感到无聊对心理健康是否是件好事,【中英双语】为什么越忙越焦虑？神经科学揭示：无聊..

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PART 01

When we experience boredom – say, while watching a movie – our brain engages specific networks. The attention network prioritises relevant stimuli while filtering out distractions and is active when we commence the movie. However, as our attention wanes, activity in the attention network decreases, reflecting our diminished ability to maintain focus on the unengaging content. Likewise, decreased activity occurs in the frontoparietal or executive control network due to the struggle to maintain engagement with the unengaging movie.

当我们感到无聊时——比如在看电影时——大脑会激活特定的神经网络。注意力网络会优先处理相关的刺激，同时过滤掉其他干扰，在我们开始观看电影时保持活跃。然而，随着注意力的逐渐减弱，注意力网络的活动也会减少，这反映了我们在无聊的内容上保持专注的能力下降。同样，由于难以维持对无聊电影的关注，额顶叶或执行控制网络的活动也会减少。

Simultaneously, the default mode network activates, shifting our attention toward internal thoughts and self-reflection. This is a core function of the default mode network, referred to as introspection, and suggestive of a strategy for coping with boredom. This complex interplay of networks involves several key brain regions “working together” during the state of boredom. The insula is a key hub for sensory and emotional processing. This region shows increased activity when detecting internal body signals – such as thoughts of boredom – indicating the movie is no longer engaging. This is often referred to as “interoception”.

与此同时，默认模式网络被激活，将我们的注意力转向内部思考和自我反省。这是默认模式网络的一项核心功能，称为内省，表明这是一种应对无聊的策略。这种神经网络的复杂相互作用涉及多个大脑区域在无聊状态下“协同工作”。岛叶是感官和情感处理的关键区域。当它检测到内部身体信号时——比如无聊的想法——这个区域的活动会增加，表明电影已不再吸引人。这种现象通常被称为“内感知”。

PART 02

The amygdala can be likened to an internal alarm system. It processes emotional information and plays a role in forming emotional memories. During boredom, this region processes associated negative emotions, and the ventral medial prefrontal cortex motivates us to seek alternative stimulating activities.

杏仁核可以被看作是一个内部的警报系统。它负责处理情感信息，在情感记忆的形成中发挥作用。在无聊时，这个区域处理相关的负面情绪，而腹内侧前额叶皮层则激发我们去寻找其他刺激性的活动。

感到无聊对心理健康是否是件好事

When we are constantly stressed by taking in new information and juggling different activities, the sympathetic nervous system can stay activated for too long, due to the cumulative effects of repeated exposure to different stressors. This is sometimes referred to as “allostatic overload”. It is when our nervous system becomes overwhelmed, keeping us in a heightened state of arousal, which can increase our risk of anxiety. Eliminating the state of boredom deprives us of a simple and natural way to reset our sympathetic nervous system.

当我们不断地接受新信息和应付不同的活动时，交感神经系统可能会因为反复暴露于不同的压力源而持续激活太长时间。这个时候当我们的神经系统变得不堪重负，使我们处于高度兴奋的状态，这可能会增加我们焦虑的风险。这种现象有时被称为“非稳态过载”。消除无聊状态剥夺了我们重置交感神经系统的一种简单而自然的方式。

PART 03

In small doses, boredom is the necessary counterbalance to the overstimulated world in which we live. It can offer unique benefits for our nervous system and our mental health. This is opposed to long periods of boredom where increased defaultmode network activity may be associated with depression.

在小范围内，无聊是我们生活在这个过度刺激的世界中所必须的平衡。它对我们的神经系统和心理健康有独特的好处。这与长时间的无聊相反，后者会导致默认模式网络的活动增加，这可能与抑郁症相关。

感到无聊对心理健康是否是件好事