DO YOU OFTEN FEEL BORED AT work or in life? Do you want to feel less bored? If so, what can you do to make that happen? Boredom has a bad rap, but is it really so bad?
During the last year, we polled hundreds of people, asking them how quickly they tend to get bored at a new job. On average, it takes six months for people to begin feeling bored. The answers, though, range from two weeks to never, signaling a high level of personal variability when it comes to boredom.
Although a precise definition of boredom is a matter of debate, most experts agree that boredom can be defined as an adverse feeling associated with a lack of stimulation. It is "searching" for stimulation and not finding it. Boredom is often accompanied by other feelings, both positive and negative. It is both a feeling and a trait, and the severity to which you experience boredom greatly impacts the outcomes associated with it.
Mild to moderate boredom can foster heightened creativity, motivation to pursue new goals and search for novelty and it can even be a catalyst for reflection and relaxation. Dr. Sandi Mann, who has studied boredom extensively, also says that it served an evolutionary purpose. "As an evolutionary tool, boredom was probably invaluable, allowing us to stop attending to a stimulus that proves itself neither dangerous nor reinforcing, and turn our attention to other, more worthy stimuli." When leveraged properly, boredom can help us innovate, set new priorities, and potentially find a greater sense of purpose.
Profound or chronic boredom can have negative consequences. It is even correlated with earlier death due to higher levels of associated stress or risk-taking behavior. Work-related boredom contributes to job dissatisfaction. A Korn Ferry survey from 2021 found that boredom was one of the highest drivers of turnover, along with cultural fit and salary concerns.
Esta historia es de la edición September 16, 2022 de Newsweek US.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición September 16, 2022 de Newsweek US.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Julia Stiles
“What’s funny is that I did everything as a director that I swore I would never do to my actors.”
AMERICA'S BEST - REGIONAL BANKS & CREDIT UNIONS 2025
REGIONAL BANKS AND CREDIT UNIONS ARE the financial backbone of communities nationwide.
How the Other Half Live
Patricia Arquette returns for season 2 of Severance. Free from the corporation, she reveals her character's struggle with her newfound independence
Marianne Jean-Baptiste
\"I'm not too worried about her not being likable.\"
'These Were Courageous Leaders'
Martin Luther King Jr.'s daughter Bernice tells Newsweek how her family aligned with the Carters in the fight for civil rights
'A Clarion Call to Service'
Former ambassador to China heralds Jimmy Carter's 'exceptional dedication to humanity and world peace'
An Iron Dome for America
Donald Trump has promised to build a missile defense system to protect the continental U.S. from a nuclear strike. A new report lays out how it might look
THE GOLDEN AGE OF GENETIC SEQUENCING
HOW GENES ARE MAPPING THE WAY TO CANCER CURES
Mystery of Ginger Cat Is out of the Bag
The genetics behind the vibrant orange color in feline coats is finally confirmed after 112 years
Paris Hilton & Nicole Richie
PARIS HILTON AND NICOLE RICHIE ARE READY TO BRING A LITTLE “SANASA” to the world with Peacock's Paris & Nicole: The Encore, their first project together since their reality show The Simple Life ended in 2007. What's “sanasa”? It's a song and phrase the longtime friends created as kids and popularized on The Simple Life. The show, a cultural phenomenon in the early days of reality TV, followed them over a series of blue-collar jobs. Now they're bringing it back as an opera. “I know this is just going to make people laugh, have fun, be nostalgic and just celebrate our friendship,” Hilton said. While Richie acknowledged “you can't do Simple Life again,” she said now “felt like the right time.” The famous pair also revisit some old jobs in Arkansas, like fast-food chain Sonic, where they now have drinks named for them. “I think that there is a part of our friend- ship that the show ended up showing that people connect to,” Richie said. As for this new special, Hilton is glad to do something positive for their fans. “It's been such a crazy past couple years, and I just feel like the world needs more joy.”