Fighting Boredom

[mw2530]

Do any of you struggle with boredom at times? I've struggled with it in the past at times, but more so again recently. I started a new job like 6 months ago and to be honest it is often below my technical abilities. I left my previous job b/c I worked a lot and it was stressful at times. But what job isn't stressful. I enjoyed a lot of the work I did, but I wanted more freedom and my new job does provide for that.

I think my new job will become more challenging over time. With more free time, I find myself not knowing how to spend the time.

While, it is a good problem to have, I tend to get lazy when I don't have to do things unless it is a special interest. I often feel guilty if I don't feel like I'm working hard.

One thing that I find myself missing that I didn't think I would is having a lot of coworkers. I now work at a small company so I don't really have nearly as many coworkers. While I got annoyed with some former coworkers. I enjoyed working with many of them. I struggled socially and didn't really fit in, but I had my own niche their.

It's funny how a person can miss interacting with people even though interacting with people causes anxiety at times.

 

[Progster]

Yes, I do. I need a certain level of stimulation all the time, I need to have something to do and seem to need new things; when I was a child, new games, things to do or make. I was also very curious and used to experiment a lot. As an adult, new music, things to read, new documentaries to watch, gadgets, etc.

People can also be a source of stimulation, talking or doing activities/games, but that brings problems of its own.

 

[Fino]

I'm not sure I understand--are you bored at your job or bored in your free-time?

 

[Bolletje]

I'm bored at work and at home. I feel like I can't win sometimes.

 

[Sarah S]

Pretty mush EVERY day 7 days a week year round id say As i sadly cant afford having a life BUT i had MANY years of learning to adapt to this

 

[Gracey]

I can start to get frustrated when bored.

I look for things to do,
to keep on getting those dopamine hits from sense of achievement.

Not only that, I prefer the stimulation of doing something, no matter how menial or repetitive to the somewhat suffocating sense of boredom.

@mw2530,

You got what you wanted, - less stress and more free time.
Change down a gear or two to pootle along at this new pace in the workplace.
Perhaps finding a new interest or passion that will provide the dopamine hits outside of the work environment.
Something that will make you smile

 

[Tom]

Interactions with people can be good, fun, interesting. Looking back at various positions I had, it is the people I remember most, not the work usually. The flip side being when there were bad apples the social situation could become unbearably stressful. If you have the ability to get out of those bad situations I think it wise to do so. I think stress/anger does more damage to you then boredom in the long run.

 

[Pats]

Working at a hospital I went from a floor that you never stopped running to a bit quieter one. We still had those non stop nights, but not every night. On the quiet nights, I found myself feeling lazy and guilty and it's harder to answer one patient's call on those nights than it was on the busy nights. And I was one of those that always got the work done at the beginning of my shift so I wouldn't end up running around trying to do what I knew earlier I was supposed to do while trying to deal with the unexpected, too. Most my co-workers tended to save most their charting for the end of the shift so they'd end up having to stay and accumulate some overtime. I didn't - I wanted to go home. There were some co-workers that I got along okay with, some I didn't at all. Well - they seemed to have a problem with me and I never knew why, but they were really mean to me. One in particular would actually give me the silent treatment and have the third person do the same - so no one would be speaking to me all night. And if it was a quiet night that all my patients slept all night, I'd almost forget how to talk by morning - spend 12 waking hours not talking and just sitting in quiet. (I didn't mind the patients - it's the co-workers and management I had the biggest problem with.)

 

[Nervous Rex]

I get the "insufficient stimulation" thing all the time. If what I'm working on at work isn't stimulating enough, I have to listen to music or a podcast to keep myself focused.

 

[Aspychata]

Left jobs for other jobs out of sheer boredom.

 

[tducey]

Boring is never good, I agree. I suggest finding a hobby to combat boredom.

 

[mw2530]

I'm not sure I understand--are you bored at your job or bored in your free-time?

A little of both.