Do we need to be bored?

I saw this article when I was reading through my WSJ this morning: "Boredom enthusiasts Relish Pleasures of Understimulation." Basically it was more of a comedic piece in the Wall Street Journal, but I've often wondered if there is any scientific data suggesting that people in fact need down time, or even boredom to be healthy. The article mentioned something about the fact that people with high levels of boredom are more likely to die from certain conditions such as stroke or heart disease. However, I am reminded about another article I remember reading that talked about the fact that stress gets a lot of bad press as being a major killer, but some study was used that showed that in fact it wasn't necessarily the amount of stress so much as how the person handles stress in their life that was the main contributer to being a problem. In my own life I feel like being able to handle boredom, also known as being "patient", is more of a virtue. Although I can't say I'm as busy and involved as I once was in everything in life, I think that people that are passionate can always find something to do... probably like everything in life, there is a balance to be struck. Let me know your thoughts.