Boredom might sound appealing to those who are constantly rushed off their feet. But feeling underworked may be more common and damaging than you think. In fact, a recent study showed that almost 20 percent of U.S. workers feel "actively disengaged" from their work. It's such a prolific problem that it even has a name: rust-out.

Rust-out vs. Burnout

If burnout is the stressed and tired employee rushing from one task to the next, rust-out is their lethargic and unmotivated colleague.

The term, originally coined by psychotherapist Paula Coles, refers to chronic boredom borne out of unstimulating work. In contrast, burnout is caused by overstimulation. And while it may sound contradictory, doing too little can be just as emotionally exhausting as doing too much.

The causes of burnout and rust-out may be poles apart but the symptoms can be surprisingly similar. Those suffering with rust-out can feel agitated, short-tempered or anxious, and may procrastinate to avoid work that doesn't motivate them. If left unchecked, long-term boredom can even affect your eating and sleeping habits, and lead to depression.

How to Spot the Signs of Rust-out

Much like real rust, rust-out can linger below the surface and may not be immediately obvious. You may even mistake it for laziness. Instead, rust-out can actually be a sign that you've outgrown your role or responsibilities.

Perhaps you feel that your job is the same day in, day out, with no sign of change. Or that the work you do doesn't align with your personal values. It could be that your skills aren't being put to proper use. You're certainly not learning anything new.

And while rust-out can occur at any point in your career, these feelings are particularly common among new graduates and middle managers. The former may feel limited by a role that doesn't reflect their abilities and qualifications. The latter may feel stuck in their routine, unable to progress, and believe that their career has plateaued.

How to Defeat Rust-out

Whether you're suffering from rust-out yourself, or you manage someone else who is, spotting the signs early is the best way to tackle it before it gets out of hand.

Be Honest

When a job becomes boring or unfulfilling, it's easy to assume that you need to move on to greener pastures. But a new job isn't the only answer.

Be honest with your manager about how you're feeling and discuss ways that you can incorporate more of what you love into your existing role. There may be more opportunities to craft your job to your liking than you realize!

As a manager, be compassionate and broach the subject carefully. Assure your team member that you're there to help, and establish a solid understanding of the problem before you offer solutions.

Identify Your Values

One common reason that people feel unhappy in their jobs is that their work doesn't reflect their values. Consider the times in your life and career when you've felt the happiest, proudest and most fulfilled.

Perhaps it’s when you've helped someone through a difficult time, solved a seemingly impossible problem, or made a lucrative sale. Once you've determined what matters most to you, you'll be able to prioritize these values and steer your career in the right direction.

As a manager, be patient and open-minded; this process can take time and you may hear some hard truths, but it's vital that you don’t become defensive. In fact, this feedback is crucial to ensure that your team is running at its best.

Find Your Passions

Do you have any special skills that aren’t being utilized? For example, do you have a creative streak that's going unnoticed in an admin-heavy role? When our strengths and passions are ignored or underappreciated, it's easy to lose motivation.

Identify the things that you do best and explore ways that you can incorporate them into your job, as well as other positions and opportunities that better suit your skillset.

It's a manager's role to ensure that everyone's jobs align with their strengths so keep an eye out for skills gaps in your teams. What new opportunities could your team members take on? What support or training would they need to develop? How can you help them achieve their goals?

The Bright Side of Rust-out

Rust-out can feel like a dark cloud hanging over you, but the good news is that there is a silver lining. If you're feeling unfulfilled in your job, then now is a great opportunity to reassess your current position, immediate opportunities for growth, and long-term goals.

Useful Resources

Here's a curated list of Mind Tools relevant resources (please keep in mind you may need to be a member of the Mind Tools Club to access certain resources):

What Are Your Values?

Overcoming Procrastination (Skillbook)

How to Take Care of Your “Social Battery”

Job Crafting

Avoiding Burnout

About the Author

With a background in writing and illustration, Rosie uses her creative eye to produce eye-catching content. Specializing in videos, newsletters and articles, Rosie produces, writes, edits, and proofreads a wide range of resources. When she's not busy working, she'll likely be found whipping up cakes for her friends and family!

The post What Is Rust-out? Meet Burnout's Boring Alter Ego appeared first on Mind Tools.

When the pandemic kicked off and lockdown began, I didn't really have time to think about how I felt about it all. Sure I was worried, I was anxious. But most of all I was busy.

Too busy to really think about it all. Busy with the kids and making sure they were happy. Busy making phone calls to my parents to check that they were safe. And busy making sure that I was on top of things at work.

Mood Swings and Motivation (or Lack Of)

Now we've settled into a new home schooling and work routine, it should be all good, right? And yet, I feel a bit foggy, tired all the time, and moody! I snipe at the kids and they snipe back. These mood swings are soon followed by feelings of guilt, and worries about being a bad parent.

