Boreout
Are you affected too? Ways out of boredom
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Chronic underchallenge, lack of appreciation, boredom at work – this is what the so-called boreout syndrome looks like in the workplace. What is behind it and what those affected can do.
Boreout: What is that anyway?
Everyone has probably heard of burnout. People who are chronically overwhelmed and suffer from severe emotional and physical exhaustion (more information here: Avoid Burnout). The term boreout ("being bored") – from the English term – has also been in circulation for some years boredom for boredom and based on the term burnout. This term was coined by the authors Peter Werder and Philippe Rothlin ("Diagnose Boreout", Redline Wirtschaft, 2007). Boreout is characterized by chronic insufficient demands on the job: Those affected are overqualified for their jobs, have too little to do, see no meaningfulness in their tasks and do not feel valued enough.
They are also characteristic Behavioral Strategies in Boreout Syndrome: They try to cover up their underchallenge and their little work by e.g. B. pretend to be busy, which in turn can lead to stress and irritability.
Boreout Symptoms
The following symptoms are attributed to the boreout:
- boredom is a predominant condition, either due to too few tasks or due to routine activities.
- The feeling, to be able to do morethan the manager demands.
- Demotivation ever going to work and listlessness even after work.
- The person concerned tries to cover up his underchallenge and feels even after work irritable and dissatisfied. The frustration is taken into private life.
- fatigue According to Werder and Rothlin, however, is not a symptom, but a consequence of the boreout. The person concerned feels dull and drained. Depression can also be the result.
- In addition, physical problems such as Gastrointestinal problems, Dizziness and Tinnitus occur.
But: boredom is not always the same as a boreout. Sometimes there are idle phases in a company or area that have to be bridged. However, one of the main features of boreout is that Meaning and recognition absence.
Boreout: who is affected?
Boreout syndrome has hardly been researched, and there is no scientific evidence for boreout as a mass disease. So it's hard to say how many are really affected. For example, the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) in cooperation with the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA) speaks of people in the 2012 employment survey who feel under-challenged in terms of their subject matter (12.7%) or the amount of work (5.6%) (Results from a more recent survey by the BIBB / BAuA from 2018 are not yet available). In 2017, the recruitment agency Robert Half asked 500 managers about their employees. Of these, over half (56%) said they believed their employees were bored for around eight hours a week. The main reasons they gave Tasks that are not demanding, too many or bad meetings and a lack of variety or variety.
If boreout occurs, it is more likely in Office jobs. In manual professions it would also be much more difficult to fake work. The self-employed are unlikely to suffer from boreout.
What can I do myself in the event of a boreout?
- Initiative: An employment relationship is not a one-way street. Those affected can ask for an interview with their employer. This should be about new fields of activity, perspectives and also new ideas that the employee, i.e. the person concerned, proactively brings in.
- Internal change: Instead of new fields of activity in the previous activity, a change within the company may also be interesting: Another area, another supervisor and new tasks can counteract the boreout.
- further education: Through further training, new skills are acquired that bring new tasks and thus variety to the job.
- to accept help: A psychologist or career counselor can provide meaningful advice and also open up new perspectives that the person concerned might not be able to find himself.
By the way: You can find even more tips and information about careers and finances here: Brigitte Academy. If, on the other hand, you get bored in your free time, you will find great tips here: What to do against boredom?
Would you like to exchange ideas with others on the subject? Then have a look at our Brigitte Community, where you can ask all questions about the job and get even more tips!