We spend a big chunk of our lives at work, so the last thing we want is to feel bored or dissatisfied with it. However, boredom is a common experience for people doing all kinds of work. Let’s look at some of the reasons this happens and what you can do to counteract it.
Your work and your passion don’t match
The first reason is that you are doing something you don’t care about. Working without passion for a company with values that don’t match our own is one way to feel bored. While we can’t always do a job that we are 100% passionate about, it’s a good idea to look for things we care about and that matter to us in the job, the organization, or the career we are pursuing.
No clear deadlines and expectations
Another source of boredom is a lack of clarity. What should you be doing? When is it due? What is the priority right now? Poorly managed workplaces that fail to provide adequate support can breed boredom. We feel that our time is being wasted and that there is no sense of what we do or when there are no clear deadlines. Badly managed deadlines and priorities can create boredom.
No opportunities for growth
Doing repetitive work is hard. It becomes boring after a while and can be taxing even if it’s not very difficult. However, it becomes especially boring when we know that the future won’t bring change. A lack of learning and growing opportunities is a big setback that can make us feel demotivated and bored every day.
A lack of recognition
We need to know that our efforts are recognized and acknowledged. Otherwise, it becomes uninspiring and pushes us to try less. What’s the point? We tend to feel bored if we do work without value to ourselves and that others don’t seem to recognize either.
It’s not that we need admiration, but we need to feel that what we do has meaning and is seen. If it’s not, our motivation quickly fades away.
So, what can you do? Changing work is a good option, but it’s not always a realistic one. Instead, here are a few tips to feel more engaged and less bored
Understand the meaning and importance of the work
Sure, your job might not represent your passion, but it must be useful for someone? Understanding the value and meaning that doing the work offers for yourself, your social circle, your community, and the world can help you feel more engaged.
The work might be important because many people rely on your position to get through the day or because it puts food on your table. Find a meaning that makes sense to you, and that motivates you to keep going.
Focus on the process, not on the results
We enjoy our lives more if we are present as they happen. A focus on the process can help us enjoy the work more, and this can be especially useful for jobs where there is no clear result, or it takes a long time to see the fruit of one’s efforts.
By enjoying the process, we can feel satisfied and motivated with the work we do every day, regardless of what we accomplished, and work itself becomes the reward.
Be creative
Creativity is not just making art but making everyday life more engaging as well. You can inject some creativity into your daily tasks. Can you do what you do better, faster, more efficiently? Can you do it differently? What can you do to make the work more satisfying? Making changes to your work can help you feel more satisfied and keep your creativity sharp.
We can always find ways to make work less boring and more enjoyable. Sometimes, it can serve as a temporary fix while we move to a more suitable position. Other times, it will transform how we perceive our work and help us feel more satisfied and happy overall.
