Want to stay happy, healthy and motivated at work? First things first, stop trying so hard to be motivated and productive…
We all have off-days at the office. Times when we procrastinate too much, lack focus or struggle even to start important projects. However, it’s unrealistic to assume that you will be productive 100 percent of the time you are at work.
Both speed and efficiency are required to be productive, but if your energy doesn’t match your output, it can get frustrating.
Ultimately, when you lack enthusiasm for a project a day at the office can feel wasted. But longer-lasting motivational slumps can be even worse.
They can leave you stressed and feeling guilty, and introduce a host of health problems, such as insomnia, lack of concentration and emotional exhaustion. If work leaves you filled with anxiety, you’re stuck in a rut.
The key to digging yourself out of it is to understand what’s sapping your energy, and dealing with the problem at its source.
YOU’RE ALWAYS ‘BUSY.’
Since when did ‘being busy’ become a status symbol? While your ego may enjoy the validation – proving that you are highly sought after and in demand – being in work mode all the time primes your body for burnout.
Not only that, working under the assumption that staying busy will help you advance professionally is untrue – not least because it can lead you to resent your job, boss and co-workers.
The quickest way to get out of the ‘busy trap’ is to cut ruthlessly any task that isn’t necessary. Eliminate all non-urgent tasks – including the nasty habit of checking your emails every five minutes – and you’ll gain the time needed to invest in work that’s truly important.
The best way to kick-start this process is also the easiest; practice saying “no” more often. By getting out of work that really should be someone else’s, you will start to prioritize naturally the tasks that you do have to do on a daily basis.
Also, practice saying “I choose to” instead of “I have to”. This subtle verbal cue makes deciding to do something a personal choice, as opposed to an autonomous work task. For example, it feels very different to say “I am choosing to go to tonight’s event” over “I have to attend”.
WILLPOWER ISN’T ALWAYS ENOUGH
When work piles up, there is a tendency to try and will your way through it. But convincing yourself to ‘just get it done’ out of sheer motivation is difficult.
You can get around this by building clever habits into your workflow. For example, often the hardest part about a complicated project is the beginning – but once you get started the entire project feels a lot more manageable.
Combat this by making hard projects easier to start. Focus on getting just the first sentence of a pitch down on paper (even if it’s barely a draft). Or give yourself five minutes to brainstorm everything you need to include in your project.
Once you get started, many people report feeling a lot less anxiety about the project at hand. Psychologically, it’s about giving yourself an early win. Once you’ve got that first line of an assignment down, you generate momentum. It makes every line after that easier, and easier.
Many successful entrepreneurs have built habits like this into their daily routines. Whether it’s starting the day with meditation, hitting the gym or even something as simple as making the bed, these small wins make work less daunting. Instead of wishing your way to more willpower, you will be actively curating it.
EXHAUSTION IS REAL
According to a Gallup poll, more than 70 percent of workers feel emotionally disconnected at the office. But there is a tendency – particularly in the office – to downplay the need to feel connected. After all, it’s just work, right?
Wrong. Feeling accepted and useful at work is essential to give you the drive to complete your duties day after day.
The good news is that repairing your emotional exhaustion is an easy one. Start by adding social opportunities to your workday – even something as simple as turning up to a meeting five minutes early allows you to engage in some light conversation.
While some may think this informal small talk is meaningless, it goes a long way to building relationships with colleagues. Managers have a tougher time galvanising teams. The best leaders are those with empathy, which is about lifting up your colleagues and reinforcing how your team’s efforts relate to the bigger company-wide goals.
The best way to jump-start your team’s motivation is by giving daily tasks more meaning, and circling back to how even a monotonous report is integral to the company.