mdolla: Feeling Bored at Work? The Causes You May Not Know and How to Cure The Boredom

It’s Monday again.

The annoying alarm breaks the piece of silence you are enjoying. You keep pressing snooze and don’t want to leave your bed. As the hour hand points to 8, every muscle in your body feels sore.

You arrive your office and turn on the computer at your seat. Everything seems so normal, except your mind wanders…

If this sounds familiar to you, chances are you feel bored at work, and you are probably here to look for ways to get rid of this dreadful situation.

Before I get to the solutions, here are 6 reasons why you feel bored at work.

Boredom Reveals The Potential Problems You Have at Work

There’s a mismatch between your interest and your work

It’s very common that our work doesn’t match our interest, but we might not realize it sometimes. It’s good for you to think about why you applied for this job at the first place:

Because the salary was attractive? Or you had no other options but this job interview? Or you just wanted a new environment?

If these are your major concerns, you need to reconsider your interests in this job.

You are not using your capabilities fully

Everyone has their strengths and talents. When your capabilities are not fully utilized at your job, you may find the assigned tasks not challenging at all. Worse still, you may start to question your value in your company and gradually lose motivation at work.

You have little opportunity for growth and learning

Imagine you do the same tasks for two weeks, or two months, or two years, over and over. How would you feel? I’m sure you’ll be bored to death.

If your company doesn’t provide enough opportunities to grow and learn, and you can’t see any improvement, you will start to get disappointed and probably feel bored at your job.

You have too much idle time

It’s important to take breaks at work. But when you are too free, it is a problem. When you have too much idle time, your mind wanders off to somewhere else: thinking about where to eat, your relationship problems, or what your neighbor said this morning. Although your mind is occupied, these thoughts are generated because you are bored.

You feel exhausted and tired

You have so many goals to achieve in life, or things to manage beyond work. It’s easy to shift your attention and energy away from your work, because you are too occupied with other parts of your life. While you pay less effort at work, the less motivated and interested you are in your job, which in turn bores you even more.

You don’t have a clear goal

People who have stayed in a position for a long time easily feel lost. You start to get confused with what you want to obtain from the job. You get used to your repeating daily routine and gradually lose your passion and interests in your job.

Don’t Ignore Your Boredom, It Might Take a Toll on You

You might think it’s okay to deal with your boredom later, but the longer you put this problem on hold, the more consequences you will face.

Higher Stress Pressure. A number of readers of Stress Relief Workshop commented,

Boring jobs can be really stressful.
Feeling like your skills are going to waste in your current job can be stressful.

Develop Bad Habits. Experts reckon people relieve their boredom by drinking alcohol, indulging in unhealthy food, or carrying out risky actions at work. When you leave your problem unsolved, you might find stimulation elsewhere to override your boredom.

Poor Mental Health. A study^[1] shows an upsetting fact young adults or fresh graduates may develop depressions or black moods, because they “find themselves having to do work that doesn’t stretch them and keep them fulfilled.”

Low Productivity. Like I mentioned before, when you are bored and uninterested in what you do, your productivity drops drastically.

Boredom Won’t Go Away Unless You Take These 6 Actions

It sounds scary when you don’t deal with your boredom, but fortunately, here are also 6 ways you can change the situation.

Tell your boss or supervisor about your working situation

It’s always good for you to talk to your boss or supervisor if they welcome feedback. They should be the right people to talk to as they can understand and help you. You can request for more challenging tasks or work that fit your interests. This can not only get you out from boredom, your boss will also appreciate your willingness to improve and learn.

Try to do more than you are expected to

To use your ability and time fully, try to do more than what your boss requires. After you finish the repetitive or unchallenging tasks, spend some time to take on tasks that are beyond your responsibilities. As time goes by, your boss will notice and recognize your work ethic. You may get interesting tasks in the future to keep you going!

Learn new skills when you are free

If you have too much downtime, expand your knowledge and learn something new. A well-equipped person is always the gem in a boss’s eyes.

For example, if you work in the design team but you are not familiar with the use of design software, it’s a good chance for you to have some self-learning time.

Know what you want from your job

This is important — when you know your goal, it can motivate you to work! It’s fine to take some time to discover XXX. But please remember to jot it down on a note and stick it on your desk as a reminder.

Take breaks to fight exhaustion

A rest is a preparatory step for a longer journey ahead. Don’t ever hesitate to take a break. You need it! It’s crucial for you if you want to achieve more. Just get back to work when you feel ready. Don’t underestimate the power of a short break!

Quit your job if it’s holding you back!

If you still find your work boring, after trying every single method above, you should consider quitting your current job. Opportunities are everywhere,there may be a better job waiting for you. Make a change in your life and treat yourself better!

Featured photo credit: officevibe via officevibe.com