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?

Boring but busy is okay, boring but literally sitting around doing nothing is what I had.

I used to be in a very boring civil service job. Very well paid, I got a few internal promotions despite not having qualifications. I had so little to do I ended up helping with filing and writing reports for other areas just to put my day in. I worked for central government in a very high profile and controversial area so on paper my job sounded great. The reality was that the politicians could never agree on anything and so nothing was ever progressed.

I cried on my way home every single day because I felt like such a fraud. I kept thinking some day someone would realise and cut my job (and deep down I genuinely believed that should happen anyway!). It was the worst kind of stress I have ever experienced. When they tell people they think I am crazy, but I think you have to experience it to understand.

I decided to go for a complete career change into an incredibly stressful environment. My lack of qualifications meant starting at the beginning so it took a total of 6 years to retrain but is so worth it. Yes a shift is unbelievably stressful but I thrive on it and it keeps me motivated. I think stress can be healthy depending on the circumstances. I could NEVER go back to a boring job now. My current colleagues think my old job sounds bliss but I know deep they moved to there!

*would be bored if they moved to there....

It depends on how you handle stress OP

For me, I would take the boring job. But I suffer with anxiety anyway so it would just be ten hours of gut churning every day, for me.

Ive done it, taken a step from a stressful well paid job, into a monotonous lower paid job - and for me, it was the best choice...but we are all different and I know other people who thrive in busy and stressful environments

The thing is, being extremely bored can be very stressful.
I went from a somewhat stressful job to one where I had nothing to do for long stretches. Over a matter of weeks my mood plummeted and I started feeling extremely anxious.
I’d have a racing heart all the way to the office, dreading the day ahead.

I had to quit for my mental health.

It’s not something people understand, that being bored senseless with no improvement on the horizon can actually be as bad for you, if not worse, than a typically stressful job.

I love my job but I got an opportunity to work on a project that although my existing experience was important would still take me well out of my comfort zone.

I went for it and a year later the fruits of my labour have just been launched into the world. It was really hard, it was stressful at times but I have learned so much, my reputation has been massively enhanced in my field and I'm so bloody proud of myself.

Stressful over boring as long as it's the right kind of stress. Go for it.

Zombie thread resurrected by someone French selling something