What If You’re Not Burned Out—You’re Bored Out?

Ever feel tired, foggy, or stuck in a low-level funk—but you can’t pinpoint why?

You’re not overwhelmed. You’re not necessarily stressed. You’re showing up, doing what needs to be done. But the spark? It’s missing.

You might think you’re burned out—but what if it’s not burnout at all? What if you’re bored out?

Burnout vs. Boreout: A Subtle but Powerful Difference

We’ve all heard of burnout: it’s what happens when you’re under too much pressure, juggling too many responsibilities, and stretched beyond your limits. Burnout is a state of chronic stress—emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and a sense of reduced personal accomplishment.

But boreout? That’s a slower, quieter erosion.

Coined in 2007 by Swiss business consultants Peter Werder and Philippe Rothlin, boreout syndrome describes the mental and emotional fatigue that comes from a lack of stimulation, challenge, and meaning—especially in the workplace. Their book “Diagnose Boreout” explains how chronic understimulation and disconnection from purposeful work can be just as harmful to mental health as overwork. But it’s not limited to the office—boreout can also creep into our everyday lives, when routines become stale, passions go untapped, or we lose connection to a deeper sense of purpose.

Where burnout feels like drowning in too much, boreout feels like fading away in too little.

Why Boreout Hits Midlife Hard

Midlife can be a beautiful time of reflection, reinvention, and deeper meaning—but it can also be disorienting. Many people arrive here having followed the “right” path: the job, the family, the home, the routines. And yet, something still feels off.

Perhaps the work that once lit you up now leaves you feeling flat.

Maybe the calendar is full, but your soul feels empty.

Maybe you’ve stopped growing—and started coasting.

It happened to me. For a while, I mistook my emotional flatness for exhaustion or stress, but I eventually realized I wasn’t burned out—I was bored out. I wasn’t doing less, I was doing too little of what truly mattered to me. I needed to pivot.

It’s not that you’re ungrateful or lazy. It’s that your life is missing that sweet spot where your strengths, curiosity, and purpose intersect.

And when that’s missing? You start to feel restless, tired, or emotionally numb.

Beyond the Office: Boreout in Everyday Life

While the term boreout was born in boardrooms and office buildings, the truth is—it doesn’t stay there. You can experience boreout anywhere you feel stuck, under-challenged, or disconnected from meaning.

It might show up in:

• Parenthood, when your identity gets swallowed by routines.

• Retirement, when structure disappears and purpose feels fuzzy.

• Relationships, when the emotional connection fades into autopilot.

• Life transitions occur when old roles end but new ones haven’t begun.

Where Boreout Meets Wholebeing Happiness

Boreout is more than boredom—it’s often a quiet signal that something deeper is out of sync. According to the SPIRE model, created by Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar, we experience wholebeing happiness when five key dimensions—Spiritual, Physical, Intellectual, Relational, and Emotional—are nurtured. When even one of these areas is neglected, that inner spark can start to dim. These five dimensions are also the pillars of the work we do at Mingle & Marvel, guiding everything from our coaching, consulting, and workshops to our community experiences. Because flourishing isn’t just about managing stress—it’s about cultivating a full, vibrant life from the inside out.

Boreout might show up when our intellectual well-being is underfed—when curiosity, creativity, or personal growth are missing. It can also be a sign that our spiritual well-being is depleted, especially if we’ve lost touch with meaning or purpose. Maybe we feel disconnected in our relationships, or emotionally flat despite being busy. Even our physical energy can take a hit when we’re stuck in uninspiring routines.

This is what positive psychology calls low eudaimonic well-being—when life lacks purpose, depth, and fulfillment, even if everything looks “fine” from the outside.

That’s often when the more profound questions start to surface:

“Is this all there is?”

“Why don’t I feel more alive?”

“What happened to my spark?”

These aren’t selfish questions. They’re nudges from your whole self saying, “Let’s realign.”

And science agrees. A growing body of research confirms that meaning is one of the strongest predictors of long-term well-being. Dr. Martin Seligman includes it as a core pillar in his PERMA model of flourishing. And Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s Flow Theory shows we feel most alive when we’re engaged in tasks that are challenging enough to stretch us, but not so hard they overwhelm us.

When that balance is missing—when growth and purpose are absent—our brain’s reward system goes quiet. Motivation dips. Joy fades. And we’re left going through the motions.

Wholebeing happiness reminds us: we’re not just here to function. We’re here to feel connected, curious, inspired, and alive—in all parts of who we are.

Could It Be Boreout? 6 Signs to Watch For

Ask yourself if any of these feel familiar:

• You feel emotionally flat—even when life is “fine” on paper.

• You feel tired and restless at the same time.

• You find yourself scrolling endlessly or zoning out regularly.

• You’re not doing anything bad, but nothing feels great either.

• You secretly crave change but don’t know where to start.

• You’re mentally underwhelmed and feel like your potential is untapped.

If you nodded to more than a couple of these, there’s a good chance boreout is quietly knocking on your door.

What’s the Antidote? Here are some tips!

You may not need to blow up your life to feel better (or you may want to). The key isn’t more productivity—it’s more alignment.

Use Your Strengths

Even 10 minutes of doing what you’re naturally good at—creativity, curiosity, leadership, bravery, hope, etc—can boost energy and engagement. What’s a strength you’ve been neglecting?

Reconnect to Purpose

Not every task is meaningful, but you can make it matter. Ask: “Why does this matter to me?” or “Who does this serve?”

Play + Stretch 

Try something new, lighthearted, or just for fun. A creative project, a silly moment, or a small challenge can shake you out of autopilot.

Check Your Energy

Notice when you feel alive—and when you don’t. Keep a “spark log” for a few days to spot patterns. Note which meetings, tasks, or people drain you—and which energize you

Connect

Meaningful relationships are one of the strongest predictors of lasting happiness. Connection fuels motivation—and buffers against disengagement.

Practice Gratitude

Noticing the good—even the tiny wins—helps shift your focus and fuels motivation.

Build in Recovery

You’re not a machine. Short walks, screen-free pauses, or deeper rest can reset your nervous system and recharge your spark.

That flicker you’re looking for? It might still be there. You might just need to rekindle the connection between what you do and what lights you up.

AND What If Reinvention Is the Answer?

Sometimes, we don’t need to push through. We need to pivot. That’s what I did. Boreout isn’t just a call to re-engage—it can be an invitation to reinvent. To reimagine what your days look like.

To remember what used to light you up—and make space for it again. To choose growth over comfort, meaning over monotony, and courage over autopilot. Change isn’t always easy—but it might just be the most honest and exciting answer. 

Because if your spark has dimmed, maybe it’s not burnout.

Maybe it’s your soul whispering: “This chapter is done. It’s time to write a new one.”

A Final Thought: You’re Not Broken—You’re Bored

If you’ve been feeling off, don’t just ask if you’re burned out—ask if you’re underwhelmed. What’s missing that used to light you up? What would help you feel more alive, not just functional? You don’t need fixing—you need reawakening. Take five minutes to journal on this: What am I curious about lately? When do I feel most like myself? What’s one small step I can take this week to feel more engaged? Sometimes, that’s all it takes to start rekindling your spark.