What Is “Rust Out”? The Burnout Alternative You Might Be Experiencing at Work

I love a good routine just as much as the next person, but doing the same thing day in and day out gets exhausting. Performing repetitive tasks at work, like answering emails, following up with clients, and creating invoices, has been wearing me down more and more lately. Normally, I’d chalk this up to boredom—you know, same thing, different day, whatever. But, as it turns out, I’m not the only one feeling this way. A Gallup survey revealed that only 31 percent of workers felt actively engaged at work in 2025, with Gen Z and younger millennial professionals reportedly being hit the hardest across generations. This phenomenon, which is emerging across workplaces everywhere, is being described as “rust-out.”

There’s a big difference between having a slow week and feeling consistently unchallenged, uninspired, or disconnected from your work, and that distinction is exactly what makes rust-out worth paying attention to. If you’ve ever found yourself staring at the clock, going through the motions, or wondering when your job started feeling so painfully meh, you might already know the feeling. So, I set out to learn everything I could about burnout’s alter ego, rust-out. Ahead, I’m breaking down what it is, why it happens, and what you can do if you’re experiencing it yourself.

MEET THE EXPERT

Shari Leid

Shari Leid is a TEDx speaker, national keynote leader, and founder of the Flip the Box® Method, the first human-centered leadership system designed for a disconnected world. Through her keynotes, retreats, and workshops, she helps individuals and organizations break free from outdated boxes (whether in identity, career, or community) blending heart with strategy at every step.

CONNECT WITH SHARI

What is rust-out?

“Rust-out” is a form of workplace distress caused by being chronically underutilized, under-stimulated, and under-challenged, leading to persistent boredom and a growing loss of purpose at work. The term was first coined by psychotherapist Paula Coles in 2019 to describe what happens when workers face long-term under-stimulation in their roles. Rust-out is the inverse of burnout: You’re underloaded, not overloaded, and you feel a sense of stagnation, not exhaustion.

Contrary to popular belief, not having enough on your plate or being consistently under-challenged can be just as damaging as being overworked and overwhelmed. When your job doesn’t stretch your skills or spark engagement, TEDx Speaker and Founder of the Flip the Box® Method for Leadership Shari Leid says it’s natural to quietly disengage, and “show up physically but not emotionally.” Unlike quiet cracking, though, this disengagement isn’t the result of hitting a breaking point; it’s the result of doing too little for far too long.

What’s causing widespread rust-out?

According to Leid, rust-out “happens when people stop feeling connected to their work, their purpose, and the people around them.” Economic uncertainty is one key driver behind this feeling. With inflation still sky-high and the job market volatile and stagnant, more employees are choosing to stay in roles (job hug) simply to earn a paycheck. While it’s easy to understand the reasoning behind this choice, clocking into a job that doesn’t bring you happiness or fulfillment erodes motivation with time, leaving you susceptible to chronic boredom and subsequent rust-out.

What’s more, organizations have sacrificed employee development in the name of efficiency. Previously, workers were responsible for complex tasks (think: data analysis, research compilation, coding, predictive modeling, and drafting reports.) But now? The implementation of AI and automation has stripped workers of the intellectually stimulating responsibilities that formerly supported professional growth. Instead, they’re left with mind-numbing, repetitive tasks that drive rust-out, like fact-checking information generated by AI systems, formatting documents and spreadsheets, processing invoices, expenses, and receipts, and so forth.

Lastly, the career uncertainty clouding professionals today has created the perfect breeding ground for rust-out. When job advancement feels murky, work stops feeling purposeful, and you’re less likely to take initiative or volunteer for assignments. This, in turn, can lead to skill atrophy. Think about it: You’re not building new skills or refining the ones you currently have, which intensifies the dispiriting disposition you’re already experiencing. When put together, all of these factors ultimately create a discouraging environment that allows rust-out to fester and grow.

Signs of rust-out

Since rust-out is a quiet crisis that builds gradually over time without common acute stress signals like exhaustion and brain fog, spotting it can be tricky. “Unlike burnout, which is often loud and obvious, rust-out is quiet,” Leid explained. However, there are common symptoms of this phenomenon to be aware of. Here are a few:

1. Disengagement and loss of ambition

Since rust-out slowly erodes ambition, Leid says workers experiencing it may still get their work done, “but the energy behind it is gone.” Typically, that fading energy shows up as disengaged productivity. According to Leid, this can look like no longer volunteering ideas, contributing only what’s required, avoiding collaboration, or simply going through the motions. Similarly, this can also look like engaging in avoidance behaviors such as procrastination or filling your day with busywork to pass the time. Consequently, goals start to feel blurry, future growth becomes hard to imagine, and skills become less sharp because your work isn’t challenging you whatsoever.

