Hello friends.

i am here from germany

and i am suffering on the boreout syndrome ,too.

but i can not do something about it because then hartz 4 gets me.

so i keep pretending and make the best out of it.

casually i have nothing to do, i am only chatting with girls on these free partnership sites.

i am working from 10 to five and have a sallary of 1200 euro in a month.

with that money i could effort most of the things i am into like video games or jogging shoes for my marathon training.

to all queries i had to put a yes on.

what would u do in my situation???

i found the comparing with homer s. very funny.

he has 100% boreout, me only 88%

i like this series with him, keeps me living but only until season 9 and german dubbed.

i dont ge this english to well, only with the dictionary.

so...peace

jochen, Oberpfaffenhofen, Bavaria

The book doesn't identify anything new.

Everyone needs to recognise when to move on. That's easy in a big city, where there are plenty of jobs, less so in a country town. Leave on good terms, however frustrated you may feel. Keep your self-esteem and look for a new challenge.

Deborah, Hampshire,

This seems all too familiar, I score 8/10 as my work is not meaningless and the Trust's computers are too slow to correspond by e-mail, snail mail is quicker!
Yes, I work for the NHS and this syndrome should definately not be diagnosed within the workforce. However, having recently graduated from a Masters I am now considering a PhD, both just to keep my mind active. This is a crime, I should have gone in to NHS management, plenty of targets to meet and paperwork to do there.

Darrin, London,

You could amend no.3 slightly. I used to pretend to be busy but soon discovered that is was simply better to get up and leave. Everything is so much more peaceful whilst others are at work.

russel, houston, tx

I thought I had been suffering from burnout, but after reading this article I realized it's boreout! I have additional technical skills that would be of value to my workplace, but my managers have not taken me up on my offer. I believe this is because our organization is divided into 3 "teams" all with separate budgets. In addition, I have also expressed my interest in learning new skills and taking classes that may benefit me and my company professionally, but my the roles here at the company are too rigid to allow that. Not only that but there always seems to not be enough money in the budget. I believe that a good company will always want their employees to grow and learn, and any company that does not support that is not a company I would want to work long-term for. I think when an employee feels under-challenged it is a clear indication that it is time to move on and seek opportunities that will utilize their skills.

Elaine, Los Angeles, USA

10/10 and rising..!! The article descibes my "working" day with terrifying accuracy... What it doesn't say is what to do about it... Confront the boss? (If he ever comes into the office) Confront his boss..? Take the pay cut to retain what's left of my health..?

Or... somewhat cynical this... buy the book perhaps..? Does it have the answers...?

Jeff Mitchell, Glasgow, Scotland

I used to have a very useful list of 50 characteristics that showed boreout, burnout, control freakery and disempowerment, of which some of the above featured- I must find it out and re-check it again.

I always thought it was the domain of middle management to boreout junior staff by way of them maintaining their sense of self importance, but apparently not.

Boreout even exists on training schemes for the unemployed - a much used skill it seems! I even know volunteers who suffer the same wave of controlled apathy.

Pete, West Mids,

Astounding. In my old 7yr long job at a corporate I honestly would have been scoring 10/10 in the last year before i left. I now own and run my own company, and I score 1/10 (i have to do personal things in work time!!). I have staff, I'm going to ask them these questions....

Andrew Smith, Christchurch, New Zealand

The article awakened my feelings and awareness to realizing that "boreout" is a real concept both in my life and with other colleagues in my environment. Personally, I have for the last 20 years suffered with this concept every day in my workplace and with my so called career. I have simply adapted my work life to conform with just surviving and adopted the adage of " SHOW ME THE MONEY". However, even the latter statement is not satisfying to me and with my remaining working years and health.

J. Marsh, Minneola, Florida

Did I read this article at work?

Sylvia, Berlin,

I had this in my job in London for three years. I didn't understand what it was for a long time. The thing is that I often didn't have enough work. My two bosses would give me work and then go on a two-week business trip to Japan and I'd finish my work in three days. Then I was forced to 'look busy'. The stationery cupboard has probably never looked so organised since my departure. I did other people's filing and photocopying, anything. I was seriously underchallenged.

After 6 months I started having sleeping problem - waking up ever earlier. Then the digestive problems started, followed by mild depression (with pills). On the day I handed in my notice, I immediately slept better again and within a month my stomach problems had disappeared.

Of course, you get very little sympathy from others. "What? An easy job and you still get paid the average wage for it? Nice. What are you moaning about?" But believe me, it was no fun. My colleagues were nice, the work was just not enough.

Tina, Duesseldorf, Germany

"I remember while working for the Financial Times in the 1970s that colleagues developed an “Italian Jacket” system."

The "Italian Jacket" is a brrowed jacket as old as the State of Italy! You phone a public office in working hours here in Rome and ask for "Vincenzo". The telephonist will put you through to his office and an underling will answer the phone. "Vincenzo? I know he's here, his jacket is on the back of his chair". Vincenzo meanwhile has come in, clocked on and gone shopping / to the gym / to see his lover".... all this to avoid boreout.

Paolo Bagarino, Roma, Italy