Episode 32 - Smart People Problems - Boreout
This is number two in a series on ‘Smart People Problems’ - because yes, it’s amazing to have a smart mind, but it also comes with a unique set of challenges.
In this second instalment, I look at how boreout affects smart humans.
You'll learn:
What boreout is
In what arenas it occurs
Why smart people are at higher risk of boreout
What you can do to cure or prevent it
As a smart human, you have different needs. Don't deny them - honour them.
Stop languishing and start living.
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Full Episode Text
Episode 32 - Smart People Problems: Boreout
Welcome to this episode of the managing the smart mind podcast with Master Certified Coach Else Kramer, a.k.a. Coach Kramer.
This is number two in a series on ‘Smart People Problems’ - because yes, it’s amazing to have a smart mind, but it also comes with a unique set of challenges.
In this second instalment, I look at how boreout affects smart humans.
Never heard of the concept? Then consider this
Have you ever experienced a feeling of hopelessness when thinking about work?
The sense that it would never get better, that you would just have to ‘deal’ - shut up and put up?
If so, you may have been experiencing boreout - or been on a trajectory towards it.
And, as you may have guessed - for smart humans boreout doesn’t just occur at work, but more about that later.
First: what is boreout?
You’ve probably heard of burnout - but what the heck is boreout?
Boreout is a debilitating condition where someone experiences such a lack of meaning, challenge and variety at work that it causes mental and often also physical problems.
Interestingly, symptoms of boreout can be quite similar to those of burnout.
Think insomnia, listlessness, depression - but also a compromised immune system, headaches, stomachaches, etc.
Some people think the difference between the two is that bored-out people aren’t suffering from stress, as opposed to those with burnout.
But that is a misconception: boreout can come with a lot of stress. Whether on on how to not be ‘found out’ to have so little to do, or how on earth to keep going in a job that is utterly meaningless but pays the bill, or a combination of both.
In addition, bored-out humans are usually relatively isolated which only increases the pressure. It’s much harder to get sympathy or help around not having a lot to do or not being challenged, than about being completely buried in work.
When are people at risk of boreout?
Boreout can occur in any situation where there is
lack of interesting or challenging tasks
a lot of repetitive work
no perspective, no possibility for growth
a lack of meaning or purpose
a lack of agency (where you perceive yourself as powerless to do anything to change your situation).
In short: when you feel your job is completely useless - to you, to your company, and to humanity.
Here are some examples to give you a feel for situations in which boreout often occurs.
With mid-sized to larger companies
When companies or divisions are combined, there can be too many people doing mostly the same thing - which leaves some with not much to do at all.
Usually, with good management and as the dust settles, this will be addressed - but when it doesn’t it can leave people stuck in well-paid skeleton jobs that are utterly depressing, but that they feel powerless to change.
Or a major client can decide to take their business elsewhere, but staff is being kept on even though there isn’t a lot to do.
These are pretty obvious examples - as are the jobs where there is only very repetitive work that could just as easily be done by a machine.
But bore-out also occurs in more challenging environments - especially for smart people.
They often get promoted to a level where they are no longer doing what they love, for example creating products, but only managing and getting stuck in - in their experience - endless meetings.
On the outside looking in they have plenty of meaningful work to do, they have an enviable position with plenty of influence - but they hate it.
They feel like all the joy has been taken out of their work and life because what they do and the interactions they have are no longer fulfilling them in any way.
And this is a hard thing to address when your company has ‘rewarded’ you with this promotion.
Similarly, you can start a new job with high expectations, only to find out that because of your smart mind, the work is much less challenging than you were promised.
Now what do you do? It may be ill-advised to make a fuss straightaway - better to just keep going for a while and hope it gets better.
But what if it doesn’t? That’s where the boreout starts.
Entrepreneurs, freelancers, small biz owners
Do entrepreneurs, freelancers and small business owners escape boreout?
Well, they do have it easier, because they - in theory - are more in charge of their day-to-day.
But in practice boreout is a risk for them too, and it can show up in these scenarios for example:
Too much work for the same client.
Too much of the same work.
When you’re scaling: no longer doing the work you love but spending all your time managing and putting out fires instead.
Simply going through the motions and not having a long-term vision or goal that gives meaning to what you do and sustain you.
Boreout in other areas of life
Now that’s just work which, granted, is a massive area of our lives.
But for smart humans, boreout also shows up in many other places.
Parenting, for example.
I, for one, had a really hard time feeling good about the many repetitive and unchallenging tasks that came with having a baby and young child.
No, you do not need to call the child protection services - I love my daughter to bits.
But during her early years, when I - insanely - decided to be a full-time mum, my smart mind got desperate for intellectual stimulation - ANY intellectual stimulation.
Within a year of full-time parenting, I had lost all self-confidence and the idea that I had anything remotely interesting to say. And my joie-de-vivre was at a dangerously low level.
I only started to realise this when I found myself baking blueberry muffins at 4am in the morning, in addition to working as a volunteer pie maker for my local restaurant.
I had WAY too much overcapacity, and, because it didn’t find a proper outlet, it was turning inward, against me, undermining my self-confidence.
Then there’s education.
So many smart kids completely check out because school has nothing remotely interesting to offer them.
And it often doesn’t get better at University.
Boreout causes disengagement, depression, and drop-outs.
Why are smart humans at a higher risk?
Smart humans tend to do things a lot faster.
They learn things quickly and they love to optimise.
