Burnout can happen because your mission, your why, or your priorities have changed.
This often comes out as “My job is so boring,” or even “My colleagues are so dumb.”
A lesser discussed reason for burnout is that you have grown professionally and/or personally, and your job or professional environment is no longer a fit. (In this category, I also include doing work that does not focus on your natural strengths and talents.)
Basically, you’re bored.
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Boredom and burnout are rarely discussed. And, when they are, they are confused or not seen as relating.
We forget that we are supposed to get better at the work we do, so we don’t often associate our improved or mastered skills as a sign to move forward. Instead, they been have taken as a sign to become complacent. Or, maybe you forgot the goal you were initially working toward and what that would look like when its accomplished.
Curious if your boredom has become burnout? Or, if your burnout recovery is stalled because you are bored? Signs of boredom and burnout working together could include:
- You are constantly bored or “coasting” – Work hasn’t been much of an exciting experience, but chronic boredom might be a sign that it’s time for something more. This may look like you feeling as though you could do your job in your sleep or with very little focus.
- You’re not moving toward bigger career goals – No matter how challenging a job is, it can be outgrown. You want your job to be the right kind of challenging. The kind of challenging that prepares you for the next level of your career.
- You’re angry or resentful – You have noticed feelings of anger and frustration creep into email responses, interactions with colleagues or clients, or you feel like you have been marginalized or ignored.
Boredom > Burnout As A Business Owner
I was recently working with a petsitter with severe burnout. She started her petsitting company five years ago, after deciding Corporate America was no longer for her. She now found herself bored with the pet care business she worked so hard to build. She loved her clients and enjoyed spending time with the animals, but the work was not challenging to her.
“I get up in the morning and think, ‘Ugh. I have to drive from house to house today to pour kibble in a bowl and walk dogs up and down the same streets for the thousandth time.’ If this is it, all there is to this business, I might die of boredom. It’s become a chore to get out of bed in the morning,” she said.
In the beginning, this petsitter was excited about what each day would bring. Learning how to create and build a business, winning over a client, and weathering all of the unknowns of being self-employed, kept her challenged. Now that same work had become monotonous. And, her brain was craving something else to think about. Unfortunately, her boredom and burnout were conspiring against her and digging a deeper hole for her.
Business owners know there is no such thing as “conquering” business – there is always more to learn. But, when you have consumed yourself with daily details, it’s difficult to notice when you have become stuck. My client was stuck working in her business, rather than on it.
Her original goal was to build a business that would be come self-sufficient and support her financially. She achieved those goals, but didn’t have any plans beyond that.
Her mind had already moved on without her, but without a specific direction. So, she constantly felt like she was spinning her wheels and no longer moving forward. Without specifically telling her, her mind had changed her mission, and it no longer matched her day-to-day activity. Hence, the boredom.
How Does Boredom Become Burnout?
Boredom can be very stressful because you are feeling unstimulated, unfocused, and restless. You may see the world around you being productive and seemingly happy, while you are stuck twiddling your thumbs. At its core, boredom is about stagnation and emptiness. Or, as Adam Grant refers to it: Languishing.
Boredom can contribute to burnout by making it harder to cope with stressors because it’s more difficult to find the energy and motivation to overcome them. And, when you’re bored, you stop engaging in self-care activities, seeking out new experiences, or socializing with friends that could help you alleviate your stress.
Remember when you were a kid and you complained to an adult about your boredom? Their response was usually a list of activities and people that would get you going. And your response? You were usually disinterested in every single suggestion. And, you continued to sit moping and unenergetic until you were forced to do something.
Is It Possible to Get Your Mojo Back?
In my client’s case, her stress snowballed into full on burnout because she allowed her stress to take over and it became chronic. Even as we brainstormed a list of possible new adventures for her mind, she turned down all of them – including her own ideas. She lacked the energy or motivation to do something.
The three things that help you unravel your boredom that has become burnout:
- Find new challenges: The most common reason for boredom is no longer feeling challenged. In order to unravel your burnout, look for new opportunities to learn new skills, take on new projects, or expand your knowledge.
- Re-evaluate your priorities and goals: Since you started your business or your current job, you have grown. Do your current work responsibilities call to your natural strengths and talents? If you have become more knowledgable, stronger, and confident, it may be time to reach higher and farther.
- Get support from your friends and mentors: Sometimes we can’t evaluate ourselves or our future objectively. Or, maybe we aren’t aware of all of the possibilities. Talking to someone will help you see new ideas and give you the confidence to try something new.
