There are likely tasks you do at work that you don’t love. All jobs have some aspects that can be lackluster, and we all have days when we don’t feel inspired. But what if you’re consistently bored and watching the clock? The first step is to figure out why.
“When people are bored, they will fill time with hollow activities, [such as] online shopping, overeating, scrolling social media, or simply ruminating,” says Annie Rosencrans, people and culture director for the HR services platform HiBob. “Boredom at work is no different, except engaging in nonwork activity or simply ‘quietly quitting‘ can have serious repercussions on your ability to remain in [your] position.”
Boredom could be telling you something. Consider if one of these five situations applies to you:
1. You’re No Longer Challenged
While everyone will feel bored with their routine once in a while, it should not be the default position, says Rosencrans. “What it’s telling you is that you are not challenged enough; you’ve disengaged.”
The good news is that you are in control of finding a solution. Start by acknowledging the situation, identifying the root cause, and addressing it with managers and yourself. For example, Rosencrans says you can get involved in new projects or consider if a promotion is overdue.
“You might have outgrown the company, or you might have been dreaming of a total career change but never had the courage to take that leap of faith,” she says. “What you do and how you resolve the issue is entirely in your hands. That is very empowering.”
A lack of challenge can mean you’ve hit a “career maturation point,” adds Yolanda Owens, head career coach for jobs and career advice site The Muse.
“You grow and mature in your career much like you do in your personal life,” she says. “Your likes, tastes, priorities, and circumstances change, causing you to mature past the situation or environment you’re in and feeling a sense of boredom.”
When this happens, Owens suggests giving yourself permission to meet yourself where you are. Determine if you can repurpose your skills in a different role, or reevaluate your work environment to see if you could feel purposeful and productive again at work.
2. You’re Ready for a New Field
It may not be just the job; boredom can also result from outgrowing an industry or field, says Mark Berry, senior human resources specialist with the HR services provider Insperity.
“Workers today can expect to have several careers in their lifetime,” he says. “With that comes the possibility that some bored employees may find they have outgrown a particular industry or field that once suited their personality, goals, and interests.”
If you’re consistently bored, even when presented with challenging and engaging projects in your field, you may be ready for a career pivot. Berry suggests that you speak candidly with HR about the possibility of transferring to a new department, joining a rotational program, or seeking job skills training.
3. You’ve Shifted into Mindless Repetition
Humans are lazy and energy-conserving creatures, and we often stop challenging ourselves and log out intellectually when we think we know how to perform our work, says Stefan Falk, author Intrinsic Motivation: Learn to Love Your Work and Succeed as Never Before. “Instead, we begin engaging in activity-based behavior, which is performing our tasks repeatedly out of habit,” he says.
Performing tasks out of habit is good from an energy-saving perspective, but it leads to boredom because the tasks no longer present a challenge. What’s more, when we’re doing tasks that we consider boring, our performance usually slides, making them even more boring, says Falk.
“It’s important for professionals to understand that all tasks will, over time, become boring—even the ones that we love and are intrinsically motivated by—if we don’t continue to challenge ourselves to spend energy on developing our skills,” he says.
4. You’re Disconnected from Your Purpose
Boredom at work could also be a signal that you don’t understand the “why” of what you are doing, says Nathan Peirson, senior vice president of talent and employee experiences at Paycor, a human capital management firm.
“When employees find themselves bored at work, they should consider whether their managers are providing meaningful work and development opportunities as well as creating environments allowing them to thrive,” he says.
Peirson suggests asking yourself if your job is still the best fit for you. “If the answer is ‘yes,’ then the next step would be to speak to direct managers about development, taking on new assignments or tasks, or job shadowing in order to figure out the ‘why,’” he says. “Take time to evaluate what’s in it for you besides a paycheck. If there isn’t anything there, it may not be the right place for you.”
5. You’ve Plugged Into Workplace Negativity
Unfortunately, the default setting in many organizations skews negative, says Falk. It’s common to hear people bad-mouthing each other and complaining about their jobs.
“Being surrounded by negativity or participating in it easily pollutes the mind to only focus on the bad aspects of work, which makes us subconsciously view interesting tasks less interesting, and boring tasks more boring,” he says.
Falk says the solution is to choose wisely when it comes to who you spend time with at work so your workplace experience can improve.
The latest Gallup poll finds that just 36% of employees say they’re engaged in their work and workplace—which means the majority of people are not. By taking the time to understand why you’re bored, you can make changes that will improve your situation. Since you spend about a third of your life at work, the effort will definitely be worth it.
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