I highly recommend being bored more often.

With smart phones and internet, people don’t get bored enough these days. Waiting for an oil change, sitting at the bus stop, or on a trip to the bathroom, I all too often whip out my phone to stay entertained. Although mindlessly scrolling through feeds can be satisfying, it robs us of those really important moments of boredom.

Try sitting at Jiffy Lube for 40 minutes, staring at the tree outside or the dirty, off-white wall, and see if a moment of genius doesn’t strike. The lack of input allows your brain to do all kinds of things, like boost creativity, problem solve, and self-reflect. All of which are pretty awesome.

—Michael Shea of argodesign