WACO, Texas (KXXV) — Boredom at work isn’t just an annoyance — it can quietly erode productivity, morale, and mental health.
- Compared to burnout, 'boreout' is defined as overwhelming you physically and mentally due to overwork and stress
- The number one asset to avoid boreout is to identify your passions and what drives creativity
- This is a growing trend in the workplace
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Boredom at work isn’t just an annoyance — it can quietly erode productivity, morale, and mental health. The term “boreout”, coined to describe a state of chronic workplace boredom and lack of stimulation, is gaining attention as employees and experts warn that doing the same menial tasks day after day can leave workers discouraged, dreadful and disengaged.
What is boreout? It's define simply as a state of chronic boredom and lack of stimulation at work. Unlike occasional boredom that comes and goes, boreout is persistent: routine, unstimulating tasks dominate the day and leave employees feeling under‑challenged and undervalued.
Why it matters:
Workplace consultant Paul Peters says boreout can be dangerous not only for productivity but for mental health. “You’re pretty much set up in a job that’s just continuing to do the same thing. There’s no creativity and no excitement, and it’s just really exhausting to get up every day and do the same thing over and over,” he says. That repetitive stagnation can produce discouragement and dread that erode well being over time.
While boreout stems from too little stimulation, burnout comes from too much — relentless, high‑pressure workloads that overwhelm an employee physically and mentally. Peters notes the two can be connected: boredom can sap motivation and self‑worth, which in turn may reduce resilience and make employees more susceptible to stress when demands do spike.
Peters recommends workers first identify what awakens them — the kinds of tasks that bring energy, creativity and satisfaction — and then take practical steps to bring more of those elements into their days.
Bottom line: boreout is more than a workplace nuisance — it can be a slow drain on people and organizations. The remedy is often a mix of personal action and employer responsiveness: identify what excites you, test ways to bring that into your work, and seek or build environments that reward creativity and engagement.
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