A recent study has uncovered a significant link between workplace boredom and health problems. Job boredom is as it sounds on the label. It’s when people’s potential and talent are under-utilised in the workplace, and has been previously linked to disengagement and intention to leave.
Conducted by researchers Piia Seppälä, Lotta Harju, Jussi Virkkala, and Jari J. Hakanen, the investigation delves into how boredom on the job can negatively impact employees’ physical health, especially the autonomic nervous system.
The researchers studied all staff of more than 200 people, at a Finnish municipality, tracking self-report measures and heart rate variability. The findings suggest that a lack of engagement at work can lead to dysfunction in the body’s stress-response system, potentially causing serious health issues. This study emphasises the importance of job satisfaction and engagement in maintaining overall wellbeing.
The take-home message? Just as burnout isn’t good for health, nor is job boredom.
Reference:
Seppälä, P., Harju, L., Virkkala, J., & Hakanen, J. J. (2023). Is boredom at work bad for your health? Examining the links between job boredom and autonomic nervous system dysfunction. Stress and Health. https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.3326
