WASHINGTON — It’s a common complaint that you may even have made yourself: Workers frequently complain they are assigned too many rote tasks, and they get bored.
But recent research suggests that the boring parts of your job may be the times you’re happiest at work.
The Wall Street Journal reports a study from the University of California-Irvine and Microsoft Research that polled workers throughout the day about how happy and focused they were at any moment through pop-ups on their work- computer screens.
They found that while workers say they like to be challenged by difficult tasks, they really felt happiest when taking on the mundane chores.
Dr. Gloria Mark, the leader of the study, told The Journal that it’s because such tasks produce an easy feeling of accomplishment.
“It gives you a feeling of fulfillment,” she says, “but there’s not frustration or stress.”
The study also found that workers focus best around 11 a.m. and between 2p.m. and 3 p.m. After 3 p.m., though, focus drops dramatically.
And, as you could have guessed, Mondays are the worst.
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