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If you feel bored or unfulfilled by a job you once relished, you might be succumbing to what scientists call habituation: our brain’s tendency to react less and less to things that don’t change, so that what once brought joy and meaning can stop doing so over time. The antidote is to pursue variety, both inside and outside of work, since ample research shows that people are most engaged and satisfied when they are learning something new. Organizations can nudge people into diversifying their experiences, for example by regularly rotating people into new projects or positions. But individuals also have the power to dehabituate by finding different work opportunities, studying new skills, or trying new hobbies.
Are you feeling dissatisfied in a job that previously made you happy and left you fulfilled? It’s certainly possible that you need a drastic change — a better boss, a bigger team, a new project, a different role, another organization entirely. But you might also be succumbing to what scientists call habituation: our brain’s tendency to react less and less to things that don’t change, so that what once brought joy and meaning can stop doing so over time.
