“Bore-out”— Burnout’s Ugly Stepsister

How to recognise it and how to “get out”

Peter John K
Big Self

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Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

So — is boredom good or bad?

On the one hand, there is the “in-the-moment” boredom described by Manoush Zomorodi in her recent book “Bored and Brilliant”, in which our mind wanders, using the down-time to process ideas subconsciously and boost our creativity.

But what German consultants Rothlin & Werder analysed in their 2007 book “Diagnosis: Boreout”, first publicising the term, was something in a whole other league — something dangerous and destructive, that costs individuals and the global economy dearly each year.

I know how insidious and harmful this phenomenon can be because I allowed it to develop in my work-life in the past decade and am still immersed in the long, complex process of breaking out and redirecting myself.

In exactly one month from now, I will turn 50 — insert shocked Millennial gasps here — and am earning a great salary doing my dream job.

Or to be more specific: the job that was my dream job when I was 30.

A job that built on my core strengths & challenged me in many new ways, with constant growth and learning in areas such as strategy and leadership.

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Peter John K
Big Self

Innovator, Adventurer, Life Designer, Writer, Marketeer, Musician