Are you burned out or ‘bored out’? With Lotta Harju, PhD, and Sharon K. Parker, PhD

Chronic workplace boredom, or "boreout," represents a distinct psychological state characterized by persistent disengagement and lack of fulfillment, often resulting from a deficiency in meaningful or challenging tasks. Unlike burnout, which typically stems from excessive workload, boreout leads to similar manifestations of exhaustion, stress, and physical health decline, including reduced heart rate variability. Experts Dr. Lotta Harju and Dr. Sharon Parker emphasize that this phenomenon is a systemic issue requiring proactive work redesign, where organizations must foster stimulating environments that leverage employee skills. While job crafting allows individuals to add meaning to their roles, effective prevention requires leadership to prioritize work design that avoids excessive monitoring or de-skilling. As artificial intelligence increasingly automates routine tasks, the challenge lies in ensuring that human roles remain active and growth-oriented rather than shifting toward passive, unstimulating oversight.