You’re probably too busy to read this and if not, you’re probably busy pretending to be. The frenetic pace of work affects everything – from colleagues’ abrupt emails, to snapped voicemail messages and raised eyebrows when your commute is held up by yet another “incident on the line”. But in a world of busyness, what happens to those who spend their days at work doing … absolutely nothing.

Our self-worth is often tied up in the idea of busyness

In May Frenchman Frédéric Desnard took his employer to a tribunal for giving him so little to do that he became “bored out of his mind”. While this may sound like a first world problem, anyone who’s spent an afternoon staring at their keyboard or watching the second hand of the clock knows that having nothing to do at work is mind-numbing.

If we love slacking off, why do we hate doing nothing? “When we are bored, time appears to slow down. So a seven and a half hour day seems never-ending which can be incredibly tiring and frustrating,” says psychologist Dr Gary Wood. He says that while in our own time we can do things to address the boredom, “when on someone else’s time we have fewer options so we feel powerless or helpless”.

The effect on our mood of being bored at work and that of being overworked is actually similar, “albeit they occupy different points on the spectrum”, says psychologist Steve Nguyen. While stress can result from having so much to do that you feel overloaded, the opposite – having so little to do that you spend your day staring into space – can be equally draining (but less interesting).

If our self-worth is tied up in the idea of busyness, having too little to do may also harm our self perception. “Critical to mental health are feelings we have about ourselves as a person,” says Nguyen. Wood adds that negative feelings resulting from boredom can even lead to depression.

So, if you’re reading this as yet another way to pass the time in your workless job, what can you do? “It’s important to look at how we might regain some control over our day,” says Wood. It’s the feeling of helplessness that results from being stuck somewhere with nothing to occupy your mind that leads to these negative feelings. “Both being overworked and being bored contribute to feelings of powerlessness,” he says.

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However, there are things you can to do to ease boredom. First, think about any jobs you’ve been putting off, says Wood. “Are there things that could improve work for yourself and others? It’s also an opportunity to think about your CV and look for opportunities to further your career. Are there courses you could attend?”

Taking proactive steps to address boredom will lead to you feeling more in control of your career. But if you are always bored at work and there is nothing to occupy your hours, it may be time to start looking for a job that better uses your skills.

The happiest workers feel they have choice over their work, feel competent and related to other people, says Nguyen. Having nothing to do but no way to entertain yourself also limits your choice. “There’s a sweet spot in which we perform best. It’s where our goals stretch our abilities slightly. If our goals are set too high we suffer stress and feel overwhelmed. If set too low and we are not challenged enough, we get bored and lose motivation,” says Wood.

So although I hate this culture of busyness, I don’t envy the bored. If you’re too busy, you can learn to manage your time, stand up to your boss, or work smarter. When you’re bored, it’s harder to voice your concerns without making your role look redundant.

In a country whose politicians divide into skivers and strivers – I believe we’re all a bit of both. But most of us, given the choice, would rather be engaged in fulfilling, rewarding work than spend our days mind-numbingly bored and staring at the clock.

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