Boredom in Your Job? Here’s How to Change That

Is it another day creating graphs, crunching numbers and staring at your computer screen? Is there little variety in your job?

It’s not a case of hating it; you just can’t help but watch the clock tick down. We’ve all been in a position that we didn’t like. We’ve stared out of the window and thought about the professional alternatives. Then it was home time, and we forgot about the boredom for another evening. Don’t panic. Sit down, have a cup of tea and know that one in four people are bored at work.

You don’t have to put up with boredom in your job, and there are changes you can make.

Here are five steps to deal with your career boredom:

Yes. That’s a strange piece of advice, but before this author is booted out of the door, allow him to explain. Most jobs have a small element of boredom. It might be an odd piece of health & safety training that you find boring.

Our advice is to accept the boredom only if it can be overcome. It might be worth enduring the boredom if one of the following applies:

If you can look past your boredom, accept it. If not, move on to step two.

Your boredom reaches beyond a simple piece of training. It stretches further than a temporary state of mind, and it’s starting to outweigh your enjoyment in your role. Here you’ve got to assess what it is that makes you bored and change it.

Sometimes managers are stubborn. They might tell you that the work is what you signed up for. You might find your situation uninspiring, boring and not what you truly want to do.

That’s when you can take the next step.

Whether you use a large chunk of your holiday, you keep working, or you hand your notice in, the method is up to you. What you’ve got to do is think about the job that you want.

Often, unpleasant jobs make us realise what we want to do. When it comes to reflecting on what you’d like to have as a career, think about:

This reflection will make step four, and perhaps number five seem much more manageable.

If you’ve identified that you need to change jobs, talk to senior members of staff and the recruitment department. Check whether there are any opportunities to do what you want within your current organisation.

Sometimes, there’s nothing within the company for you. The only alternative to leaving is to remain in your role. It might now be time to consider step five.

Making the leap of faith can be tough. If you’ve been comfortable in your job for many years, this step can be made tougher. Whether you look around while still fulfilling your boring job, or you make the leap of faith straight away, that’s up to you, but don’t get stuck in a situation that you find dull and tedious.

The average person spends one third of their life at work. Make sure you’re doing something that you enjoy.