So they need a different level of challenge, of engagement, than most people - and this is rarely, if ever, catered for.
It is essential that we need to create this for ourselves and for our children.
Don’t get me wrong - there’s nothing wrong with being bored now and again.
But lack of intellectual stimulation can turn a well-behaved smart mind into a toddler with constant tantrums.
And when unmanaged this can turn inward - and start undermining all self-worth and self-confidence.
Which makes it even more important to catch and counteract it.
How can you recognise boreout and what can you do to prevent it?
Boreout is a bit like having a cavity. The later you catch it, the more problems its going to cause and the more effort it requires to fix.
So how do you you recognise it?
I think it starts with listlessness - having low energy and enthusiasm.
You just can’t motivate yourself to get up in the morning, to finish your tasks.
You feel numbed out.
That’s usually how it starts - and when you have these symptoms for more than four consecutive weeks it’s time to start taking them seriously - this is NOT a way to live your life.
It’s also important to be aware of the causes of boreout - I’ve touched on them above, but here’s a more complete list:
Bored at work
Lack of growth
Lack of meaning
Lack of perspective
Lack of engagement
Lack of challenges
Checking out, no longer being present
Frustration and dissatisfaction
Lack of professional interest
Lack of felt impact/relevance
And let’s be fair - even a couple of those in your life on a daily basis ARE demotivating and depressing.
Smart Self-blame and Shoulds
When smart humans find themselves in situations like these, they can start blaming themselves by asking questions like:
“Why can’t I ever be happy in a job for more than three months?”
“Why can’t I stick with one thing?”
“Why am I so difficult and demanding?”
If you’ve listened to Episode 28 you know that this only further undermines your self-worth (and if you haven’t yet - go check it out).
The reality is that you have different needs. You’re not being ‘difficult’ if you desire for them to be met.
Curing and preventing boreout
The steps to cure boreout look like this:
accept
take ownership (without self-blame)
create perspective (bigger picture)
create meaning and recognition
organise increased autonomy
create opportunity for variety and growth
It may sound obvious, but that first step of acceptance can be the hardest - especially if you used to love your job and everyone around you thinks you still do.
When you think ‘I should enjoy this, I should appreciate this’ or anything else with a ‘should’ (check Episode 30 for more on this dirty word) you need to take a step back and ask yourself whether you need to accept that, right now, you’re really not happy.
That you’re listless and, in the words of Adam Grant, languishing.
Step two is to take ownership of the problem without beating yourself up.
Don’t fall into the trap of thinking there is nothing you can do - there is always something you can do.
You may be scared to do it, you may dread the consequences - but there are always options.
This is also a great time to ask for help: whether from HR, someone senior within your company, or a coach.
Step 3-6 are all about changing the work you do AND your perspective on it.
I call this redesigning your job, but a more common term for it is:
Job Crafting
What is job crafting?
No, it doesn’t involve glitter.
It’s redesigning your work in a way that works with YOUR smart mind.
I work with a lot of clients who have amazing jobs and careers, but feel stuck.
They often still like the company they work with and most of the people.
They like their salary and other perks.
But they’re no longer challenged in any way and they don’t feel like they’re doing things that are meaningful.
This is where job crafting comes in.
As a smart human, there’s no need to take your position at face value.
You don’t need to accept it as is: you can use your smart mind and your creativity to morph it into something that gives you joy.
Of course this isn’t as simple as declaring: “I will no longer do meetings, you can find me in my lab when you need me”.
It takes work, building an internal platform, smart communication and strategy to create the autonomy you need to craft the job that is perfect for you.
But if you work for a company whose values you still subscribe to, and where you in turn are valued, this is a real possibility.
Again, if this is the work you want to do I strongly recommend getting external support (whether it’s from me or another coach) - and when you do, you can achieve what right now seems completely out of reach: loving your job again.
Preventing boreout in other areas of life
Because of the way our society, schools, workplaces are organised most smart humans have to take active steps to avoid boreout in these arenas too.
If school or higher education isn’t challenging enough we need ‘education crafting’.
If parenting is wearing you out you may need ‘life crafting’.
Regardless of where it shows up: if you recognised some of the symptoms in this podcast, whether in your own life or a loved one, please don’t wait - take action.
Get help where you can - you don’t have to do this alone.
In the case of gifted children: if the school is not supporting their needs please don’t give up. There are lots of other possibilities out there to keep those smart brains churning. Join local or online communities of parents in similar situations and use the wisdom of the crowd - you aren’t the only family struggling with this.
If other things like parenting or daily chores are wearing you down: get creative.
What can you delegate? Do in more interesting ways (maybe even create a diaper dance)? Where can you create some much-needed variety?
Please, do not languish.
You deserve so much better.
And know: a smart mind is a bit like a racehorse.
It gets very jumpy if it’s never allowed to actually race.
To use its full potential.
So let it.
Have an beautiful week,
Else a.k.a. Coach Kramer
Are you languishing? Or stuck in boreout? Then I can help you regain your energy, vitality and joy. DM me on LinkedIn, Instagram or Facebook to learn how you can work with me, or email me via podcast@elsekramer.com.
Thank you for listening to the Managing the Smart Mind Podcast, I love that at
the time of recording this there are smart humans listening in 77 countries! I really appreciate you - do send me any questions or requests for topics you have. And if you enjoy the podcast I’d love for you to give it a five-star review so other smart humans can find it - thank you!