We all know what burnout (倦怠) is and why it’s bad. But fewer of us have heard of “boreout (闷爆)” — a related phenomenon that’s arguably just as harmful. “Boreout is different from burnout in the sense that bored-out employees rarely collapse from exhaustion. Bored-out people may be present physically but not in spirit, and people can keep doing this for a good while,” says Lotta Harju, who has studied boreout for years.
Workers who realize they’re experiencing boreout may also be unwilling to flag it up as an issue to managers or human resources. “While the behaviors that lead to burnout — overwork, driving oneself hard — are appreciated and rewarded by employers, boreout reflects a lack of interest and a lack of motivation,” says Harju. “These are not accepted in organizations.”
There are some quick fixes for boreout, like taking on work tasks that are more interesting to you. But a 2016 study Harju and her colleagues worked on showed that people who had boreout were less likely to engage in constructive activities like trying to find new, interesting challenges at work. What happens more often, she says, is that people will just show up at their desks and spend time shopping online, chatting with colleagues or planning other activities. She says that these people aren’t lazy, but are using these behaviours as “coping mechanisms”.
Fahri Ozsungur, an associate professor of economics at Mersin University, Turkey, who was behind the 2021 study on the health effects of boreout, points out that combating the phenomenon isn’t just down to the individual. “Giving meaning to the job is not just up to the employees,” he says. “It’s also up to management to create an office culture that makes people feel valued.”
If you think boreout is seriously affecting your health either physically or mentally, it may be valuable to ask yourself how you might be able to reselect your career path toward something healthier for you. Seek the advice from advisers, career consultants, friends and family. “I do not know whether there is a better way to figure out what works for you than trial and error,” Harju says. “Boreout can mark a transition to something else: a different career entirely, or a different role in the organization. If only people take its cue.”
【小题1】What is the purpose of the first paragraph?| A．To provide the background. | B．To tell us who Lotta Harju is. |
| C．To give a definition of burnout. | D．To introduce the topic of the text. |
| A．They lack relevant knowledge. |
| B．They are warned not to talk about it. |
| C．They fear to be laughed at by their colleagues. |
| D．They don’t want employers to know their lack of drive to work. |
| A．Encouraging. | B．Fighting. | C．Trusting. | D．Blaming. |
| A．Sticking to the job before adapting to it. |
| B．Forcing employers to give a salary increase. |
| C．Trying to spend more time with your family. |
| D．Considering changing a new job interesting you. |