2. Emotional flatness

Additionally, rust-out is commonly accompanied by emotional flatness. “Emotionally, people often describe feeling numb, unmotivated, or disconnected from the mission they once cared about,” Leid said. “They may question whether their work has meaning or whether anyone would notice if they weren’t there.”

Similarly, professionals suffering from rust-out often feel apathetic toward work. They dread going into work and spend their time there watching the clock; they’re biding their time until they can clock out, and whatever tasks they complete feel monotonous, predictable, and meaningless.

READ: Experts Say “Shift Sulking” May Be the Biggest, Most Damaging Workplace Trend of the Year

3. Fading curiosity

“Rust-out slowly replaces curiosity with complacency,” Leid said. For this reason, she says curiosity disappearing is one of the most common yet overlooked symptoms of rust-out. “Curious employees ask questions, seek opportunities, and invest in relationships,” Leid explained. When this is gone, engagement fizzles, and going above and beyond the bare minimum no longer seems like it’s worth the effort.

4. Irritability, cynicism, and fatigue

Lastly, rust-out can also manifest physically. When there’s a mismatch between capacity and demand within your role and your skills go unused, frustration takes hold. With time, small annoyances become more grating, and you become irritable and cynical as a result; you detach from work because you feel like your work doesn’t inherently matter, so not caring means you can’t get hurt or upset by what’s going on with your job.

Similarly, fatigue is also common because meaningless effort is exhausting. Showing up and performing tasks with no payoff keeps your brain in a low-grade vigilance state, meaning your attention becomes increasingly taxing.

What to do if you’re experiencing rust-out

Figure out what’s making you feel stuck

If you’re experiencing rust-out, the first thing you should do is audit your role to determine what’s making you feel stagnant. What energizes you? What drains you? You might notice that you feel best when exercising your creativity and working with others, while performing administrative tasks makes you exhausted. Regardless, this will give you a better understanding of what you need to infuse more of into your day-to-day and what you need to offload in one way or another.

Talk to your manager about making a change

From here, have an honest, proactive conversation with your manager about implementing change. The key is to do this in a way that doesn’t express dissatisfaction and instead frames change as a growth opportunity. Say something like, “I’ve noticed my output is stronger, and I feel most engaged during collaborative, creative projects, while repetitive administrative tasks deplete my mental energy. I’d love to explore opportunities that tap into my strengths, like a cross-functional project, and discuss ways to redistribute or batch together my administrative tasks differently if possible.”

Get curious again

Similarly, Leid stresses becoming curious again, both inside and outside of the workplace. “Sometimes, we wait for purpose to find us when, in reality, purpose often grows through contribution and connection,” she said. So, volunteer for a project, learn a new skill, offer to mentor someone, or schedule time to grab a coffee or hop on a call with a colleague you want to get to know better. Whatever you decide, setting micro-goals—small, achievable wins—like these for yourself can help reignite your interest in your work and rebuild your confidence and enthusiasm.

When rust-out means it’s time for a new job

When it comes down to it, you don’t have to love every aspect of your job; we’re all required to perform tasks that we could live without. What really matters is that your job, overall, gives you enough opportunities to feel engaged, challenged, and fulfilled. Experiencing ebbs and flows with work is totally normal, but if you’ve tried changing up your routine, talking to your manager, and finding new ways to challenge yourself and you still feel consistently bored, disconnected, or uninspired, it might be time to consider whether the problem is your job itself.

Sometimes, the best way out of rust-out isn’t finding a way to make your current role more exciting; it’s finding a role that’s a better fit for what you actually want. If you’ve realized that your current position simply doesn’t give you the opportunity to use your strengths or grow in the ways you’d like, there’s nothing wrong with starting to look for a new job. You don’t have to quit tomorrow, either. Updating your resume, browsing job listings, or having a few conversations with people in your network can help you get a sense of what else is out there and remind you that you have options.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Arianna Reardon, Contributing Writer

Arianna is a freelance writer and journalist, and the self-proclaimed hot and dirty martini queen. At The Everygirl, Arianna uses her authenticity and relatability to empower, inspire, and motivate women everywhere. Whether she’s writing about sex and relationships, career and finance, beauty and fashion, wellness, or home and living, Arianna’s passion shines through in all her work.

READ ARIANNA’S FULL BIO

The post What Is “Rust Out”? The Burnout Alternative You Might Be Experiencing at Work appeared first on The Everygirl.