Why can boredom feel weirdly stressful?

Boredom can feel weirdly stressful because it is actually a state of restless dissatisfaction where your brain wants to engage in meaningful activity but cannot connect^[1]. Far from just being a lazy or low-energy mood, this mental friction can trigger real physical arousal, such as an increased release of the stress hormone cortisol^[2]. It is that funny contradiction of feeling completely exhausted yet completely wired all at once, driving you to seek action while simultaneously making you feel stuck.Would you also like to know how the brain's attention systems contribute to boredom?