I think every kid at some point utters the words “I’m bored.” It was so clear as children when something wasn’t interesting and we had very visceral reactions to not being entertained.
As adults, boredom gets more complicated. We understand we aren’t going to love everything we do, our entertainment is our responsibility, and we often have to do things that are boring because the IRS exists.
Adults should start paying more attention to their boredom. And, if you are bored at work, you could be experiencing something called Boreout.
What Is This Boreout?
Boreout doesn’t get as much attention as its workaholic cousin, burnout.
Boreout happens when you are bored by work to the point that you feel it is totally meaningless. The tasks you are responsible for don’t have value, you aren’t motivated, and you feel like you don’t have purpose. When you get bored, your judgement, goal-directed planning, focus, and control over your emotions suffer.
The symptoms are very similar to burnout. You become:
- Stressed out
- Irritated
- Cynical
- Feel worthless
- Exhausted by your work
People experiencing boreout are often experiencing a crisis of growth and meaning. A job that once challenged them has become predictable and monotonous. You experience tunnel-vision in terms of seeking new opportunities, new challenges, or even a new way to do your work because none of those things seem possible or… worth it.
How Do You Know If You Are Bored Or Burned Out?
Let’s talk about the differences between the two, then I’ll explain how boreout leads to burnout.
The difference between burnout and boreout is what triggers them.
Burnout occurs from stress and overwhelm from work for long periods of time. You get stuck in your “effort zone” until all of your energy is gone.
Boreout occurs when you don’t feel challenged enough. You get stuck in your “comfort zone” and your personal development comes to a halt. Even though you are working longer hours, you can become bored and stressed.
Stress and boredom are connected. We see burnout as the result of doing too much and boredom as the result of doing too little. But, neither burnout or boredom are related to the quantity of activities so much as what we are doing.
Boredom stems from repetitive, uniform tasks. Even if those tasks are high-intensity, their predictability often leads to boredom. If all your tasks feel similar – say you have to respond to 20 emails about the same topic – you are going to get bored with it.
You become bored with work because the incentives or stimuli that used to make them interesting stop motivating you.
Here is where the stress comes in: it gets harder to concentrate on work that bores you. It takes enormous effort to keep your mind focused and that is stressful.
What stinks for everyone in the office when employees are bored for extended periods of time. They lash out and stop producing. They also can become toxic to the work environment with their bad attitude, lax work practice, and lost desire to produce quality work.
So, How Can People Say Boredom Is A Good Thing?
Because our brains need breaks. Yes, our brains need to be stimulated and challenged, but they also need breaks. You and I are terrible at giving our brains a break from being stimulated because we are always scrolling and swiping at our phones, a T.V., or buying into the Busy/Hustle Culture that tells us downtime is bad. So, we inevitably find something to keep us busy, but unsatisfied.
In the right amounts and with the right timing, boredom can spark creativity and boost your mental health.
It’s also important not to confuse boredom with relaxation.
To tap into true boredom, find an activity that doesn’t require any concentration and just let your mind wander. Next time you are in a waiting room, put your phone away, close your eyes, and just let your mind go wherever it is going to go.
Some Thoughts On Boreout For Business Owners and Managers
Boreout is easier to spot than burnout. And, when you spot it, it is worth fixing because it is contagious and toxic. However, it is not job to keep entertain your employees. Motivate – yes. Entertain and read their mind – no.
Where the boss bears responsibility is at least exploring where the boredom might be coming from. If it is something you can control – like helping them learn a new skill, change roles, or shadow another employee to learn about a different aspect of their job – then you should provide that opportunity to get that spark back.
Signs of boreout:
- Stretching their work: The employee is drawing out tasks so they take much longer than necessary. Strategies to do this vary employee to employee, but if a task used to take one day and now it takes three, it’s time to ask some questions. (This doesn’t mean an employee needs to be busy every minute of every day!)
- Fake commitment: Your employee is at work, sitting at their desk, and sometimes they stay after hours to give the appearance they are busy. They mask personal phone calls with an official, professional voice. A demotivated employee may spend their lunch hour at their desk to give the impression that they are working through lunch.
- Change of hours or appearance: An employee that is showing up later and later to work or dressing in a less professional manner than they used to.
Boredom can go on for quite a while and employees fear flagging it as a problem. They fear losing their job or being given too much work. So, if an employee reports feeling “bored,” keep an open mind.
What you can do to keep boredom away or help a bored employee:
- Check in regularly with your employees about job performance and responsibilities.
- Keep an open mind to employee feedback.
- Be sure to point out good work and show your appreciation. Even acknowledging that you know something is boring, but pointing out that it is important and why can make a difference.
- Are there new skills that would benefit the team for an employee learn?
- Are you encouraging your employees to have interests outside of work?
- Are employees encouraged and rewarded to find new ways to do routine tasks?
- Are their pushy or ambitious coworkers or managers that take the interesting work and leave the less interesting work to others?
- Is the work environment structured to make sure employees can step up for new work or roles that interest them?
Some Thoughts On Boreout For Employees
I want to be clear on one thing: it is not the job of the boss to keep an employee engaged and stimulated by their work. A controversial statement, I know…
An employee needs to take responsibility for their motivation, too. If you are no longer invested in a job, interested in the work or tasks – it’s up to you to either talk to your boss or find another job that lights you up. Yes, your boss can and should motivate you to a certain extent, but they cannot determine what is interesting enough to you to do it 40 hours a week.
When you remain bored, you are taking a big risk with your career. You risk:
- Stunting your career growth
- Becoming burned out
- Stress
- Exhaustion
- Low self-esteem
- Frustration
It’s to you benefit to address your boredom and its cause. (And, if the cause is actually something your boss or company can help you with.) When you are bored, you are less likely to develop meaningful work relationships or put forth quality, promotable work.
I know that it is scary to admit that you are bored. It feels like a risk to admit you don’t have enough interesting work to do, or that you find your job… boring.
Hear me out on this one: As a boss and a business owner, what helps me in this situation is an employee coming to the table with a solution in mind. Too often boredom is presented as another problem to solve. But, if you help solve the problem, you are far more likely to get what you want: learning a new skill, a switch in responsibilities, a new role, etc..
Solutions to Boreout
Oh snap! You are still here. I’m glad. Let’s talk solutions:
- Learn something new: It would be ideal to learn something new on the job to vary your work. If that’s not possible, pick up a new hobby outside of work to help your brain feel stimulated. Read a new genre of books, try a new sport, experiment with a different craft.
- Work toward “optimal challenge:” You don’t want to be over-challenged or under-challenged. The target is for the work to be hard enough to be stimulating, but not so hard as to be unachievable.
- Do it a different way: Try to do monotonous tasks differently. Look for new ways to get your job done or even produce a better outcome.
- Start a conversation: When you are bored, you lose emotional and physical perspective. Make sure you surround yourself with supportive people who notice when you seem a bit “off” or what boredom looks like on you.
- Find meaning, purpose in tasks: Maybe you forgot why you do what you do. Reconnect with the reason why you do your job and why it is important to the bigger picture.
- Talk with your boss: This can be scary, but they are going to be a vital part of turning your boredom into inspiration. Bring some solutions to the table to discuss.
- Ask if your job is right for you: Make sure your job is a match for your interests, talents, and strengths. When you do a job that focuses on your weaknesses or things that you aren’t passionate about, you will inevitably become bored.
- Have a life outside of work: All work and no play does make for a boring life. Look for new opportunities to challenge yourself outside of work. Be sure to carve out time to focus on your family and friends. It will also help you manage our self-esteem and mental health.
