Boredom is your attention arriving with nothing to do, which is uncomfortable and also the condition most ideas need. When nothing is coming in, your mind starts recombining what is already there, and that is where the odd connections happen. Filling every gap with a screen keeps that state from ever finishing. The restlessness is the start of something rather than a malfunction.

Next time you are bored, wait it out for ten minutes without reaching for anything. Keep paper nearby, since what arrives tends to leave quickly. Let yourself stay bored once a week on purpose.