ADHD and Being Bored
ADHD is a learning difference that is commonly not well understood, but it is also often MISunderstood. The “ADHD symptoms” that we commonly see on the surface, may not always tell the full story, and this is where some of the confusion arises.
Unless you study ADHD, have ADHD, or work very closely with people with ADHD, it can be easy to get caught up in the superficial and stereotypical views of what it means to have ADHD. This can be a complex learning difference and many people who have ADHD may not feel like they are truly seen and understood.
One of the things that is not well understood is related to ADHD and the proneness to being bored. Boredom is that feeling that arises in situations that “are not meaningful, interesting, or important to us. It also arises in situations that cannot hold our attention”[1]. This boredom, however, is not necessarily the same as what the neurotypical person may experience; instead it can be a very common and regular occurring presence in the lives of kids with ADHD.
So why does this matter? Researchers have found that those who are prone to boredom can “face a number of psychological, physical, and social harms. Depression and anxiety, anger and aggression, poor interpersonal and social relationships, lower job and life satisfaction, and problem gambling”[2]. Also, another study found that those who are high-boredom-prone did not do well on measures of sustained attention and showed increased symptoms of both ADHD and depression [3]. There is a complex relationship between boredom proneness and attention.
So what could this all mean for kids with ADHD?
Kids with ADHD are prone to being bored, which makes it hard to stay engaged, which decreases attention to the task, which can create a cycle of more boredom and even less attention.
Boredom can mean that these kids are not able to remain engaged in a situation in a way that is fulfilling to them, even if they want to.
Boredom can lead to a desire to want something else - looking for other things that will keep their attention.
Boredom can lead to negative outcomes, depending on how it is used. It can lead to less than desirable behaviours or even risky behaviours.
Boredom can also lead to positive outcomes as it can be motivating and a good signal to tell us that what we are doing right now is not meaningful to us and encourages us to seek a different situation or focus (unfortunately in the life of a kid at school, choosing what they want to do is not always an option though!).
When we understand what it is like to “be bored” - those feelings of not being engaged, not being able to hold attention, or always looking for something more interesting to pay attention to - it helps to provide us with a little bit of a glimpse into what people with ADHD might be feeling and experiencing. The concept of boredom, and how it affects and influences things such as attention in a potential cyclical nature, provides some interesting insight into ADHD.
Gaining insight into learning differences will only help us as parents, educators and professionals, to understand, support and coach our kids. If you want to dive deeper into topics around learning differences, consider our FREE SYT Support Library.
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Written by Jillian Watson, B.Ed., M.Ed., OCT.
Resources
1 https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-boredom-diaries/202006/brief-guide-boredom
2 https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-boredom-diaries/202006/brief-guide-boredom
3 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%252Fs00221-012-3147-z https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00221-016-4749-7