在工作中，遇到问题在所难免，而问题不只是高强度的工作量。有些人面临的问题是工作太简单或过于无聊，从而很容易陷入一种 “工作倦怠、提不起兴趣” 的状态，最终失去工作动力和目标。本文浅谈倦怠的原因、表现以及应对策略。

词汇：work motivation 工作动力

1 We all know that having too much work and too much stress can lead to burnout, but did you know that the opposite can also be a problem? Have you ever felt that your job was too easy and that everything was just a bit too boring? If so, you might be suffering from rust out.

2 Rust out happens when there isn't enough challenge to motivate you to keep going in your job. Without some challenge, it can be hard to feel growth in your role. If a job has lots of repetitive and monotonous tasks, it can make it hard to see the purpose of a role. Having a lower level of responsibility at work than before can also make it harder to feel fulfilled in a job. This can affect people who have taken time out from their career for family or personal reasons.

3 If you think that you might be suffering from rust out, then there are a number of signs to watch out for. You might dread finding your schedule each week and not seeing anything stimulating on it. It might be that you often find yourself clock-watching at work, willing the time to pass. Focus and motivation can drop, leading you to get less done than you had before, or to make more mistakes. You may start to feel apathetic and disengaged towards your job. These feelings can lead to anxiety and depression which can then spread from work into people's personal lives.

4 Finding yourself suffering from rust out can sometimes be an opportunity. Some experts suggest that self-awareness is key. By taking some time to realise what you are really looking for in work and life, you can take steps to re-discover your motivation. Setting yourself goals and allowing yourself to try new things can help you find a new purpose. Considering what you really need for a job can also lead you to find a new one that's better suited to your goals in life.

测验与练习

一、将标题和段落配对。

Paragraph 1 _______
Paragraph 2 _______
Paragraph 3 _______
Paragraph 4 _______

a. What is rust out?
b. Worse than burnout
c. Signs of rust out
d. Escaping rust out
e. Workload problems: it's not just burnout

二、根据文章内容选出正确的选项。

1. It's not always great to have an easy job.
a. True
b. False
c. Not given

2. What can help you grow in your job role?
a. monotonous routines
b. repetitive tasks
c. challenge

3. What does 'this' mean in this sentence? This can often affect people who have taken time out from their career for family reasons.
a. Feeling burnout
b. Difficulty in feeling fulfilled
c. Being too motivated

4. Which of these could be a sign of rust out?
a. Being disappointed by your rota
b. Losing track of time
c. Setting targets

5. Thinking about what you really want can help fight rust out.
a. True
b. False
c. Not given

三、用下列单词完成对本文的总结。

When work doesn’t offer enough 1) _______ then we can start to feel 2) _______. We may have too many 3) _______ tasks or find ourselves 4) _______. If that happens, it can be useful to work on our 5) _______ and work out what we really want from work.

burnout
self-awareness
monotonous
rust out
stimulating
clockwatching
challenge

（答案见词汇表后）

词汇表

burnout 疲劳过度
rust out 倦怠，缺乏热情
challenge 挑战
motivate 激励
growth 成长
repetitive 重复的
monotonous 单调乏味的，一成不变的
purpose 意图，目的
responsibility 责任
fulfilled 满足的
take time out 抽出时间
dread 害怕
schedule 日程安排
stimulating 能激发热情的
clock-watching 总看时间等着下班
focus 注意力，专注力
motivation 积极性，动力
apathetic 懈怠的
disengaged 不感兴趣的，心不在焉的
self-awareness 自我认知
goal 目标

答案

一、将标题和段落配对。

Paragraph 1 e) Workload problems: it's not just burnout
Paragraph 2 a) What is rust out?
Paragraph 3 c) Signs of rust out
Paragraph 4 d) Escaping rust out

二、根据文章内容选出正确的选项。

1. a. True. Have you ever felt that your job was too easy and that everything was just a bit too boring? If so, you might be suffering from rust out.

2. c. Without some challenge, it can be hard to feel growth in your role.

3. b. Having a lower level of responsibility at work than before can also make it harder to feel fulfilled in a job. This can often affect people who have taken time out from their career for family or personal reasons.

4. a. You might dread finding your schedule each week and not seeing anything stimulating on it.

5. a. True. By taking some time to realise what you are really looking for in work and life, you can take steps to re-discover your motivation.

三、用下列单词完成对本文的总结。

When work doesn't offer enough challenge then we can start to feel rust out. We may have too many monotonous tasks or find ourselves clock-watching. If that happens, it can be useful to work on our self-awareness and work out what we really want from work.