Even when you love your job, you can fall into a boredom trap. Here’s how to pull yourself back.
Feeling a little bored at work? Are you procrastinating right now? Don’t worry, it can happen to the best of us.
Even if you love your job, there are times when you can find work unbelievably boring. If you don’t love your job, boredom can be a whole other story. So, what do you do about work boredom?
Why is work boring?
The first thing you need to do is take a closer look at why exactly you find work boring. Is it an unusual occurrence or does it happen all the time? Is it specific tasks you find boring or is it your entire day?
If it is your entire job from start to finish, it might be time to re-evaluate your career goals and maybe even start the job search.
Your evaluation should also highlight what parts of the job aren’t boring. Focus on what parts are most interesting to you and see if you can invest more time in them.
Sometimes it’s not big-picture stuff that’s the problem. Sometimes it’s as simple as a mood that can occur almost at random, not unlike just having a bad day at work. So, what can you do about that? We’ve got some tips.
Tidy your workspace
Similar to productivity, your energy can be dramatically improved if you tidy your desk area. You might even decorate it a little to get rid of the monotony of what you look at every day.
Plants have been proven to improve your mood, and reorganising your paperwork and general workspace can be just the jumpstart your brain needs to stave off the boredom.
Have energy-boosting snacks to hand
Boredom can often come from low energy levels, so make sure you have a decent stash of energy-boosting snacks at your desk to keep you going throughout the day.
Please note that while we can all crave the occasional sugar rush, it doesn’t mean you should reach for a chocolate bar every afternoon. Try these slow-release energy foods to beat boredom and boost your energy.
Mix up your meetings
We know meetings can often be a major source of boredom for many employees, but they’re also extremely important, provided they’re run properly.
For a start, be sure to keep yourself engaged by taking notes and actively participating. But, more importantly, think about how the meetings work. Do they run a little long? Do you think there are ways they could be improved? Bring some ideas to your manager to make meetings more engaging or efficient.
Explore alternative projects
If you’re finding work in general boring, it might be time to switch up your own tasks. Doing the same thing day in and day out, even if you like it, can make your brain go into a sluggish autopilot mode.
Take some time to look for some new ideas. Is there some new project you could research and start working on? Is there a new skill you could develop that would be beneficial to your workday?
Procrastinate a little
Do you keep getting distracted because work is particularly boring today? Then it’s time to take a break. It’s OK to give into the urge to procrastinate occasionally.
In fact, guilt-free procrastination is more likely to get you back into the mood to finish your task than constantly trying to pull your mind away from procrastinating. Giving into the urge can help get it out of your system. Alternatively, take a 10-minute walk and come back to your desk feeling refreshed.
Bring your hobby to work
I’m not suggesting bringing your football to work and kicking it around the office (unless your boss is cool with that) but having something stimulating to do to give you a break from your job is a great way to stave off the boredom at work.
Whether it’s the book you’re currently reading, Sudoku puzzles or even knitting, using your passions outside of work to keep your mind stimulated in work will certainly make your day a lot less boring.
