Prof. Mark Fenske, Department of Psychology, spoke to Fast Company magazine about how to understand boredom that has arisen from the pandemic and how to use that boredom to spark growth.

Fenske explained that confusion and disorientation can be misconstrued as boredom. Since the pandemic has disrupted many aspects of our lives, it’s important to set new routines.

“We know that we thrive on structure, that we use the different points in our day to help us anticipate what’s going to come next,” he says.

A cognitive neuroscientist, Fenske combines neuroimaging techniques with studies of human behaviour to examine the factors that are critical for healthy cognitive and emotional functioning.