Boreout: what it is, what to do and how to avoid it

What is “Boreout” syndrome?

Psychology has defined these manifestations when there is a situation of chronic boredom sustained over time, which can lead to health problems, anxiety and stress, even though the person is not active or exceeding their tasks or responsibilities.

It is generally thought that stress only occurs when there is an excessive demand for work and a requirement to do it quickly and with quality. But what may surprise many is that the same thing can happen when there is an absence of tasks, and the person feels that this inaction leads them to get bored, and, consequently, to diminish their interest and manifest a permanent reluctance.

The boreout is revealed mainly due to the lack of challenges and disinterest of the person in the midst of a work environment of which they do not feel part of; They do not have demands or goals that stimulate them, and that is why they waste time, take longer than necessary to deliver a report, and even, if they are consulted, they often claim that they are “covered with work”, because they pretend to do so.

Lack of motivation can lead to boreout

We know that in any company there are people who are willing to collaborate, be enthusiastic and contribute to projects, and others who always do the bare minimum, and sometimes not even that. In the latter case, it is necessary to distinguish when a person is bored because of being lazy, or is truly suffering from boreout.

These behaviors are based on the dynamics of the relationship they have with their intrinsic motivation, that is, the inner stimulus that each person develops.

If someone is self-motivated, they will put their touch of professional involvement beyond the assigned tasks, constantly improving, learning and collaborating. On the other hand, if you are not someone with this resource of social skills and emotional intelligence, you may be stuck and without enthusiasm.

The company culture also influences, in both cases, extrinsic motivation, which is what is provided from the environment in which one works.

Gestures such as congratulating, acknowledging, assigning interesting and challenging projects and applying what is called the emotional salary, made up of what is not rewarded in money, are part of the emotional incentives that can be one of the shortcomings in leaders of any activity.

Main reasons why boredom stress occurs

Now, not only in people who are overwhelmed or without their own initiative does the boreout occur, but it can also affect those energetic, self-motivated and productive talents.

And here the business culture does have a decisive influence. These are some of the main reasons:

• Duplicate tasks: overlapping roles can put one person at a disadvantage over another.
• Lack of planning: For example, when the functions of a position have not been clearly established, the person feels a lack of clarity regarding the limits of their responsibility.
• yourepetitive areas with no possibility of alternation: According to the dynamics of the functions, doing exactly the same activity for years in some temperaments is wonderful, although if the person has a vocation, enthusiasm and desire to progress, it may not be fertile ground for him, and he will inevitably fall into the doldrums. tedium.

• Assign motivating and brighter functions always to the same people. This is usually another frequent mistake, even because it is implied that others do not have the required skills or are not trusted enough.
• Do not accept suggestions for improvement. Most companies say they are concerned about the work environment and they do surveys. The problem arises because, according to what has been measured, in more than 98% of the cases no action is taken on the proposals, and, what is worse, they are not even informed of the reasons.
• Capacity limits based on assumptions. There are managers who assume that there are personnel who do not have sufficient inventiveness, and for this reason they are relegated to minor tasks.
• Lack of a promotion and career plan. By not having it, people do not visualize the possibility of growing within the company, and they fall into boredom with the basic daily task.
• Poor preparation. If the company does not make sure to train what is necessary for each position, it is possible that people do not reach the objectives, regardless of how hard they work to achieve it. Over time this will become feeling useless for the role, so they will stop making contributions that would help improve.
• Assign minor tasks to qualified people. This is usually another frequent mistake, when for some reason a person with many conditions is put in the freezer, and in this way, their professional capacity is inhibited. Their conditions are not used.

What to do against boreout syndrome and how to avoid it in the future

As you can see, the work boredom syndrome is multifactorial, so you will need to work considering various variables to channel or reverse it.

Here you have several alternatives to start, divided into two large fields:

Alternatives to boring members:

• Talk frankly. When detecting low performance, assess whether it is boredom or some other factor in order to correct it.
• Seek to specify the underlying reason. In many cases the boreout occurs due to the lack of challenge and tasks, but also due to personal situations that could be interfering in certain periods. An appropriate way of approaching the matter would be to ask and offer help in what is within your reach, tending to the well-being of the person.
• Review your work process. This includes surveying your job description, compliance objectives in a given period, for example, in the last six months, and also taking into account moments where you have shown greater enthusiasm and changes that may have occurred later. There you will find valuable information to compare.
• Do not judge or assume reasons. Use the direct, specific and to the point question, to more accurately assess the situation, showing empathy and the desire to help at all times.
• Check if the person is aware of their state of boredom. You can do it by inquiring through a series of structured conversations over the weeks, where they could agree on small improvement objectives, and verify their compliance in each section.
• Know if the person is still interested in the job. In many cases it may not be, and there they will have to make a decision together, since having someone with a boreout in the squad spreads that state of mind to the rest.

Alternatives to review when the company has several members bored:

• Review internal culture and procedures. Some questions as triggers: Is there anything that can be improved? Do we review the pillars of culture regularly? Does the entire company meet the mission, vision and values, at all times? Is there a communication policy that allows expressing what people feel? Do we work conscientiously promoting the well-being of the staff?
• Determine an internal development plan. This strategy needs to be sustained in the purpose, values ​​and results that the company seeks, and it is medium to long term.

To achieve this, clear, fluid and permanent communication is required, not only at the initial moment, supported by realistic plans and accurate compliance within the agreed deadlines. Also, you have to measure results with totally clear indicators for the company and the staff.

• Evaluate the leadership of superiors of people with boredom stress. Driving styles often directly influence people’s performance. The cognitive biases they have, having stayed in time or always choosing a small group of favorite people, make others feel relegated.
• Manage emotions in the company. It is very common to talk about business results or processes, although not so much about emotionality and feelings regarding work. Emotional innovation, a topic in which I specialize, is dedicated precisely to bringing emotions and redefining them as a positive construction tool in teams.

For example, establishing business coaching with experienced professionals, and opening conversation spaces with guaranteed psychological safety, can allow people to express themselves more freely and contribute viable ideas to improve the feeling of boredom.

• Create clear and sensible visions of the future. Many companies communicate these views to external audiences, such as customers and the media, and sometimes do so in exaggerated or exaggerated ways. The curious thing is that they do not do it internally with the same congruence or consistency.

The truth is that nobody likes to work in a place with no vision of the future. Clear purpose, consistent actions, and a unified optimistic-realist narrative that cascades down to all levels of the company will help improve people’s sense of boredom.

• Also highlight the achievements of people who have a low profile, and even those who seem boring. If you are consistent over time, this rescue of minimal details can awaken a spark in them and they can regain enthusiasm and the desire to participate more actively. Then, these instances must be accompanied with challenges and stimuli commensurate with progress.

Remember: boreout syndrome can happen to anyone, at any age and for any reason, and if it lasts for a long time, consultation with mental health professionals is necessary.

The most common cause of boreout is dissatisfaction with work or routine, but it can also happen when the person feels neglected or disconnected from others.

Regardless of the cause, the boreout is a potential time bomb that must be defused. In this article we give you a roadmap with several starting points to achieve it.

Facilitator and Executive Master Coach specialized in senior management, professionals and teams; mentor and professional communicator; international speaker; author of 32 books. LinkedIn Top Voice Latin America. Professional Coach certified by ICF at its highest level, Certified Coach and Member of the John Maxwell Team.