To wonder which is worse, a boring job or a stressful job??

[RosaDeZoett]

This is more of an Am I Nuts really, but I have an opportunity at work to run a new project. It will cause me more stress (probably) and bring in no extra money, but will be good experience if I want to move up the career ladder.
I like my job at the moment, but have been doing it for a long time and tbh I'm a bit bored. But.... But.... But.....
I have a really good work life balance, am well paid and have time to spend with family and pursuing hobbies. So I could just work away happily as I am until retirement.... But be a bit bored.
Or I could take on more responsibility, eventually (slightly) more money, more stress, less free time most likely, but more job satisfaction, I have always been quite an ambitious person..... I have to make the decision in the next month. Wwyd?

It depends on how boring and how stressful.

A little stress can make you perform better and if it's something that excites you then you might not mind it encroaching onto your wider life. At the other end of the scale, stress can kill you.

A little boredom gives you the impetus to pursue new projects or kick back and take it easy. A lot of boredom can be mind numbing, depressing and full you with despair.

Sooooo... only you can make the call as to where you are on the scale.

Yes penguinofdoom, I think you may be right. It is more accurate to describe the job as being more pressurised and demanding. Whether or not that causes stress depends on the individual doing the job, not the job itself.

Whether or not that causes stress depends on the individual doing the job, not the job itself.

I have to agree with that. For some people, their own shortcomings cause them stress, such as poor organisation, bad time management, woeful delegation skills, etc., rather than the job itself.

I agree with Senua. I choose to minimize the impact my working life has on my personal life because I get significantly more satisfaction from what I do outside of work then I could from most jobs (one day I'm going to jack it all in and write full time but for now that's part of my spare time!)

Even if I loved my job more, I would resent having to give up any of the things I do outside of it if the job took up more time/mental capacity.

There is a limit though. I worked in a fairly quiet clothes shop where we weren't allowed to talk to each other, even if there were no customers, and where we had to button up cardigans and evenly space the hangers if we had no customers to serve. I left that job pretty sharpish. But that was boring and time consuming (8.30 - 6) as opposed to my current job which is mostly just undemanding and I can leave at 4.30.

I think something different. There are plenty of People who have had stressful jobs and want a boring job, and there are loads of people who want a stressful job having had a boring job.

My job is stressful most of the time. I want to change careers to a job where it is office based and deals with fewer people. I know see people on here who want to change to my job as they want more of a challenge.

boring and one which doesn't use your intellect or skills - if you are in a job that is too easy then you start thinking that is all that you are capable of.

This is an interesting thread.

I think I agree with the poster who suggests the grass is often greener. I have what I feel is a ridiculously stressful job and I'm not sure how much longer I can hack it tbh and I'm actively looking for something else. BUT, I am aware I will miss this job when I'm out of it. The stress binds our team together and when it's good it's really good and I thrive on the adrenaline. But I worry every day that something will go wrong. It's a tough decision.

Either extreme is bad. But I'd take slightly boring over slightly stressful. Every job has boring parts, you can make boring jobs more interesting sometimes. Sometimes! Any more than slightly boring (like, 10%..) and I can't handle it. Boredom is a killer. The malaise and apathy just seeps into the rest of your life like a blanket fog.

Stressed or bored, which is worse, its one of life's big questions

I would much rather do a 'stressful' job than a boring one. But I think it depends on how important work is in your work-life balance. If you see work as mostly a means to funs other, more important parts of your life, then choose boring every time. If work achievement/a fulfilling job is important you might have to accept more stress.

I have what others perceive to be a very stressful job, but I don't think of it as stressful at all - it's high pressure at times, but nothing I lose sleep over. If you manage stress well, then a stressful job won't have much impact.

I think it depends on the nature of the stress too - how much control would you have over the job? It's more difficult to manage stress effectively if it's all being piled on by others and you have little control over it. I read one study that found bus drivers were among the most stressed of all workers because they had to manage difficult passengers on one side and also came under a lot pressure from managers on the other side, while having virtually no control.

*fund not funs!

I've always gone with boring (and low-paid) because I can't handle stress at all. I'm a complete stress head, I really wish I wasn't.

I'd go for a low stress job that leaves as much time and energy for doing the thjngs that I choose and enjoy with my free time

All things in moderation, including moderation (as my mum used to say!)
So it's all about achieving balance. A period of motivating stress, for the fulfilment and sense of achievement from a job well done. Followed by a brief lull and a bout of boredom, to make you appreciate being busy. Just enough but not too much of either. And enough free time to enjoy life (but not so much that it becomes boring and you stop appreciating it!)

I agree with lizzy It depends how you see your job as a part of your life. For me, my job is to to fund my life and I don't like a lot of stress. Having a boring (ish) job gives me the headspace to focus on other things. I wouldn't want all my headspace taken up with work and I certainly don't want to think about it when I go home. But I know some people thrive on that so it depends what your personality is.

I think you are referring to demanding rather than stressful in which case I would choose demanding.

A stressful job arises when you have a poor locus of control over your work (i.e. having work piled on you, changing goalposts, unrealistic deadlines, demanding boss, etc.) and you feel unable to cope or do not have the experience or qualifications to cope. Plenty of those jobs around mind you!

Dealing with difficult people needs a certain skillset; being assertive, not taking things personally, being consistent, not getting emotional, etc. It's realising that you cannot control people but have to steer them in the right direction to get the right information out of them without falling out with them. Not everyone is good at that though!

Yes, definitely I do mean pressurised /demanding rather than stressful.... And yet I keep writing stressful, I wonder is it a Freudian slip....

Do you maybe also mean challenging rather than stressful?

Ive done both, the boring and the "stressful" and I'd go for the stressful every time. For me,spending your days bored is infinitely worse.

Is that your subconscious talking? If you don't like dealing with people who are challenging/difficult to talk to/unco-operative, that can be stressful!

Also, less free time can make life more difficult. I've had stupid jobs and little time to keep on top of things at home. Felt like I was failing at everything!

I have a boring job and I love it. I have done the stressful job and grew out of it. I would take boring any day. But stressful, no thank you. Each to their own, I like my peace and quiet now and cannot be asked to work myself up over a job.

I've had both a very stressful (lots of hours, high pressure) and a boring job . The boring job was the worst. You just sit and watch the clock all day.
I would happily have a stressful job, as long as it's managed with downtime or a hobby it's do-able.

no job at all

Any job that is bad for your health could be considered counterproductive

Interesting dilemma.

For a long time (8 years) I was in a challenging and stressful job. Before DC it was ok - yes it was hard and tiring but I had all the time in the world (so to speak) to do the work.

After DC the stress just ramped up because now I had a severe time constraint - getting back home in the evening (and sometimes doing dropoff in the morning). I worked through every lunch time. Ran home, put DC to bed, worked again all evening woke up through the night to deal with DC

I chose a job which has a better life-work balance. Didn't realise it would be quite so boring (sometimes excrutiating) but I really value being able to leave at 6pm almost every night and not working again from home.

You need to work out where your priorities are. No one can make the choice for you.

From time to time I feel sucked back into the ambitious career whirlwind but I talk myself out of it.