Have you ever found yourself staring blankly at a computer, or struggling to stay alert during your shift?
You're not alone. A 2023 survey of 2,000 American workers by research firm OnePoll found that nearly half were bored at least three days in the work week.
Casher Belinda, an assistant professor of management and organisation at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, says people are more likely to be bored at work than in any other setting.
"Every employee gets bored, even if they have the most interesting jobs. But experiencing chronic boredom … is damaging to wellbeing and productivity," he says.
So, what causes chronic work boredom? And what are some practical things you can do to make work more bearable if leaving isn't an option?
The reasons why we get bored at work
Kate Richardson is a career and executive coach based in Melbourne/Naarm. She says there are a range of causes for workplace boredom.
"One is when you're doing work that is tedious or repetitive … [and you don't] feel stimulated or like you're learning anything new," she says.
Boredom might also be the result of not having enough to do. But Ms Richardson says busy people get bored at work, too.
"You could have a demanding job, but if it's demanding rather than challenging, then you might not find that much satisfaction in it," she says.
That could be the result of a mismatch in skills or values, she explains.
"[You could be bored if you are] feeling like the work you do doesn't really matter," she says.
Or you might see the importance of your work but find it boring because it's not aligned with your personal values or goals, Ms Richardson says.
Why ignoring work boredom won't help
If you're noticing you're bored at work, it's natural to try to ignore it. But that approach has problems.
In his research at the University of Notre Dame, Dr Belinda found that when we try to dismiss our boredom, it can bubble up when we tackle subsequent tasks.
"What we find is that … [people] try to power through … or essentially try to suppress those feelings of boredom," he says.
"That ends up postponing the consequences of boredom and making them stronger than they otherwise would be."
Repetitive tasks are a feature of most jobs, so it's not like we can simply avoid them.
But we may be able to set up our schedule to alternate between tedious tasks and more interesting ones — and that can help with managing boredom, Dr Belinda says.
"Given a certain number of tasks you have to perform in a day, there will be a degree to which each one is boring, and each one is meaningful," he says.
"If you find a way to structure those such that they're counterbalancing one another, that can help prevent boredom of one task having consequences that continue to spill over and reduce your productivity and attention on subsequent tasks."
How job crafting can improve your work life
Dr Belinda likens boredom to pain: it's a signal from our body that something isn't right, and we shouldn't ignore it.
In a work context, if you're feeling chronically bored, it's a sign that it might be time for a change. But changing jobs can take time — and it's not always straightforward.
If you can't simply leave, Ms Richardson says you might benefit from "job crafting."
"What that means is that you're essentially changing aspects of your job [within your control] that will up your energy and motivation," she says.
There are a few different approaches to job crafting you can try:
- Task crafting — this involves making changes to the tasks you do in your job. You might try to change the types of tasks you do, or the order in which you do them. For example, a nurse who is passionate about helping people might try to focus more on patient interactions on their shifts.
- Relational crafting — this refers to the interactions you have at work. If you enjoy working with people but have limited opportunities in your current role, you might try to do something like mentoring.
- Cognitive crafting — this is about reframing your job to help you find more meaning in your work. For example, if you work in customer service, you could look at your role as not just about resolving issues but also helping people.
How 'explorer mode' can help you figure out what's next
Even if you can't leave your job right now, you can explore what's next. It's what Ms Richardson calls "explorer mode."
It might involve trying new things, volunteering, or looking around at different jobs that you might be suitable for.
"You want to be running towards something, not running away from something," she says.
"One positive thing about being bored at work is that you can identify what's actually missing and what you need more of … [and that can help you] think about what you need to do to move in that direction."
