When persistent understimulation and boredom make you sick – the opposite of burnout.
Boredom in the workplace is more widespread than commonly believed.
With persistent understimulation, the body and mind can become just as ill as with constant overstimulation. This is known as boreout (from the English “to bore”).
Typical signs include reduced self-confidence and self-esteem, a lack of success, feelings of worthlessness, lack of motivation, withdrawal, fatigue, excessive sleep, sleep difficulties, lethargy, refusal of new tasks, and even further withdrawal. This usually creates a vicious cycle. If this development is not countered in time, illnesses, including severe depression, can result.
The causes of boreout lie deep within: ingrained thought and behavior patterns and unfavorable beliefs can hinder a person in their work and in the flow of life, thereby severely limiting their quality of life.
Since there is no classic case of burnout, the difficulty with boreout lies in recognizing and correctly interpreting the warning signs. In any case, there is significant distress – just as with burnout.
Because boreout is a consequence of learned thought patterns and behaviors from childhood, it’s difficult to distinguish between professional and personal boreout, as our behavior is usually the same in all areas of life. Out of fear of rejection, failure, or judgment, the affected person continues to live out these unfavorable patterns until they are completely exhausted.
The self-image that the boreout sufferer has created is something they desperately want to maintain… anything to avoid drawing attention to themselves!
As a result, they cannot develop and experience their potential and talents.
Boreout coaching focuses on consciously questioning your learned beliefs, thought patterns, and behaviors. This alone often sets in motion a desired change process, which you will then go through, discovering and solidifying new beliefs, ways of thinking and behaving that are more congruent for you.