6 Signs You’re Bored At Work
Publié le 24 September 2021
If you are experiencing the 6 signs you’re bored at work, it can mean you need new and more engaging professional challenges.
Boredom is something everyone experiences from time to time. Sitting in a chair and watching the clock tick ahead, waiting for something — anything — to happen is a common feeling. Chronic boredom, however, is not normal. When chronic boredom becomes a daily part of your professional life, it needs to be addressed. By learning 6 signs you’re bored at work, it will make it easier to identify when you need to make a change that will help you become engaged with your career.
Boredom vs Burnout
It is very important to note that there are key differences between being bored at work and being burnt out. Employee burnout is a very real and serious problem, one that is affecting a growing number of people working all different types of industries and job fields. Burnout is directly related to overwork, long hours, loss of work-life balance, and a lack of organization support, all of which are major labour issues that need to be rectified. It is also linked with and contributes to mental well-being, including issues such as anxiety and depression. If you think you are experiencing burnout, do not hesitate to reach out for support.
6 Signs You’re Bored At Work
- Your days are long
- You don’t feel accomplishment
- You feel less connected
- You get distracted
- You only do the minimum
- You’re looking for another job
Your Days Are Long
Almost everyone has heard the adage that “time flies when you’re having fun,” but it turns out it is not just a folksy saying. Research indicates that positive emotions and experience really do have a psychological impact on the perception of time. Basically, time does feel like it is moving more quickly during positive experiences, especially when you are feeling goal-motivated.
Conversely, focusing on negative emotions can make the hours seem longer. Stress, anxiety and worry can wreak havoc on your internal clock, all of which have also been exasperated by the ongoing pandemic. If your work tasks are not stimulating and you do not feel that you are moving towards a concrete goal, it can make the workday feel far longer. If you are finding yourself staring at the clock in disbelief that it has only been 12 minutes since the last time you checked, it’s one of the major signs you’re bored at work.
You Don’t Feel Accomplishment
Doing your job well, reaching goals and achieving success should provide a sense of pride and accomplishment. A strong company culture is one that encourages employees to take pride in their accomplishments and rewards their successes. If your company does not not do a good job acknowledging employee success, that is a problem with management that should be addressed in order to improve the workplace.
If you no longer get a sense of accomplishment from achieving company goals, even when your employers acknowledge your success, it is one of the signs you’re bored at work. Psychologists have referred to these types of employees as “unhappy achievers”, and this type of professional boredom can start to have detrimental effects on your well-being.
You Don’t Feel Connected
An important component of a successful workplace with satisfied employees is the ability to form bonds and connections between colleagues. Workplaces where colleagues feel connected perform better and, most importantly, enjoy improved wellness. One study has found that 70% of professionals state that having friends at work is integral to maintaining a proper work-life balance.
Boredom at work can be a result of the work not being engaging or stimulating enough. If the tasks that employees complete are not engaging, they are less likely to engage with one another. This reduces the chances for connection to form and strength over successful collaboration. It’s true that the pandemic has contributed to rising feelings of isolation among colleagues, and it’s a problem that workplaces, both remote and in-person, must tackle moving forward.
You Get Distracted
Distractions happen to everyone. With so many notifications, messages and emails popping up throughout the day, it’s completely understandable that people get distracted from their tasks. While these distractions can add up and create a problem, it can often be addressed through increased organization and proper time management techniques. For people who find themselves constantly and chronically distracted, it is a strong sign you’re bored at work.
If you are easily distracted at work, it can mean that you are not finding your role and responsibilities to be mentally engaging. This leads to your mind feeling unengaged and bored, and therefore your brain starts to seek anything else that could be mentally stimulating. Any message that appears or notification that pops will be seen as a possible way to break out of the boredom.
You Only Do The Minimum
This feeling of boredom at work can lead to a scenario where you engage with your job less and less, putting in the minimum amount of work. This creates a vicious cycle, where you do the minimum amount of work because you feel no sense of pride or accomplishment in your job, and you don’t feel accomplished because you only did the minimum amount of work.
Employees who are actively engaged with their jobs tend to be the happiest, but despite this surveys have found that an astonishing 85% of people report not feeling engaged at work. Employers and managers need to do everything possible to create an engaging work environment, which will help to combat boredom among employees.
You’re Looking For Another Job
The simple truth is that if you are constantly bored at work, it may mean that you have outgrown your job. It would be a mistake to view leaving your job as some sort of failure. In fact, there are plenty of legitimate reasons to consider other employment opportunities, including feeling bored at your job. It is entirely possible that you may be ready to take the next step in your career, but you may not be able to do so in your current job.
Instead of growing bored with your job role, affecting your own well being and doing less well with work as a result, it would be better for everyone if you could find a different job role that provides new challenges and recognizes your achievements. When it comes time to leave your current job, it’s best to be honest with your employers about your desire to find a role that is more challenging and rewarding.
Acknowledging the reality of boredom in the workplace is the only way that employees and employers can work together to address it. Knowing the 6 signs you’re bored at work will allow workers to recognize that they need more challenges, and can help motivate them to take the next step in their professional life.