I'm not sleeping as soundly as normal and nor are the kids (did I say I was tired?) I've also been having strange dreams (normally I don't dream at all) about my teeth falling out, which symbolize anxiety, apparently (and not surprisingly). Even Zoom calls have lost their novelty, especially now we all realize that "Zoom fatigue" is a thing.

The truth is that I've become demotivated. I'm frustrated. I get annoyed at ridiculously small things, like getting my stupid microphone to work during calls, my choppy internet connection, and how messy my home has become.

When I work, I flit from task to task. I find it hard to concentrate on anything for longer than an hour. Similarly, when I started home schooling, we would have the whole day planned out. Now... well, let's just say that I rely on the TV way too much.

What Happened to "Work Mode"?

I'm not a stranger to Working From Home. I used to do it regularly. So I know that I am able to work autonomously. But it's taking more and more effort to be productive.

It's been a long while now since I've seen the inside of an office. And I've begun to really miss it (though not the commute; never the commute). The buzz of other people, the keyboards tap-tapping, the smell of coffee.

Co-workers hustling and bustling back and forth to meetings; interviews being held; new people to meet; shared celebrations, like birthdays or company milestones. All of it puts you in "work mode."

I miss the small things the most. Like asking a colleague a quick question about whether a sentence sounds right, whether I'm using the correct grammar, or what they think of a particular idea I've been mulling over. To do that now, I'd have to arrange a video call with them, which seems like a big effort for such a small thing.

Conversations that we had with our work colleagues have changed now. It feels as though there's less time and opportunity for "spur of the moment" conversations and "ideas chats."

Is Work Home? Or Is Home Work?

All I know is that right now, I'm in a kind of "half-work, half-home" limbo. Now, my office is my home. My home – where I used to relax, play with the kids and watch TV.

Unfortunately I don't have the luxury of a separate home office either. I know others do (I look at their swivelly chairs and extra monitors with envy).

I'm not able to close the office door once I've finished up for the day. And this has really begun to bother me. There's no line drawn between home and work anymore. It's all just a big mish-mash of both.

Home Working Is Here to Stay

Though lockdown is easing for many of us now, the truth is that – for me and I'm sure many others out there – home working is likely here to stay for some time yet.

So, I must accept it. And I need to look at some of the things I can do to keep myself motivated, positive and productive in the long term.

In our article on self-motivation we list a number of the things you can do to keep yourself motivated and engaged. Avoiding procrastination was one of the tips that first leapt out at me. I'm definitely a culprit.

I've tried a few things to stop myself procrastinating. The best thing I've found is tackling the big, scary mammoth tasks first thing in the morning. It's so easy to try and avoid this type of task, and put them off to the last minute.

However, once they're done and dusted, I feel satisfied and proud of myself that I've managed to accomplish something difficult. In other words, it feels good!

I've also put my pride to one side and started asking for more help from my colleagues. In the past, I've tended to avoid doing this, worried that people might see me as a weak or incompetent.

But, if I've learned anything from the lockdown, it's that a problem shared really is a problem halved. Whether that means asking someone to take on one of my tasks, or simply having a chat about things that are stressing me out.

Focusing on the Positives of Lockdown

"Be kind to yourself." It's a phrase I've heard a lot since lockdown began. But it's often difficult when the kids are shouting and screaming, and I have deadlines to meet. And when I feel, well, like a failure.

Things are certainly more chaotic than they were. And, yes, I'm much more tired than I was before. There're my two jobs to contend with after all (full-time home school teacher and full-time editor). Not to mention the daily, anxiety-inducing "breaking news" stories keeping me up at night.

Despite these things, there are positives to focus on. First off, I still have a job. Many of my friends are facing redundancy, have had their hours cut or have lost their jobs. I worry for them and sincerely hope they find new work soon.

Also, no more commute! No more traffic, no more people cutting me up on roundabouts. No more rushing in the morning. Life in lockdown moves at a slower pace. Sure, it can feel monotonous but there's also been more time to enjoy the small things.

I've come to value a hot cup of coffee, a leisurely stroll, and watching the flowers spring up in my garden. I spend more time round the dinner table at mealtimes, sharing jokes with my kids, and watching them learning and laughing.

Lockdown Will Be Over One Day

And as for work, well, the biggest thing I've been thankful for (apart from obviously still having a job), is the routine that it's given me. And the opportunity to think about other things for a while that aren't lockdown or child-related. My job is my own. Something I do all by myself and can be proud of.

Of course I miss my colleagues, but I can still see them in all their pixelated glory. And one day (hopefully soon), I'll be able to sit at a desk with them again, and we'll look back and laugh together about our time in lockdown. Who knows, we may even miss some aspects of it.

If you're struggling with mood swings and monotony in lockdown, share your thoughts and tips on how you've been coping in the Comments section, below.

The post Mood Swings and Monotony in Lockdown appeared first on Mind Tools.