Is it possible to literally die of boredom

Did they offer a hug or show the slightest empathy? Probably not. And what about the desperate pleas of innocent children on long, monotonous car rides. All children want is a life free from boredom's jaws of death and yet, parents often ignore them. With this in mind, try to withhold your skepticism for a moment as I share a brand new scientific discovery:.

Could cold-hearted calculus teachers and parents be culpable of involuntary manslaughter? The answer is beyond my area of expertise.

I'll leave that to legal authorities. What is important is that we consider what we can due to curb a potential epidemic. Boredom is not innocuous. Over 7, London civil servants aged between 35 and 55 were interviewed in the late 's.

Among other questions, they were asked if they felt bored at work during the past month. These same people were tracked down to find out who died by April What the researchers found was that civil servants who reported being very bored were 2. To put this into perspective, consider this fact by the American Heart Association : Smokers are two to four times likely to develop coronary heart disease than nonsmokers.

People with a molotov cocktail of obesity, high blood pressure, and high blood sugar that is, all three at once are twice as likely to have a heart attack and three times more likely to die earlier than the rest of the population. This means that death by boredom is right up there with the favorite targets of media fear mongering, public policy, and pharmaceutical companies.

Nobody is talking about boredom while people whine and die quietly at workplaces around the world. Of course, there are some serious problems with this conclusion. Boredom might not be the direct culprit. Someone who is bored is unlikely to be motivated to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Perhaps bored people are more likely to subsist on microwave dinners and Chef Boyardee Beefaroni.

Perhaps they are less likely to put in the effort and commitment to physical exercise. Perhaps they are more likely to vegetate on their coach, smoking cannabis, and watching reruns of Three's Company.

Perhaps people are bored because they are incredibly stressed out. Bored people are less invested in learning, challenging themselves, and growing.

In turn, the natural brain degeneration that occurs as we age is likely to speed up. This is because as we attend to novelty, manage novelty, and extract rewards from novel and challenging situations, we build and strengthen existing neuron connections in our brain. This is particularly true if these conditions are untreated:. However, long-term boredom may increase your risk for an early death. This is because boredom may increase stress hormones in the body, which can lead to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease.

One key study on boredom found that the following risk factors increased the likelihood of chronic boredom:. Rather than a direct cause-and-effect, researchers believe that long-term boredom may lead to health issues that can then reduce your life span.

Like stress, boredom may place undue pressure on your heart and circulatory system. This may increase your risk for a heart attack. You may also experience more illnesses due to a lack of immunity. Boredom also appears to have a strong link with depression. In some cases, constant boredom may lead to depression, but you may also be chronically bored from having this mental health condition.

Untreated depression is linked to an increased risk of heart disease. Treating any health conditions you have as well as becoming invested in your health can also help you fight boredom.

One way to fight boredom is to stick with a daily routine. If you find yourself bored from either a lack of stimulation or companionship, consider trying out the following activities whenever boredom arises:. You can also address chronic boredom related to depression or anxiety with a mental health professional. In fact, when considering children and teens who might be constantly entertained by technology, you might encourage them to work through occasional boredom.

This can help them learn how to find creative solutions for entertaining themselves. The effects of boredom may be especially more potent if you have certain untreated health conditions, like depression. The best way to prevent boredom is to deal with it head-on. Staying socially active helps, along with engaging in hobbies, exercise, and other activities. If you find that boredom is leaving you more vulnerable to feelings of depression, substance use, or feelings of self-harm, reach out to a mental health professional right away.

Boredom might actually be a gift. Unstructured time for organic thought sparks creativity, problem-solving, and self-discovery. Cabin fever is often associated with being cooped up indoors for days on end. Imaginative play is a key way in which children learn about the world and themselves. But what can you do to support their development if you aren't…. The penis changes as you age — so what do you need to know about "old penis"?