What's the most productive way to deal with boredom at work?
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Try to connect with and help your coworkers. If you're just not finding value in your work, try to build some rapport with someone at work and see if you can help them with something. Breaking up the monotony by working on a variety of tasks can also help.
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First, you want to be mindful of how you frame the concept of boredom to your supervisors, right? I would never use the word "bored". If you are not a person who flourishes in boredom and can't find anything to do, then you want to be strategic in the conversation you have with your managers and leadership about that boredom.
It might come across as, "Hey, I finished this project and I was going to go back and look at Project A, but I noticed we're going to, we have some things coming up on the horizon with Project B, and I would love to know if that is something I could participate in.
I would look to see how you can do more to add value and be seen as indispensable. If you tell your manager you're bored, they might be internalizing ideas like, "Oh, I'm not a good delegator, or I'm not managing the functions of my team members effectively". So also be careful to frame this in a way that doesn't place any sort of blame on their manager, but offers it up in a way that shows how you're a team player and you're there to be the best. So, I would frame it in a way that will help you enhance your value.
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It might come across as, "Hey, I finished this project and I was going to go back and look at Project A, but I noticed we're going to, we have some things coming up on the horizon with Project B, and I would love to know if that is something I could participate in.
I would look to see how you can do more to add value and be seen as indispensable. If you tell your manager you're bored, they might be internalizing ideas like, "Oh, I'm not a good delegator, or I'm not managing the functions of my team members effectively". So also be careful to frame this in a way that doesn't place any sort of blame on their manager, but offers it up in a way that shows how you're a team player and you're there to be the best. So, I would frame it in a way that will help you enhance your value.
In my opinion, being bored often comes from a lack of curiosity and creativity. I’d start by asking yourself, Why am I bored? Am I doing something uninteresting? Am I not really present or noticing what's going on? Or am I afraid of doing something different? Sometimes boredom comes from believing you should be somewhere else instead of being present. Even just sitting on a rock outside doesn’t have to be boring—it can be amazing if you're in touch with the beauty around you. Our society is often bored because people are afraid to connect with themselves. They need to be entertained or distracted, so notice when that's happening for you and make appropriate changes.
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If you are bored at work, try to spend your time effectively on whatever that means to you. If you feel like looking up some inspirational videos while you wait for your boss to get back to you, but that's work-related and you feel this will help you stay inspired, go for it. I would not recommend you look for distractions, because that will reduce your productivity, and you will likely end up feeling guilty. To deal with boredom effectively means to use the time when you are bored to do something that is effective.
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If you’re feeling bored at work, consider asking your boss or manager if there are any new projects you can help with or new skills you can learn. Having a wider variety of things on your agenda can help make work feel more exciting and less boring.
Taking “brain breaks” is also important. If you try to work on one task for several hours uninterrupted, you’ll likely feel bored and lose focus, which actually makes you less productive. Taking a 5- to 10-minute break every few hours to stretch, hydrate, grab a snack, or chat with a coworker can definitely help banish that boredom, while also boosting your productivity!
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Taking “brain breaks” is also important. If you try to work on one task for several hours uninterrupted, you’ll likely feel bored and lose focus, which actually makes you less productive. Taking a 5- to 10-minute break every few hours to stretch, hydrate, grab a snack, or chat with a coworker can definitely help banish that boredom, while also boosting your productivity!
If your job starts to feel monotonous, try setting small personal challenges, such as improving your efficiency in certain tasks or learning a new skill related to your role. You can also organize your workspace to make it more dynamic and comfortable. Additionally, taking short breaks to move around or socialize with colleagues can help you stay motivated and break the monotony.
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If you can't switch around types of work, try to bring something that you can do while doing work, such as a fidget spinner or something.
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