Feeling Unmotivated at Work? You Might Be Experiencing “Rust Out” Instead of Burnout

Rustout is a workplace phenomenon characterized by a decline in employee engagement and motivation, often caused by feeling underchallenged or unfulfilled.

Factors contributing to rustout include working on autopilot, monotony, and limited growth potential, with job resources like autonomy and task variety linked to higher motivation and well-being.

Common signs of rustout include feeling bored, procrastinating, and losing confidence in one's skills, but managing it involves reflecting on areas for improvement and discussing ways to be more engaged with a manager.

Although a lot has been written about burnout , there's another workplace phenomenon affecting morale that gets less attention. Rustout, or feeling disengaged, is the opposite of burnout—and it's a fairly common experience. According to a 2025 Gallup survey , only 31 percent of U.S. workers were actively engaged in their work. Want to know if you might be experiencing rust out? Read on to find out more.

There is no clinical definition of rustout; however, experts describe it as a decline in employee engagement and motivation, according to Alexis Verbin , a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) at Wellcore Healing. Typically, this occurs when someone feels underchallenged, undervalued, underutilized, or unfulfilled, she explains.

You can think of rustout as being on the opposite end of the spectrum from burnout , which is caused by an excess stress, explains HJ Cho, LCSW , who specializes in grief and anxiety. "Burnout is the result of being mentally exhausted while emotionally depleted, overworked, and overwhelmed—without the time or resources to properly recover." On the opposite end, rustout is a lack of positive stress, she explains. If your job isn't challenging (in a good way), your skills can atrophy over time, affecting your self-esteem. "In a professional sense, this can impact a person's confidence and their identity as a competent individual as they are aware of what they can actually do versus what they're allowed to do," Cho explains.

A variety of factors can contribute to this feeling, Cho explains. Oftentimes, working on autopilot, monotony , and limited growth potential are factors. "Even if the work itself isn't necessarily unpleasant, doing the same thing for years without new responsibilities or opportunities for advancement ends up feeling stifling," Cho says. Research shows that the way work is designed and structured significantly affects employee engagement, with job resources such as autonomy, meaning, and task variety consistently linked to higher motivation and well-being.

Symptoms can vary widely, but generally, Verbin says the following are fairly common:

Stepping away from new opportunities or work projects

Procrastinating or turning projects in late

Feeling like your work potential and skills are being wasted

Finding yourself becoming more irritable, pessimistic, depressed, or indifferent

Losing confidence in your skill set, strengths, or ability to perform

It's important to be kind to yourself if you experience rustout, advises Verbin. "Remember, this isn't the same as laziness, ingratitude, or a lack of capability. View your symptoms as helpful evidence that something is off and may benefit from change."

Verbin recommends thinking about your workday and reflecting on areas you'd like to improve. Once you have that list, talk to your manager about ways you'd like to be more engaged. "Offer specific ideas, such as taking greater ownership of work projects or learning new skills," she says. "Maybe you are looking to mentor someone, add variety to repetitive responsibilities, transfer departments, or apply for a promotion." If you're able to make some changes, Verbin recommends checking in with yourself regularly to see what's working and what's not.

Try to be flexible and creative when thinking of solutions. For example, you might look into taking a class to develop new skills, which can help you change positions in the future. And don't discount a lateral move either, Cho advises. "Rather than adding additional responsibilities in the same job, shifting to a different position where existing skills can be applied in a fresh context," she says.

If you're not able to make meaningful changes at work, consider a new hobby to find a sense of purpose outside of the workplace, Verbin recommends. "Focus your energy on an activity that aligns with your values, challenges you, and gives your day meaning."

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