Sarena is a graduate student in the clinical psychology program at the University of Waterloo. She is working under the supervision of Dr. Jonathan Oakman as part of the Psychological Intervention Research Team.
As a cognitive scientist specializing in personality, stress, and health psychology, my doctoral work focused on understanding how personality traits and coping with stress impact an individual’s health and well-being. This interdisciplinary background has enabled me to bring a unique perspective to my research. My postdoctoral research focuses on examining the psychological and neural correlates of boredom. As a multifaceted state, boredom influences our internal and external behaviors and responses to the world. What happens to us when we get bored, behaviorally, and what effects does it have on our brain?
As an uncomfortable sensation of wanting, but being unable to engage in some meaningful action, boredom has detrimental effects on an individual’s physical and mental health. Examining the role played by social and environmental factors will help develop an in-depth understanding of the nature of this complex state, its triggers, and effects on the individual and society.