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Doctors use the “universal pain assessment tool” to measure how uncomfortable their patients are. It’s a simple mechanism made up of smiley (and sad) faces. At one end of the spectrum is “pain free,” and on the other is “unimaginable, unspeakable pain,” with “tolerable” and “utterly horrible” falling in between. It’s not terribly scientific, but the tool helps medical professionals download your pain data from a little chip in your brain, so to speak, making it one of the best and fastest assessments at doctors’ disposal.
It’s not just pain that’s difficult to quantify–so is the human experience generally. But researchers have devised tools to study other mushy concepts, too, including creativity. And in the process we’ve learned there’s at least one thing that tends to nudge people into measurably more creative thinking: boredom.
Via The Learning Factor
Cutting out distractions doesn’t just clear space to focus. As author and podcaster Manoush Zomorodi explains, it can also lead to boredom-induced creativity.
Participants were asked to leave their phones out of sight while in transit, including ignoring any impulse to walk and text, etc... This helped clear their minds for creative ideas. So the next time you’re getting coffee, as you slowly make your way to the front of the queue, just let your mind wander instead of scrolling Instagram or checking email.