Doing nothing can be quite frustrating - especially at work. Boreout, the daily lack of challenge, brings us down and can even make us ill. We show you how to recognize a boreout and what you can do about it. If you do not know how to spend your time at work you can always try out Slotsgem.
Boreout can feel like this: Staring at the computer for hours on end, but the minutes just won't go by. It still takes until the end of the working day, but all the work has already been done. So you just want to sit out the time? An absurdity in our meritocracy, which we then like to cover up: We drag out tasks or work overtime without it being necessary.
The reason: we want to feel needed and useful. After work, we are exhausted and frustrated, even though the work is not stressful. According to a study, one in three people are either overworked or underworked at work. Office workers are particularly affected. Boreout is a counterpart to burnout. Boreout is not a medical category, but there are nevertheless clinical symptoms associated with it. We can also burn out through boredom and lack of challenge.
The most important facts in brief:
Boreout is caused by permanent underchallenge at work.
Symptoms include exhaustion, frustration, insomnia and listlessness. This can even lead to depression.
As a countermeasure, it is important to become active yourself and change your daily work routine. Discussions with the employer, further training, new hobbies or a job search can help. In the case of advanced symptoms, coaching or therapy may also be necessary.
Recognizing boreout symptoms
Boreout can make you ill. It is normal to feel bored or a little underchallenged at work from time to time. However, boreout is caused by too few tasks or a job that doesn't suit you over a longer period of time. This is how boreout can manifest itself:
You don't see any meaning in your job,
You lack recognition,
You realize that you have more potential than you need to achieve,
you have already completed all your tasks after a short time,
you feel underchallenged in your job,
You can't fulfill the expectations you have of yourself.
The result: you feel listless and inferior. In the worst case, this can even lead to depression. But problems such as insomnia, irritability, back pain and headaches can also arise if your work doesn't fulfill you.
What to do about boreout?
Against boreout: A conversation with your line manager can help. The most important thing to do in the event of a boreout is to take action yourself and try to break out of the daily grind. Concepts such as job crafting or quiet thriving can help you do this. You can also plan your next steps straight away:
A clarifying conversation with your employer, in which you express your desire for new tasks, often creates improvement.
Further training can also help. For example, you could apply for educational leave.
It is also helpful to find new hobbies - for example, learning an instrument or a new foreign language, or trying out a new sport.
If this doesn't help, you can also apply for a new job that is more suited to your skills. You can find job offers that make sense on the “Good Jobs” job board, for example.
Although these steps require a lot of courage, they can help combat boreout. If the symptoms are already very advanced, coaching or even therapy may sometimes be necessary.
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