Do you have lockdown boreout? Take our quiz to find out

Boredom, 12 yawning weeks into lockdown, is no stranger to any of us. Even the “only boring people get bored” truthers are looking somewhat dead behind the eyes. “Boreout”, however, might be a new one.

Maybe you know the feeling?

You work where you live, repeat identikit tasks by the hour and respond to undeviating email subject lines with listless copy-paste answers. You even throw in an exclamation mark, |just to feel alive!

You’re exhausted, but feel you’re barely putting in any effort. You don’t have the option of vaguely spontaneous post-work drinks/a different commute/pranking your deskmate. Nor need it apply merely to work: your whole life is now a series of same-same tasks repeated on a circuit.

It’s an odd contrast: on the news, the outside world appears in such a state of vigorous upheaval it’s about to rip itself in two; at home the inertia is so enervating you can hardly think.

However, although WFH has intensified the feeling of “boreout”, conceptually, legally and existentially (more yawn) it is old hat. The term was coined in 2007 by two Swiss business consultants, Peter Werder and Philippe Rothlin, as boredom’s answer to burnout. (Seek out their book — if you can lift yourself from your torpor, of course.) Do you fit the bill? Take this quiz to find out.

a) Resignedly size up how many different ways you’ll need to say: “I also agree with the above” (82).

Or just resign.

b) Crack your knuckles, haul out your alphabeticised ring binders and set your font to business mode (Helvetica New).

c) Change your phone notification alert so it plays a fart noise every time your boss messages you.

a) Head out for a little walk. Joe Wicks can wait until tomorrow, can’t he (he’s waited this long, one more day can’t hurt him)?

b) Fire up the Strava app, smash out that 10k.

c) Order a pizza and pour yourself a big glass of wine.

a) Last night’s leftovers, reheated, with a few extra ingredients to spice it up. Your secret? Salty tears of frustration! Delicious!

b) A Huel ready-to-drink meal-substitute shake, in all-new indulgent chocolate flavour!

c) An easy-to-cook comfort dish you can justify committing 15 minutes to making. You commit an hour.

a) Slump before Apple TV’s mighty library, which should occupy you for a few more days (who knew you could complete Netflix?).

b) You’ve chowed down Hilary Mantel’s Cromwell trilogy and attended nightly writing masterclasses online. Now onwards to complete your own self-penned opus, Lockdownton Abbey.

c) Finish the Nintendo Switch game you’ve been playing all day.

a) Copy and paste a quiz from Reddit.

b) Write your own personalised 15-rounder from scratch.

c) Say you have too much work on.

a) Waning.

b) Razor sharp.

c) I’ll be honest, I skipped the first five questions.

a) Conduct each in your pyjamas with the camera off. Or on, who cares? Except the first two, which you miss entirely.