Bored Bored Bored

Andrea, what should I do if I don’t feel challenged in my job anymore? There’s no where “up” for me to go. I don’t want to work for a different employer, but I’m seriously bored bored bored.

Hi, friend! Boy, do I relate to this question. The most Awful Job of my life was a dead-end-customer-service-phone-type that was so bad, it was worse than cleaning human feces off the McDonalds bathroom floor, which was my second worst job. Job boredom is the hardest boredom to take, even more than waiting-for-an-oil-change boredom or the when-is-my-food-getting-here-I’m-starving-boredom. I’ve definitely been there, and here’s how I’ve tried to cope.

First, I would see if there’s any way to take on new responsibilities in your current role. Maybe there’s a project that you could lead or a new person you could train. Could you sit on a hiring committee or safety patrol or something? It’s a little dorky, I know, but it gets you involved and engaged. Maybe even lead to a new appreciation for your day job. Does your current employer offer little employee-enrichment type classes? My current coworkers are taking part of an admin certification program that isn’t my style, but they say that they’ve gotten a lot out of those classes.

If your employer doesn’t offer classes or any opportunities to try something new (been there, suffered through that), then you have to create the challenges yourself. That’s tough, because it’s self-designed, but also great, because it’s centered around what you love. Here’s some suggestions:

1. Say hi to two different people in the office/building/bus/parking lot/whatever that you’ve never talked to before. Just talking to someone new can be a little thrilling if you tend to keep to yourself and you never know where a simple hello can lead. At the previously mentioned Awful Job, I bonded with my friend Tena when we found out we were the only ones voting for Obama in an office full of staunch Clinton supporters and we’re still pals to this day. We all say that we don’t want anyone to talk to us yet we complain that everyone is so unfriendly. You can’t have it both ways, people! If hello is too much, just move the corners of your mouth upward into a smile-like shape at someone and they will probably make the same mouth movements back. Baby steps to friendship.
2. During a particularly boring or stressful moment, take a five-ten minute walk away from your desk to a different part of the building or office complex or whatever. I once temped in an old produce terminal that was half converted into office spaces, half still a run down mess, like a 90s music video minus the cat. I loved taking a few minutes to explore the old rooms. If a walk is not an option (again, been there!), try a new route to work or different bus home. Your brain needs stimulation and novelty. One summer, I challenged myself to try all the coffee shops within walking distance and visited so many little cafes that I normally would have passed on by.
3. Organize an office potluck or an after work happy hour. People love that stuff but never want to be the one who does the planning, so now that can be you! Ugh, I know, it’s cheesy or whatever, but it will get you out of your rut for a bit and endear yourself to your coworkers. Do whatever works best with your workplace vibe. My current office doesn’t do happy hours, but we’ll meet up early every once in a while for breakfast at Pamela’s. At Whole Foods, we’d all get beers at Sharp Edge or cocktails at Kelly’s. If that all sounds like too much work, get lunch with a work buddy, which leads me to…
4. Make the most of your lunch break. Every day during my last six months at Awful Job, I would walk to a nearby bench and read. A good lunch book is one that keep you interested but not too sucked in or you won’t want to put it down. Keep a little notebook in your bag, put your phone down, and doodle/journal for the hour. I worked with a guy who would watch one episode of Parks & Rec on his phone every day while he ate. Do whatever you think would make you happy. The most important part is to take your lunch break! Too many people work through their breaks. Personally, I eat at my desk (a leftover habit from the obit writing days), but then I use my break hour to go for a walk or visit the library later in the afternoon. The Awful Job was a very controlling environment and besides the lunch break, we were given two designed ten minute break times, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. I was considered strange because I took those breaks even though I don’t smoke and all the other non-smokers kept working away like robots. Be strange! Take your breaks!
5. If all else doesn’t work, have something that motivates you outside your job and makes staying a little more bearable. There are a million volunteer opportunities out there that can get you out of your house and meeting new faces, which could maybe lead to a new job. People always suggest “cooking classes” as an after work activity but I’ve never met anyone who has taken a cooking class (@ me if you have). Workshop PGH offers a ton of one-off classes and you could craft on your lunch break. Improv saved my life during my last year in the obit department. It gave me something to look forward to while I was bored as hell at work. For all those who are not joiners, maybe keep a photo nearby of your cat or your kid or your mom or whatever is your motivation for not standing up and screaming “I QUIT.” Stare at it and think, “Kitty needs food,” or “Baby needs health insurance.” Maybe you could make arrangements to call your partner or your pop every day at 2 pm. Whatever will keep you sane when boredom is beating your brain to death.

One last thing — I know you said you don’t want to work for a different employer, but if there’s no chance to move “up”, then it might be time to move on. Boredom is usually an indication that you’ve gotten all you can from that aspect of life. Comfort is a cage that keeps us from trying something new. We hate the unknown so much that we’re willing to live in misery just because it’s something we know. And please note the use of we, because I’m definitely guilty of getting caught in the comfortable cage and it’s something I’ve been working on.

Obviously, I don’t know your life or your circumstances, but the very least, try to be open to new possibilities. If a friend posts something about a new gig or an opening at a client’s office, ask them about it. Take advantage of whatever leg up you might have, even if it feels weird to put yourself out there. Job hunting succckkkks, I know, but since you already have one, you can be a little discerning and start small. Make a goal to send out one new application a week to a position that you find either very interesting or intimidating. Yes, intimidating. You’re not getting enough stimulation and challenge from your current job, so you need something that will give you a chance to grow. Before you protest that you’re not qualified enough for those jobs, you don’t know that. You really don’t! You’re not the one making that hiring decision. The best thing I’ve done for myself in the last couple years was stop getting in my own way. So apply! You have nothing to lose but the hour it takes to write up a cover letter. And then after a couple weeks, you can increase the goal to two or three applications. Try not to get too hung up if you don’t hear back. It happens to everyone. In this life, there’s only one way to move and that’s forward. Remember, on to the next, on to the next, on to the next.

Good luck!