Workplace boreout

There are countless experiences of people being overworked, underutilized, and treated poorly in the workplace. Is workplace burnout a real thing? Or are we too sensitive today? Are the expectations in today’s workplaces too much? Have we gotten soft? Where did work ethic go, and what exactly does it mean? Should we just be thankful for a job? Should we expect our jobs to fulfill us beyond paying bills?

But what if it’s not burnout you’re experiencing, but rather “boreout”?" Workplace boreout is understimulation. We lose energy and motivation, similar to burnout, but because we aren’t learning and do not have the ability in our current role to generate new ideas, meet new people, or grow.

This is similar to quiet quitting, defined as when an employee performs the requirements of their job description, rather than going above and beyond. Quiet quitting involves setting strict boundaries to ensure work-life balance and avoid burnout.  But, isn’t that what we ALL should be doing?

“Boreout is, instead, forced stagnation. And stagnation can use up our mental energy as much as overwhelm can.”

Ennui is defined as a feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction from a lack of occupation or excitement - boreout. Are we meant to be stimulated and energized by our work? Are we askign too much of our work these days?

I’ve spent years asking myself these questions, and I wanted to learn more beyond my own experiences. Our experiences create biases. I decided to branch out and talk to people at different career levels and industries. I started by conducting a survey.  Note that this survey was self-reported, and those who completed the survey elected to do so without financial incentive. Sixty-five individuals completed the survey.

Key findings reveal a workforce grappling with significant challenges related to workload and well-being, alongside a fundamental redefinition of career success. 

A striking 77 percent of respondents reported experiencing some form of burnout in their current role, a condition strongly correlated with the 67 percent who experienced an increased workload over the past two years.

Technology emerges as a double-edged sword, with half of the respondents perceiving its impact on work-life balance as mixed, enabling flexibility while fostering an “always-on” culture.

The traditional “work hard, stay loyal” mentality is widely considered outdated, as career success increasingly prioritizes work-life balance, personal fulfillment, and financial stability, often necessitating job mobility due to a perceived erosion of employer loyalty. 

These simple findings underscore a need for organizations to re-evaluate their approaches to workload management, trust, and the evolving expectations of the workforce. Much more research on personal fulfillment needs to be conducted to understand how employers can get the best from their employees, while employees can find satisfaction in careers where they spend the majority of their prime hours and years.