You need to read the treatise on spacing out, Bored and Brilliant | The VergeSkip to main contentThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.The VergeThe Verge logo.TechReviewsScienceEntertainmentAIHamburger Navigation ButtonThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.Hamburger Navigation ButtonNavigation DrawerThe VergeThe Verge logo.Login / Sign UpcloseCloseSearchTechExpandAmazonAppleFacebookGoogleMicrosoftSamsungBusinessCreatorsMobilePolicySecurityTransportationReviewsExpandLaptopsPhonesHeadphonesTabletsSmart HomeSmartwatchesSpeakersDronesScienceExpandSpaceEnergyEnvironmentHealthEntertainmentExpandGamesTV ShowsMoviesAudioAIVerge ShoppingExpandBuying GuidesDealsGift GuidesSee All ShoppingCarsExpandElectric CarsAutonomous CarsRide-sharingScootersOther TransportationFeaturesVideosExpandYouTubeTikTokInstagramPodcastsExpandDecoderThe VergecastVersion HistoryNewslettersExpandThe Verge DailyInstallerVerge DealsNotepadOptimizerRegulatorThe StepbackArchivesStoreSubscribeFacebookThreadsInstagramYoutubeRSSThe VergeThe Verge logo.You need to read the treatise on spacing out, Bored and BrilliantComments DrawerCommentsLoading commentsGetting the conversation ready...ReportCloseReportPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All ReportColumnCloseColumnPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All ColumnEntertainmentCloseEntertainmentPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All EntertainmentYou need to read the treatise on spacing out, Bored and BrilliantManoush Zomorodi examines the power of letting your mind wander.Manoush Zomorodi examines the power of letting your mind wander.by Terrence O'BrienCloseTerrence O'BrienWeekend EditorPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Terrence O'BrienNov 30, 2025, 6:30 PM UTCLinkShareIf you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.Take a walk. Image: St. Martin’s Press / The VergeTerrence O'BrienCloseTerrence O'BrienPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Terrence O'Brien is the Verge’s weekend editor. He has over 18 years of experience, including 10 years as managing editor at Engadget.I have a tendency to space out. A lot. Whether it’s staring out the window on Amtrak or pausing at work to fixate on a blank spot on the wall instead of my screen, I often let my mind wander. When I was younger, I would often be derisively called a daydreamer, a space cadet, or just plain distracted. Obviously, one can be too absent-minded, but Bored and Brilliant by Manoush Zomorodi convincingly makes the case that letting your mind wander is not only essential, but a luxury we shouldn’t take for granted in our hyper-connected age.Zomorodi is the current host of NPR’s TED Radio Hour, but she was also the host of WNYC’s Note to Self for many years. In 2015, she did a series of episodes on Note to Self focused on removing digital distractions and the benefits of boredom. Then, in 2017, it became a book. Bored and Brilliant: How Spacing Out Can Unlock Your Most Productive and Creative Self expands on those episodes, bringing in new expert voices, scientific studies, and anecdotes from Zomorodi and her audience from their own digital detox efforts.Some of what Zomorodi shares in the book are things that we might take for granted in 2025 (phones are designed to be addictive). Or might feel like things you “knew” instinctively without necessarily having the hard evidence to back it up (daydreaming is good). But, what makes Bored and Brilliant work so well is how Zomorodi ties together the various threads, and that she is on the journey with us, the reader.In the introduction, she talks about having to walk endlessly with her newborn, who refused to sleep unless in motion. She hated it at first. Eventually, though, she fell into a rhythm and “started appreciating the fact that [she] had no destination.” There is both a discomfort and an allure to this form of enforced boredom that can be difficult to appreciate. It’s a sort of liminality, and we’ve turned the liminal into an entire subgenre of horror. But embracing it can be restorative and an engine for creativity.She reflects on her tendency to fire up Twitter on her commute, play Two Dots at bedtime, and obsessively update her calendar. Zomorodi sums up the problem with our modern technology addiction perfectly: “My brain was always occupied, but my mind wasn’t doing anything with all the information coming in.”Throughout the book, she points out the challenges of choice paralysis, something anyone who has lost an evening to scrolling through Netflix instead of actually watching anything will be intimately familiar with. She highlights the subtle ways in which the presence of a phone, even if you’re not actively using it, can influence our interactions with others. And digs into studies showing that taking pictures with our phones, instead of simply being in the moment, actually diminishes our ability to remember things.Bored and Brilliant isn’t there to chastise you for your tech usage, though. Zomorodi is up front about her own struggles. At one point, she muses that her headstone will read, “she clicked links and saved lots of articles to read another time and never actually read them.” I’ve never felt so seen.But she also offers a way forward. Each chapter ends with a challenge from the original Bored and Brilliant series on Note to Self — meticulously document how and when you use your phone, don’t take a picture for a day, delete the app that eats up your time. Zomorodi offers some of her own insights gleaned from these experiments, as well as notes from listeners who took part.Bored and Brilliant won’t magically make you put that phone down or turn you into a creative genius. But it does offer an approachable, scientifically-backed reason to unplug once in a while, and gives you some concrete steps to ease yourself back from the brink.You can find it on most e-book stores, but I highly recommend you buy a physical copy at your neighborhood independent bookshop, if for no other reason than to get off your device and scribble some notes in the margins. Or borrow it from your local library, get a notebook, and take some notes by hand.Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Terrence O'BrienCloseTerrence O'BrienWeekend EditorPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Terrence O'BrienBooksCloseBooksPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All BooksColumnCloseColumnPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All ColumnEntertainmentCloseEntertainmentPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All EntertainmentHealthCloseHealthPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All HealthScienceCloseSciencePosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All ScienceTechCloseTechPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All TechMost PopularMost PopularThe absolute best Cyber Monday deals you can already shopThe 201 Black Friday deals you can still getNinja’s versatile Creami ice cream maker hits an all-time low for Black FridayThe Super Mario Galaxy bundle for the Switch is still 20 percent offLogitech’s Casa is a must-have if you use a laptop — and it’s $30 offThe Verge DailyA free daily digest of the news that matters most.Email (required)Sign UpBy submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice. 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Bored and Brilliant: A Deep Dive into the Value of Mental Wandering

