A state of ennui – overcoming boredom at work
I thought I would just add some information about a form of stress which is often overlooked – boredom, or lack of stimulus at work.
The flight or fright part of the stress response can straightjacket people into a form of inertia – i.e. they find they cannot summon up the energy or courage to take action to solve their problem, particularly if their exposure to challenge or change has been limited they will not have experienced enough examples to test risk taking strategies.
Again this mindset can be partly down to upbringing. If you had parents who took little or no risk or parents who modelled ill considered risk taking, you may not have the thinking style or positive behaviours which will bring you the change you require. Sometimes people take action based on the sub conscious desire for excitement or change with no blame. So you could start by doing your work badly and get fired or have an affair and muck up your relationships, both will bring you change but this is most likely to come with negative consequences.
If you are bored, you may even find it a struggle to come up with new ideas let alone be able to focus on the kind of life or work you want. If you can come up with ideas but have an internal voice which only points out disadvantages, you will probably slump and carry the attitude of what’s the point anyway because you have just scared yourself out of a solution.
Firstly, my advice for you would be to get some coaching in order to disseminate what you want from the needs of all around you and get a clear handle on your own perspective, hopes and dreams, rather than other people generating the ideas which may be wrong for you anyway. When you achieved your clarity and focus, you can involve the other people in your life and develop a win/win which also incorpoates their needs. Now you can start to make a plan. You might want to:
See whether there are any ways you can learn and develop at work by taking extra courses.
Take up an outside course where you can add to your skill repertoire.
Take a creative course such as sculpture or learn philosophy, just to break down your resistance.
There are many routes out of boredom, appreciating what you do have and enjoying the world as a unique experience can uplift your spirits. Just watch small children who delight in acorns, frogs and ice cream.
If the company you work for does not support your growth and development through professional training, it may be time to weigh up the benefits of the job and devise a strategy for getting what you need to move forward.
Repressing your drives and motivators because they do not fit with your family style,will make you feel aimless and without purpose. When we think we must not do what we want to do or think we must do what we don’t want to do, we will be for ever trapped, when there is a whole world in you to discover.
To find out how to get tapped into your creativity or for information on coaching email:
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