Twenty-five percent of respondents confirmed that they suffered from chronic boredom at work, and said they often eat chocolate or drink coffee to cope.
A new study suggests that chronic boredom grips one-fourth of office workers, which may affect their quality of work as well as their physical and mental health, HealthDay News reported.
British occupational psychologist Sandi Mann asked 102 office workers if they got bored at work and, if so, how they managed that boredom.
Twenty-five percent of respondents confirmed that they suffered from chronic boredom at work, and said they often eat chocolate or drink coffee to cope. They also said they were more likely to drink alcohol at the end of day.
Nearly 80 percent of those polled said boredom causes them to lose their concentration, and more than half said it causes them to make mistakes. About half of the workers questioned admitted that boredom might lead them to look for a new job.
Commenting on the research, Mann, of the University of Central Lancashire, said: "My analysis of the results suggests that the most significant cause of office boredom is an undemanding workload. So managers should look at ways of reducing sources of workplace boredom and at encouraging healthier ways of coping."
She added that job rotation and other enrichment programs might help reduce boredom in the workplace. She also commented that providing workers with healthy snacks and drinks might encourage them to avoid unhealthy indulgences.
