What is a boreout?

We all have heard of burnout, but have you heard of boreout? I did not and I only found this term online a while ago, while I was looking for something about burnouts. But a boreout is just as bad as burnout and everyone should know about this disease too.

Difference between boreout and burnout

We all know what burnout is. It is when you have been doing way too many things at the same time for an extended period of time. It is also when you push yourself to work longer and harder. It is the society we live in. We tell everyone how hard we work and then someone feels the need to work even harder because we want to look successful. Eventually, you will feel tired, you get headaches, you will feel stressed all day long and you are having a hard time focusing on your task. When you get a burnout, it can take weeks or even months to recover again.


But then there is also boreout which has the same symptoms as a burnout, but the cause is different. You can get a boreout when you are bored at work every single day. But bore-out does not only happen when you have nothing to do at work. It can also happen when you have the same boring routine every day or when you only have one task. But you can also get a boreout when you have enough work, but it just feels meaningless. We like to be fulfilled and when that does not happen, our brain gets bored.

How bad is a boreout?

Feeling bored at work may sound like a dream to some of you. You go to work to do nothing and you still get paid. But it is can be as harmful as a burnout. It has the same symptoms and we need to take this seriously. The other day I thought, I was feeling burnt out, but I wasn’t doing a lot of things. But when I had a good day, I was taking a lot of action and I wasn’t overthinking everything.

I think we can also mix up those two diseases. Burnout is something everyone knows these days, but you hear nobody talk about boreout. Maybe you get the burnout diagnosis, but maybe it is actually the opposite. Maybe you are not feeling fulfilled at your work. But if you think you have a burnout, you get treated for that. You decide to do fewer things and lower your workload. If you have a boreout, you need the opposite. Maybe you need more tasks and fulfilment. If you have any of these symptoms, ask yourself what the cause is. Ask yourself if you really like the job and if you are fulfilled at the end of the day. Ask yourself if you are really working too hard or if you need more diversity in your tasks to make your workday more interesting.

What can you do if you have a boreout?

When you have a boreout, you can take a few days or weeks off from work. And use that time to make a plan, for yourself. You can ask yourself if you need to quit your job and find something new. Or maybe you can learn something new in your free time. Maybe you can learn to bake something, learn how to play the guitar or learn a language. Life is all about balance. A boreout and burn-out happen when your life is not balanced. Make time to relax, but also make time for your to-do list and keep yourself busy. Plan some me-time and plan some time with your friends.

And if you are struggling with a boreout, try something different every single day if your day looks the same all the time. Try a new recipe, play an instrument in the evening instead of watching tv, and go out with friends. Spice up your life a little bit, and make it a little bit more interesting. But if you don’t change yourself and the situation you’re in, it will get worse.

Photo by Elisa Ventur on Unsplash

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