Boredom

If the absence of having something terribly exciting to do all the time, then I am probably "bored" a lot and what's more not even able to tell that I am. However, as the article says, boredom is good for people. I particularly like the fact that boredom can stimulate creativity :

Boredom is nearly always essential to creativity. It isn’t true that creativity is mostly sparked by having a specific problem to be solved. It’s far more likely to arise because the person is bored with the way something has been done a thousand times before and wants to try something new. That’s why new movements in technology, the arts, and even public life usually start when there are still plenty of people polishing and refining the current approach. They don’t begin because what is being done now is totally played out; they begin because a few people decide that’s boring and start playing around with how to change it.

I sometimes find J playing with a few scraps of paper and "repurposed" toys for hours - J thrives on unconventional use for the few toys she has. Or she may sit in the balcony singing to herself or just looking around quietly. Unless I disturb her, she could be "sitting around" for a very long time. Though she does not say she is bored, I always wonder if she is and if there is anything I should be doing to get her busy. Maybe I should just leave good enough alone :

The next time you find yourself saying, or thinking, that you’re bored, be happy. You’ve just been handed a gift you can use in any of these ways. If you do, you’ll find that being bored is sometimes the very best state to be in.