How To Avoid Getting Easily Bored At Work
Do you find yourself getting easily bored at work?
Before you answer, let me say “getting bored” does not have to mean that you don’t love what you do.
That’s not always the case.
If it is, you may want to look into switching jobs.
Life is too short to stay somewhere you are not happy, even if it pays the bills.
No, “getting bored” can really just be from lack of inspiration.
When starting a project you initially start with a “why”, which is tied to your goal.
Let’s say your project is to create an eBook for a customer to provide more content that will connect with their target audience in hopes of generating more qualified leads every month.
What’s the goal?
To create content that generates quality leads.
But what is your client’s why behind wanting more leads a month?
It could be that they want more sales a month to increase their annual revenue.
What do you think their why is behind increasing their revenue?
Maybe the owner needs to increase their monthly pay or else they won’t be able to afford the college tuition for the school their child wants to go to.
It could be that they are wanting to take on more employees so that their current employees can stop working over time and go home to their families.
When you’re presented with a project, you need to know and understand your client’s goals and pain points.
Whatever their goals and pain points are make up the why behind your project; however, if it is a long term project, or a tedious project, you can sometimes become disconnected with your why.
This is when you begin to sense that feeling of boredom creep up on you.
The same applies if it is an internal project.
Maybe you’re an entrepreneur and you’re working on starting a new blog to help inspire people in your field.
You may start out super passionate and excited about the idea, but as things pile up and you begin to feel your stress level rise your project can begin to feel more like an obligation or a task and cause you to feel burnt out.
Is any of this hitting home?
I empathize with this feeling 100%.
I am currently head over the evangelism and outreach team at my church — I am in charge of planning all the ways we get involved with the community or the big events that we host.
I consider myself a creative person.
Big ideas are always rolling around in my head; however, sometimes putting those ideas down on paper and making them a reality can feel overwhelming, and I can often feel bored with certain projects and want to just start something new.
So how do you avoid this feeling of boredom?
How do you stay energized and inspired in every project you start?
Now, obviously some projects will just be more fun than others, but you can stay engaged with every project your start by applying some or all of these tips to your day!
1. Remind Yourself Of Your “Why”
As I talked about earlier, there is always a deeper why behind every project you start.
Try writing down your why either on a post-it note, or something similar, that you can see every day as your reminder.
Seeing this may force you to take a breather and rethink the way you approach the project that day.
2. Go Through Old Notes
Go back through your first brainstorming session — if applicable.
Going back through old notes can trigger old emotions that you felt when you first started thinking about and mapping out your project.
You may see some comments you made that you had forgotten that will give you fresh ideas and perspective on the work you have already done.
3. Change Venue
Sometimes working on something in the same space for too long can cause you to feel overwhelmed.
The monotonousness of working in familiar spaces can cause burn out.
Try working out of a coffee shop, bakery, or local food joint — even if it is only for an hour.
A change in venue can spark fresh ideas and cause a change in perspective.
4. Seek Help
Sometimes a fresh pair of eyes can do you good.
Have someone with an outside and unbiased mindset come in and look over your project.
They may have questions or comments that did not come to your mind that will spark a deeper conversation around the project — talking things out and explaining your project to someone will actually cause you to back track and remember your why and the goals behind it.
5. Keep Your Brain And Body Fed
Take a 10 minute, 15 minutes, or 30 minute break to stop and read a chapter in a book, listen to a podcast, or watch videos on YouTube.
A huge way to stay inspired is by learning from other people’s experiences and listening to their perspective and then comparing it to your own.
As well, keep a cup of coffee on the desk, some carrots, or even a blueberry muffin — whatever food gives you the little pick you up that you need!
Now, I’m not a health consultant, so please don’t message me saying we should all only be eating grains.
“Pick me up” foods don’t have to be chips, a brownie, or a slice of pie — although you can find organic and low sugar versions of all of those options (just saying), they can be any food that will help you fight the sluggish feeling that tends to hit around 2 p.m.
I may not be a health expert, but I do know that keeping your metabolism going helps give you more energy, which will help you stay focused and keep you more engaged.
Conclusion:
If you’re feeling bored at work and uninspired to finish your tasks/projects throughout the day, start implementing some of these tips and see how they increase your energy for a more positive attitude!
Want some more inspiration and tips to increase your productivity and avoid getting bored at work? Click the link below to listen to The Business Rising Podcast’s podcast on “How To Not Get Bored At Work” in iTunes!
Originally published at blog.phnx21creative.agency.
