We all know the feeling. You sit in front of the computer and look at the clock on the edge of the screen. It’s been two minutes. The time since the last furtive glance has felt like an eternity. Unfortunately, the occasional boredom is an integral part of everyday work for most of us. But what can you do about it? Check out this article for some tips.
Boredom can be dangerous
Chronic boredom paired with constant insufficient demands in everyday work is often referred to in the media with the term “boreout”. This is not the occasional “I don’t want to go to work”, but a syndrome with its own clinical picture. The symptoms are very similar to those of burnout.
In science, the boreout syndrome is still controversial as a disease. Some researchers refer to it as a fashion disorder. Nevertheless, some individuals would like to draw attention to this phenomenon, even if scientific evidence is (still) lacking.
It doesn’t matter whether “boreout” is a scientifically recognized disease in the future or not, under-demanding and boring work is bad for mental health. Therefore, we now come to the tips with which you can prevent boredom as much as possible.
Initiate projects
Outlining new projects is usually an interesting task. It allows you to be creative and to set new impulses. You shouldn’t restrict yourself too much here. Even ideas that appear ambitious at first glance can lead to useful innovations.
You don’t have to be the next Thomas Alva Edison to take this advice to heart. It is enough if you think about what you can improve in your work. Are there processes that can be optimized? Have customers made suggestions for improvement that have not yet been addressed?
You don’t need to reinvent the wheel, just a little push can get big things rolling. In addition to driving away boredom, this also makes you stand out positively to your superiors. So you kill two birds with one stone.
Create a good relationship with your superiors
Integrating yourself into a team also means maintaining a good relationship with the boss. That sounds natural and it should be. Especially if you are looking for a promotion, a professional relationship with your supervisors will certainly help.
In the context of this post, however, the intent is not to seek promotion. Rather, it is about gaining the trust of the leader. This often results in more tasks and responsibilities. This gives you the chance to try out new tasks and grow with them. That gives a good feeling and destroys any boredom.
Get something to do
As you have probably figured out by now, the previous two tips boil down to the same thing: more, and above all, interesting work.
Inspirational tasks are surely the best kind of work. But sometimes this is, unfortunately, an unattainable luxury. In that case, it’s still better to do something to pass the time instead of getting bored.
True to the motto:
So look for a task of any kind, even if it is repetitive and hardly demanding. If necessary, ask your manager about additional work. In this way, you not only overcome your boredom, but you also make a good impression. Ultimately, every means is right when it comes to killing time.
All of these tips didn’t help you? Then it is probably time to look for a new job.