Feeling Bored At Work?

There will come a time where you will one day wake up and say to yourself: “I’m bored at work.” You feel like you’ve done it all – met all the KPIs, had the opportunity to travel, enjoyed the flexibility of remote working, even meeting some really cool people at work.

Problem with boredom at work is that it makes you question whether you are at the right place at work. It makes you wonder if maybe you are at a plateau and what’s next? Don’t fret if this is you though – multiple studies have shown that when people experience this bout of boredom, it is often followed by a period of motivation and creativity.

Also, feeling bored with your work life can be a red flag telling you that you need to take a step back and perhaps rethink your life choices. Some self-reflection is needed… and there’s always good that comes out from that whether it is realization that you really are in the wrong job or that you need to seek more challenges within your role to help you feel that rush again!

But first, we need to deal with this boredom before it gets to the better of you. Here are some tips about what to do when you’re going through a mental slump and feeling bored.

#1 Take time off
You know what they say – absence makes the heart grow fonder. In a work context, when you go on vacation and not think about work at all, it helps rejuvenate how you feel about it when you come back. Sometimes, time off is exactly what the doctor ordered to help you have a new perspective about work. Giving yourself a break from the daily grind can restore enthusiasm when you get back to work. It might even give you a new appreciation of it where you are bursting with ideas to try something new – that’s the power of a holiday!

#2 Seek something new
Maybe a new client or a new project to help you get excited about work once more! Career boredom often means you’re ready to grow out of your comfort zone. You can fall into a rut if you deal with the same client and do the same things over and over again. So speak to your manager about expanding your horizon to try new opportunities and challenges to help you learn, grow and look forward to your work days!

#3 Give yourself a new focus at work that’s not task specific
Enough of the admin and day-in-day-out tasks. Get out of the rut at work by seeking new things to do that’s not completely related to your KPIs. Maybe you can sign up for some learning courses if that’s available at work. Or explore volunteer opportunities at work like taking part in a corporate social responsibility group. Perhaps being a mentor to an intern or junior associate will give you new meaning at work. You can also come up with new ideas to explore – who knows, your boss might love it and get you to head it.

#4 Give yourself a new goal
You’ve done it all… but have you thought of how to get to a higher level at work? This is a great way to curb that boredom. The issue with being bored at work is when you’ve achieved whatever goals you set for yourself previously and you are thinking what’s next. Having a new goal to achieve – whether it is a promotion or being able to work on something completely new – will give you a renewed passion about work.

#5 Do something fun that’s not work related
Maybe you can sign up for baking courses. Or learn to play an instrument by watching YouTube videos. Think of something to do that’s not office or work related. This can help fire up passion within and make every day exciting again – before time, work might not even seem boring anymore.

Tell us how you dealt with boredom at work and why it worked at @Graduan.

Photo by Magnet.me on Unsplash.