Have You Heard of Boreout? When Work Is Too Little: The Other Side of Burnout
Boreout can be deceptive precisely because it doesn't seem like a 'serious' problem, but there's an emotional trap in being too comfortable.
The first time I came across this term was in a post by Adam Grant. He wrote something like: “Burnout is being overwhelmed by work. Boreout is being underutilized by it. Having too much to do is exhausting, but having too little is demoralizing. In idle time, motivation fades. Sustaining energy depends on balancing what is meaningful with what is manageable.”
Grant was referencing a study by Andrew Brodsky and Teresa Amabile, published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, which investigates “involuntary idle time” — when professionals have fewer tasks than necessary to fill their workday.
The research reveals this happens frequently across all professional categories. A striking data point: it’s estimated that employers in the U.S. spend about $100 billion annually paying salaries for unproductive hours. The impact is clear: when a post-task void is anticipated, pace slows, and delivery time increases. The study calls this the “deadtime effect.”
Interestingly, the opportunity to use idle time for leisure activities — like browsing the internet — can mitigate this drop in productivity. But let’s face it: that’s just a temporary fix.
The Boreout Trap
From an individual perspective, boreout can be especially insidious precisely because it doesn’t seem like a “serious” problem at first glance. There’s an emotional trap in being too comfortable. A calm routine, free of apparent pressures, may give a false sense of stability. But over time, constant underutilization erodes self-esteem and a sense of purpose. Feeling unnecessary or realizing your skills aren’t being used quietly affects engagement and, ultimately, well-being.
Boreout vs burnout
If burnout became public enemy number one in 2022 — when it was officially recognized by the WHO as an occupational disease — boreout is the silent villain. It doesn’t scream. It doesn’t burn. But it corrodes. It’s not excess that makes you sick — it’s the lack. Lack of challenge, perspective, meaning.
That got me thinking about large corporations. Dragging processes, endless meetings, decisions lost in hierarchical mazes. Environments that don’t burn professionals out from overwork — they make them evaporate. Not consumed by pressure, but by boredom. Creativity dies in monotony. And potential, when it doesn’t find room to expand, silently implodes.
Boreout is a muted scream: “my mind is underused.” It’s the feeling of being stuck in an environment that, in theory, is safe and stable — but in practice, no longer sparks movement. I’ve written it before: being at peace with our decisions is important. But when that peace turns into complacency, it’s time to raise the red flag.
The Antidote to Boreout
To prevent boreout from becoming the new normal, companies and professionals need to rethink the logic of work. For organizations, the challenge is clear: less bureaucracy, more agility, more connection to what really matters. Build a culture that not only recognizes talent — but challenges, provokes, and stimulates it.
The antidote to boreout might not be doing more — but doing better. More aligned with talents, closer to purpose. It takes courage to break out of the comfort zone and leadership responsibility to cultivate vibrant environments that inspire curiosity, learning, and growth. If burnout calls for pauses, boreout calls for movement. And neither goes well with inertia.
Until next time,
Thiago Veras