8 Exceptional Ways to Stay Inspired and Productive at Work

Monotonous daily routine can be boring. Waking up in the morning, you have to get ready for work, go on a long and crowded commute, deal with those dull tasks, have lunch at the cafeteria, make small talk with coworkers, then leave the office on time. While you might be enthusiastic with this habitual arrangement as a new employee, things will be different when you have been doing the exact same routine for years - or maybe even within months. Activities that seem fun at first will eventually become mundane and feel like a woe, especially if you cannot bear repetitive life.

At some point in your life, there will be times when you feel that your daily work routine is meh. Dealing with repetitive, unchallenging tasks often lead to boredom that makes you feel unmotivated to perform well at work. It goes without saying that being stuck in such circumstance is not a good sign for your productivity and even negatively affecting your entire performance. While suffering from career fatigue can be inevitable from time to time, there are ways to prevent it from worsening. Read on to find out how stay inspired and productive in such situation:

1. Have a “me time”

As what Christina Hill said, “It is easy to give your time to others in work and in life, but sometimes saying ‘no’ and spending more time with yourself without the fear of being selfish will help the situation.” Having time dedicated exclusively for yourself at work can help recharge, relax, and reinforce yourself to find fresh ideas. Therefore, take time to be alone and freshen your mind. Walk that road, sit in that empty chair, and say no to your coworker if it is necessary.

2. Get a partner you can count on

Find yourself a good person to be together with. By surrounding yourself with those who emit positive vibes, you will have the courage to share everything, even the hardest story you cannot tell your family. They can encourage you to build positive energy that will help you go through difficult phase in at work. In this case, not only the motivation you will get but also a peaceful and work-life balance.

3. Observe the good stuffs around you

When your brain is stuck and everything seems to go downhill, try to observe the good things around you such as the man who helps a granny on train this morning, a friend who helps you find a solution, sunrise in the morning or sunset after work, or even the clear blue sky today. These simple things can release endorphin that makes you happier. Moreover, according to the study, happy thoughts can lead to more productivity and generate more ideas. So smile and be happy.

4. Practice 50/10 rule

Do not force yourself. It is true that you should finish the task today, but pressuring yourself in it will only make you stressed out and affect negatively to the mental health. Therefore, you can apply the simple 50/10 rule, 50 minutes works and 10 minutes breaks. This will help you relax the muscles and mind, thus you can be more productive and inspired at work.

5. Don’t wait for inspiration, find them

A famous quote said “Don’t wait for inspiration, be the inspiration.” It is normal to feel stuck and bored at work. However, as the previous quote said, you should not wait for the inspiration to find you, instead you should try to find them. Paul Smith said, “you can find inspiration in everything, and if you can’t, look again.” To stay inspired and productive at work, you should always trigger your mind so you can find new challenge and inspiration. You can do this by reading a lot, watching movies, travelling, attending conferences, taking class, and any positive thing that you like doing. The key is to keep learning and acknowledge yourself with new stuffs.

6. Practice your hobby

Practicing your hobby at work? Why not? By dedicating some time to do your hobby, it might help release your stress at work. However, you still need to get your work done. In that case, make your 5 to 10 minutes break time precious by doing what you enjoy and love.

7. Set up reward system

Last but not least, you can reward yourself twice or once a month. Not only it will help you feel motivated but also help you get away from the monotonous life at work. You can go on a vacation with your family, travel to a place you love, or simply buy stuff or treat yourself foods you love most like ice cream.

8. Reflect daily

Finally, in the end of the day, while you are tired and sipping your evening coffee in front of TV or laptop, you can reflect on your daily working life. You can do this by jotting down the things you have achieved and failed. For example, what is the greatest thing you have done this morning? What keeps you from repeating your boring life? What makes you motivated to wake up tomorrow? Write it down so you can find the meaning of your routine.

By doing this reflection, you can reevaluate yourself and know what works out and what doesn’t. This way, you can rearrange your time for what matters and what does not.   

Next read: Stay Professional and Productive When Bad Mood Kicks In