Ever feel like you can’t slow down in life? We are constantly switching between emails, social media and various tasks — every 45 seconds to be exact! And that can lead us to feel more stressed or tired, and create cycles of habits that can disrupt our sleep and even our critical thinking, says Manoush Zomorodi (@manoushz), journalist and podcast host. So how can we break these patterns? By embracing boredom, she says. “It turns out that when you get bored, you ignite a network in your brain called the ‘default mode,’” says Zomorodi. “In the default mode is when we connect disparate ideas, we solve some of our most nagging problems.” She explains that chores like folding laundry, doing dishes, and walking can all turn on our inner autopilot and allow our brains to create new neural pathways that help us tap into our creativity, solve problems and connect our ideas. “It might feel weird and uncomfortable at first, but boredom truly can lead to brilliance,” Zomorodi says. Want to learn more about the power behind being bored? Visit the link our bio to watch her full TED Talk.