel like a time-waster. Over time, you’ll develop a clearer picture of your media consumption patterns, enabling you to make more informed choices about what to engage with in the future.”