ICPE
Vol. 4 No. 1 (2025): Proceeding of The International Conference on Psychology and Education (ICPE)

Existential Drift: a Literature Review on the Role of Meaning in Workplace Boredom

Fanya Izmi Hawa (Universitas Negeri Jakarta)
Lussy Dwiutami Wahyuni (Universitas Negeri Jakarta)
Anna Armeni Rangkuti (Universitas Negeri Jakarta)
Zarina Akbar (Universitas Negeri Jakarta)



Article Info

Publish Date
31 Oct 2025

Abstract

This literature review explores the phenomenon of boredom in the workplace, linking it with existential theory through the lens of positive psychology. It introduces the concept of existential drift—a gradual psychological disengagement that occurs when individuals lose a sense of meaning in their work. Using a structured literature review approach, this study synthesizes findings form 22 scholarly sources to explore how perceived meaning shapes, mitigates, or exacerbates boredom at work. Th review finds that boredom is not merely caused by task monotony, but often emerges from a deeper sense of meaninglessness. Meaningful work is shown to buffer against boredom, while its absence can lead to both maladaptive and adaptive coping strategies. The review highlights the importance of meaning regulation and proposes existential drift as a key framework to understand persistent disengagement in work settings. These findings suggest that organizations should foster meaning-making processes to support employee well-being and engagement.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

icpe

Publisher

Subject

Description

The Proceedings of the International Conference on Psychology and Education (ICPE) is an international conference proceeding from the Internation Conference on Psychology and Education which held annually by Undergraduate Program of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Negeri Surabaya, ...