Boredom is a normal part of the workday for most people. In fact, studies have shown that the average employee is bored for around 10.5 hours every week. That said, boredom doesn’t have to rule your workday and there are some strategies you could use to avoid chronic boredom.
Sometimes boredom is caused by being underemployed (where your skillset is higher than your job role’s demands), but it can also come from repetitive activity, recent shifts in personal life that shift focus from work, or even seasonal aspects such as a long dull winter. Some people find that they are bored regularly throughout the day, while others find that boredom only hits ever now and then.
Whatever your experience, the statistics suggest that at some point in your working career you will feel bored at work.
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Is it okay to be bored at work?
Studies have shown that boredom is not as bad for you as you might think. Boredom is often your mind’s way of letting you know that it is under-stimulated or diverted. Finding the cause of that diversion, or discovering what holds your interest, can help you improve your productivity or move into an area of work better suited to your skill set and interests.
Boredom is acceptable, and even expected. But boredom can turn into active disengagement, a state 16% of the workforce are in constantly. During active disengagement you are not only avoiding work, you are actively being counter-productive. This is bad for both your job, stress symptoms and your mental health. Mindless scrolling on social media, or taking that seventh BuzzFeed quiz to fill time, will most likely only make you feel worse.
So instead of turning to snacking or yet another walk around the office, why not have a look at our boredom causes and boredom killers to help you find out why you are so bored and then find out how to rectify the situation so you can enjoy going into work.
What are the reasons for boredom at work?
- Mismatched job
Maybe it’s the industry, maybe it’s the company, or maybe it’s the role, but a current job that isn’t right for your interests, skills, personality, and experience is the number one reason that people find themselves feeling restless and bored at work.
The problem with a mismatched job is that you will never feel completely fulfilled in the role. There is less job satisfaction, a higher likelihood of experiencing boredom, and less drive to achieve or improve.
- Underemployment
Everyone knows that you have to start somewhere. A lot of people will take an entry-level job or a “just until…” job and find themselves there years later wondering why they’re still not achieving their full potential.
Another cause of underemployment is when there are company changes or staff or management shifts and your role changes to something less stimulating and where you are less likely to be involved in problem solving. Underemployment can leave you feeling undervalued and invisible, making work seem pointless and boring.
- Confinement
Recent years have seen a rise in self-improvement, professional development, and a growth mindset. If you are in a job where your role cannot change and you have no freedom to extend yourself then you might find yourself getting bored of the same routine and tasks, even if you loved the job to begin with.
Our minds are remarkable and are able to push boundaries and learn and upskill. Just like a child with no stimulation, when there is no room for growth in a workplace and finding fulfillment, you can become bored and irritable.
How to survive boredom at work?
So how do you overcome boredom at work? There are some surprisingly simple strategies that you can start implementing today to help you deal with your lacklustre day.
- Create a new challenge
Depending on your job you may be able to do this on your own, or you may be able to meet with your boss or other colleagues to work together. Identify any gaps or areas that could do with improvement or streamlining and challenge yourself to find creative solutions with work tasks.
- Declutter
A feeling of confinement doesn’t only come from being confined in a job, it can also come from a physically cramped space (including all those desktop shortcuts). Clean out your desk and computer to clear your head. You might also find something new to work on that was buried underneath other debris.
- Make your work a game
Turn a mundane day into a day full of intrigue by pretending you work for the CIA, or set yourself challenges like replying to emails in record times. Any activity that engages your imagination or competitive side can break the boredom and restore interest to your work.
- Do some stretches or exercises
Getting the blood flowing and oxygen moving through your body can give your mind the boost it needs. Try and take a walk at lunch time, or even escape to a coffee shop to get away from your work environment and come back feeling reinvigorated.
- Use a soundtrack
Interesting music can give your mind something to concentrate on while you do less stimulating work. If you are writing and need to concentrate on words then use instrumental or ambience music, or if your work is more active find something that gets you excited. There’s a reason people exercise with music on, it adds a level of motivation, utilise that advantage.
- Upskill
If you find yourself with too much time on your hands but still enjoy your job, speak to your boss about the possibility of taking an online course or doing additional training that may bring you new skills that can help in your career path. Often, employers are happy to help fund upskilling if you can pitch the new skill well enough and show how it will benefit the company and help with current or future goals.
- Work with a colleague
If you have time but your co-worker is swamped, offer to help them with tasks they can delegate. It gives you a change of pace with something new to do, while giving you a chance to learn new skills or even find interesting solutions to problems.
- Concentrate on mindset
Ultimately, you need to make sure your job is a good fit and challenging enough that you are coming to work with a healthy mindset. Make sure you are getting enough sleep and water as tiredness and dehydration only make you feel worse and can quickly trigger boredom.
Conclusions
People experience boredom in all walks of life, including in the workplace, and that is not completely unexpected. However, there are ways to minimise the periods of boredom at work.
Approach work as an opportunity to grow, practice resilience, and improve both interpersonal and professional skills. By giving yourself the chance to feel more involved and creative in the workplace should eliminate some of that boredom.
It is possible that you may need to be brave and make steps to change your role to something more challenging. Or who knows, maybe now is the perfect time to venture out on your own and start that new business, maybe one based around a favourite hobby that allows your creativity and new ideas to flourish.