Manoush Zomorodi’s *Bored and Brilliant* offers a compelling argument for actively embracing mental wandering, a practice increasingly at odds with our hyper-connected, distraction-saturated modern lives. The book, rooted in Zomorodi’s exploration of digital distractions and the Note to Self series, presents a nuanced perspective on the benefits of allowing the mind to drift, arguing it’s not a sign of weakness or lack of productivity, but rather a powerful engine for creativity, problem-solving, and deeper understanding. Zomorodi meticulously details the insidious ways technology, particularly smartphones, hijack our attention, leading to a constant state of mental occupation without genuine engagement. She skillfully weaves together scientific research, personal anecdotes, and practical exercises to demonstrate how this state of perpetual stimulation actually hinders our ability to think clearly and creatively.

The core of the book’s argument rests on the recognition that our brains are not designed to process a constant influx of information. Instead, Zomorodi suggests that periods of mental downtime – those moments when the mind is free to wander – are crucial for the brain to consolidate information, make connections, and ultimately, generate new ideas. These “bored moments,” as she calls them, provide the space necessary for the unconscious mind to work, often leading to “aha!” moments that arise from seemingly random associations. She highlights how focused effort and deliberate thinking deplete our mental resources, while undirected mental activity can actually replenish them.

Zomorodi’s approach is practical and actionable. She doesn’t simply preach against technology; instead, she provides a rigorous framework for assessing and modifying our digital habits. Through a series of challenges – meticulously documenting phone usage, attempting a day without photos, deleting distracting apps – she encourages readers to actively observe their own patterns of digital engagement. The book builds on the original Note to Self series, offering a step-by-step guide to reclaiming control over our attention. Zomorodi’s emphasis on detailed tracking and experimentation, alongside the sharing of listener experiences, adds a relatable and engaging component to the book’s arguments.

The book’s structure effectively tackles the pervasive issue of choice paralysis, a common consequence of excessive digital options. Zomorodi correctly identifies that the sheer volume of choices available today – from streaming services to news sources – overwhelms our decision-making processes, leading to inaction or superficial engagement. Furthermore, she acknowledges the subtle but significant influence of even the *presence* of a phone, even when it’s not actively being used, on our interactions and our ability to truly be present in the moment. The integration of research on photographic “capture,” and its demonstrated effect on memory formation, is particularly insightful.

Ultimately, *Bored and Brilliant* is a thoughtful and persuasive exploration of the importance of mental space in an age of constant connectivity. Zomorodi successfully reclaims the value of boredom, positioning it not as a deficit, but as a fundamental human need. Her work is not a simple call to disconnect, but rather a roadmap for consciously designing our digital lives to maximize our cognitive potential and foster a more engaged and creative existence.