Introduction
Recognizing bore-out and overcoming it is a significant challenge for many gifted people, many of whom find themselves in tedious, unstimulating situations and feel their lives lack purpose. The hunger for intellectual challenge that typifies gifted individuals makes them particularly vulnerable to bore-out.
When gifted children start school they are often disappointed; ineffective coping can include loss of motivation, cheating, aggressive behavior, depressive feelings, or substance use.
Burnout
Burnout has been recognized since the late 20th century and affects many professions. It results from chronically ineffective coping with stress over long periods and can include exhaustion, cynicism, low self-esteem, and physical complaints. Recovery may be slow and often requires professional help.
Bore-out
Bore-out is conceived as the counterpart to burnout: understimulation rather than overstimulation. Symptoms resemble burnout—exhaustion and depressive mood—so bore-out is often overlooked. Rothlin and Werder (2008) estimated about 15% of office staff show bore-out symptoms.
Boredom
Bore-out can be a result of chronic boredom. Early recognition can prevent bore-out. Reijseger et al. define boredom at work as “a state of employee unwell-being characterized by relatively low arousal and high dissatisfaction.”
The Dutch Boredom Scale (Reijseger et al., 2013b)
- At work time goes by very slowly.
- I feel bored at my job.
- At work I spend my time aimlessly.
- At my job, I feel restless.
- During work time I daydream.
- It seems as if my working day never ends.
- I tend to do other things during my work.
- At my work, there is not so much to do.
Validation of the scale showed boredom at work is negatively related to job satisfaction and organizational commitment and positively related to turnover intention.
One useful contrast is Csikszentmihalyi’s concept of flow, a state where an activity fully involves the person and time seems to fly:
- You are completely involved in an activity for its own sake.
- The ego falls away.
- Time flies.
- Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one.
- Your whole being is involved, and you’re using your skills to the utmost.
Rothlin and Werder describe the development of bore-out as involving three elements:
- Being understretched
- Lack of commitment
- Boredom
The consequences of boredom at work can include depressive symptoms, physical complaints, increased sick leave, disengagement, and declining skills and productivity.
Gifted Adults and Boredom
Observations from practice (USA and Netherlands) show different patterns: some gifted people are aware of their boredom and seek change; others are unaware and may become increasingly unhappy, physically ill, or disengaged. Coping strategies vary from asking for more challenging work to covertly occupying time with personal tasks.
Case Studies and Practical Solutions
Examples illustrate different life stages: a young graduate who found a project that renewed enthusiasm; parents who created weekly intellectual time together; a mid-life IT worker who sought psychological help; and an older adult who discovered late-life activities that restored meaning.
Recommendations for gifted adults include developing self-understanding, keeping a journal, seeking inspiration, setting small achievable targets, collecting evidence of accomplishments, and continual learning.
For supervisors and managers: gifted workers need autonomy, trust, appropriate tasks, and attention to preferred working styles. Practical steps for employees include preparing conversations with supervisors, stating concrete requests, and demonstrating what they can contribute.
Conclusion
Boredom and bore-out are serious risks for gifted people. Although research is still limited, practical examples show how gifted adults can recognize and overcome bore-out. Early attention to boredom can help gifted people find more meaningful, healthier, and satisfying lives.
References (selected)
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2008), Flow: The psychology of optimal experience.
Fiedler, E. D. (2015), Bright adults: Uniqueness and belonging across the lifespan.
Rothlin, P. & Werder, P.R. (2008), Boreout! Overcoming workplace demotivation.
Reijseger, G., Peeters, M.C.W. & Taris, T.W. (2013b). Watching the paint dry at work. Anxiety, stress, coping.
Online sources cited: http://www.ihbv.nl/english, http://ihbv.nl/category/artikelen.
