Feeling boring and anxiety

While we understand the causes and impact of burnout at work, the recent dialogue around boreout may lack clarity.
According to Lotta Harju, assistant professor of organisational behaviour at France’s Emlyon Business School, boreout, in essence, refers to “chronic boredom” where feelings of meaninglessness lie at its core.

Feeling purposeless isn’t an awesome feeling, but it can be a wake-up call to check in with yourself about what really matters. Try creating what University of Wisconsin-Madison lifestyle expert (and Nerdy-Girl-in-Spirit!) Dr. Christine Whelan calls a “Pandemic Purpose Statement” (download your copy using this link) to help you structure your day so that you use your gifts, in keeping with your values, to make a positive impact on the lives of others (link below).

Yes, there are going to be fears and anxieties that get in the way of actually following through on the meaningful goals you set for yourself, but this exercise has helped thousands of people focus on the good stuff. Oh, and those goals don’t have to be huge. Post your own in the comments, too, as a public commitment to purpose!

An employee experiencing boreout is so bored at work that they no longer find any meaning in doing it.
“The experience”, Harju says, “that work doesn’t really have any purpose, that there’s no point” in everyday tasks is the main indicator of boreout.
An important step in the recovery process is talking about how you feel. By communicating with your direct superior, you allow them to be aware of your situation. They can relook at your tasks and the concerns around them.

Instead of leaving your job, says Pablo Vandenabele, clinical director for mental health at Bupa UK, speaking to your superior to discuss ways you can feel challenged again is a more effective way to reduce boredom at work.
The conversation is your time to reflect on what can inspire you. Hopping into a new role without understanding where your motivations lie would prove counterproductive.

Outside of work, speaking to your GP will let you sieve out “what’s causing you to feel this way, and to identify steps to take to improve how you feel”, advises Vandenabeele.
Because you have developed a habit of thinking negatively about your work. Put your thoughts and energy to better use by reframing your imagery as positive and exciting. In other words reframe your thinking. Keep doing it until it becomes your new automatic response.

One very good friend of mine went through same state and after observing him i came to know that there are following causes for this anxiety

Some specific person (most likely a Senior) who is not supportiveSelf expectation from the quality of work one delivers. Some unwanted event where one could not cope up. Anxiety at work is very common so here is what you need to do
If you have a lot of responsibility it may weigh heavy. You may have beliefs that you don’t measure up?
This may be due in part to performance anxiety and perfectionist traits.
It could be that your work is boring and you do not feel fulfilled? Maybe you work with people you don’t feel comfortable with or don’t get on with?

My impression is that you are inclined to doubt yourself and think you will fail?
May I suggest CBT? Monitor your internal dialogue however. Consider your achievements and why you were given the job. I suspect there’s a discrepancy between how you see yourself and the reality.
Beware of your thinking style; are you inclined to consider every negative experience and ignore the other 99 out of 100 experiences?
Sometimes, the best way to find meaning in your job is to understand what its role is. Do your responsibilities play a significant role or do the culture underpin a major part of your job experience? Understanding your priorities helps you put the focus on what you really want out of your job. You learn what is important to you — communicate this to your manager or look out for it in your next role. First , you need to start thinking worst case scenario and prepare a plan to survive in that event.This will solve 80% of your problem.

If you’ve tried to re-engage with the work or solve the problem that is making you unhappy, and neither have yielded results (i.e. you’ve surpassed three check-ins based on the schedule you created in step three and nothing has changed), it’s time to look for something new. “Whether you’re bored or unhappy, if you’ve tried to implement positive changes with no success, it’s time to launch a proactive job search,” says Holderman. “The old adage that it’s easier to find a job when you have a job is really true.”
Second, you need to find alternative hobby which will keep you occupied before and after the office for eg: cooking
Third,spend some extra time in office but not by working late, instead plan some exciting things and execute with your co workers,go on dinner/movies with co workers this way you will have some positive memories to think about office.
So while leaving for office you will have these events to think about rather that only work.

Do you miss hanging out with people, yet cringe at the prospect of yet another Zoom happy hour? Acedia is a likely culprit – as its paradoxes emerge from the rocky soil of social isolation. Cloistered monks were alone, and so are we (at least more often than we are used to). Acedia can be manifested by not caring about your appearance (hi, sweatpants), your relationships (hi, hours on your phone instead of connecting with your partner IRL) or your work (hi, checking Insta while on that never-ending Teams meeting) and while it’s linked to depression, it’s really more about lack of purpose.Just as burnout brings about psychological effects on one’s health, being chronically bored at work has an impact. Boreout doesn’t mean an employee just feels unenthusiastic about their job — it is attached to a larger psychological manifestation.

Research finds that when we recognize an emotion, it is easier to regulate. Having an agreed-upon name for a feeling also helps us because we are able to talk about it, reduce the stigma and get support.Acedia is a normal feeling right now. This pandemic has been dragging on, and it seems like there’s a lot more tough stuff to come. You’re not lazy, you are human. Nerdy Girls Aparna and Lindsey had a chance to discuss this very topic with social worker and Project Village founder Lauren Ross last week during a wellness Q&A. The three of us all stressed the importance of community and knowing that YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

When I first started mulling over this topic, I couldn’t exactly nail down the difference between boredom versus unhappiness, which was worse, or why it was even important. Then I started reading about the psychology of boredom. For such a pervasive feeling, the science on boredom is still somewhat new. In fact, it was only recently that psychologist John Eastwood tried to pin down a definition of boredom within the scientific community.Some common signs are:
Avoiding work by doing non-work tasks during office hours
Distancing from colleagues and loved ones at home
Experiencing fatigue, feelings of worthlessness and irritability
These signs are pretty similar to that of burnout — the onset of anxiety, depression and sadness. Yet, you can differentiate the two by focusing on the cause.

Burnout is often due to overwork, which could even lead to physical exhaustion. Whereas boreout is a result of a strong lack of interest or motivation in the job. This causes an employee to increasingly distance themselves from the job itself.
Happiness and unhappiness are even more difficult to define. Generally, a happy person is considered to be someone who often feels positive emotions like joy, interest, and pride, and rarely experiences negative emotions like sadness, anxiety, and anger.

Psychologists will tell you that boredom can be a marker on the way to real unhappiness and even depression, so the difference is nuanced but important. Here are five questions that will help you determine how you’re feeling, and what to do about it:These may seem like a temporary fix, but they can help you reduce day-to-day boredom while bringing some relief to feelings of anxiety. Eventually, you will be better able to make sense of your situation and think of what needs to be done.

Recognising the signs of boreout and finding the steps to overcome it will be important not only for your career but also for your mental health. Reflect and work on yourself!