Have you forgotten what it feels like to be excited about your job? If your profession is boring you to tears, it might be time for a change in attitude. Here are our tips for bringing new life to your old role.
While there’s nothing wrong with being committed to your job, working too hard can make any profession feel repetitive. If you never give yourself a break from the daily grind, you’re bound to burn out eventually.
Even if you love what you do for a living, finding a healthy balance between work and play is key to combating professional monotony. The next time you start feeling fed up at work, check your annual leave balance. If you’ve got some hours to spare, why not take a holiday? You’ll come back feeling refreshed and more motivated.
If you don’t have the time or budget for a proper holiday, try to make the most of your days off. Instead of catching up on work all weekend, spend your free time doing things you actually enjoy. You might think you’re getting a head start on your workload by being productive during your down time, but studies show that this can backfire in the long run. Productivity levels can only be sustained for so long, making it pointless to work ridiculous hours.
Rather than trying to stay laser-focused the entire time you’re at work, adding a little variety to your routine can help fight monotony. Here are some things you can do break up the work day:
Music isn’t just good for drowning out that mouth-breathing co-worker at the next desk – it can also help keep your brain alert. Whether you want to play the latest hits or listen to Mozart, scientific research suggests that putting on your favourite tunes can improve productivity. Using imaging technology, researchers at Stanford University were able to prove that music engages parts of the brain involved with attention span and memory. Just be sure to invest in some noise-cancelling headphones so you don’t annoy your desk mates.
Sitting down all day can be bad for your body and Sedentary behaviour is becoming more common in modern workplaces, with many employees are finding themselves stuck for up to 12 hours a day. Apart from causing weight gain and muscle degeneration, failing to move for long periods of time can make you feel sluggish. To fight brain fog, moving your muscles allows for improved blood flow and brain function.
Getting away from your responsibilities for a few minutes can work wonders for curing boredom. If you’re tackling a particularly dull task, breaks are your best friend. Whether you want to grab a coffee, go for a quick walk or duck outside for a snack, doing anything unrelated to work is a quick fix for monotony.
Any of these activities can come in handy when boredom starts to creep up on you. Finding ways to stimulate your brain doesn’t mean multitasking all day, but rather offers an easy solution to staving off monotony.
Keeping your schedule nice and full is one of the easiest ways to combat boredom at work. By always having another task lined up on your to-do list, you won’t have time to start feeling the effects of monotony. If you ever run out of work, simply ask your team members if you can help out with any of their tasks. This won’t just help ease your boredom – you’ll also look like the world’s best co-worker and give you some varied tasks outside your standard work.
Here are some other things that can keep you busy on a slow day at work:
Decluttering your work environment is a great way to fill those free hours. You can clear out your desk, rearrange your filing system or tidy up your inbox – the possibilities are endless.
Sitting at your desk waiting for your boredom to cure itself isn’t going to help anyone. Spend your time talking to other members of your team, or reaching out to industry contacts.
If you’re starting to get sick of your current role, why not do a little upskilling? Ask your manager if you can do some training courses when your workflow shows signs of slowing down. You might even learn a new skill that allows you to do more diverse (and less boring) work.
Sitting around scrolling through memes won’t do anything for your professional reputation, so it’s essential you find ways to fill your workload when things get quiet.
Nearly everyone encounters monotony at some point in their professional life. How you choose to handle this challenge can be a defining moment in your career. It might be tempting to wallow in the frustration that comes from being bored at work, but taking steps to improve your situation is always the better option.
If things don’t start looking up ever after you’ve made an effort to make your job more exciting, it might be time for a career change. Contact Chandler Macleod today to find a career path that doesn’t bore you out of your brain.