Have you recently been feeling like you’re just going through the motions at work? Are you feeling a little stuck at the office? Perhaps it is time to re-evaluate your career and try to break out of your work-related rut.
With the lockdown disrupting what we considered ‘normal’ office life, there have been numerous changes in the way we work. Working from home has become the norm instead of a one-off. Video calls have taken over all our daily calendars, and many of us have regressed to wearing pajamas all day.
In many ways, the pandemic has made things easier for us (hello working from bed!). But, it has also made a lot of us feel like we’re jammed in. Concentration is affected, productivity suffers, and we keep wondering why work has become so much harder.
Here are a few things you can do to get out of your work-related rut and become the MVP of the workplace!
1. Brighten Up Your Workplace
Working under electric and artificial lights may make you feel a little stuck within your own head (and space). It is very important to have natural light, and loads of it, to feel free and be more productive.
With most people working from home now, it is no surprise that a lot of us end up working from bed with our curtains drawn and our blankets all the way up to our necks!
Take some time to open up your windows and let the sunlight in!
If it is not possible for you to get access to natural sunlight, try to brighten up your room with good lighting and bright colours. Invest in good LED lights that will help you feel brighter as well!
2. Accept New Challenges
Sometimes you might feel like you’re stuck in one place when the work you are doing is constant and unchanging. Shake things up by doing things differently and keeping your eyes peeled for new opportunities.
The best way to do that is by taking on new challenges in the office.
This doesn’t only help you learn new things. It also helps you grow as well as makes a positive impression on your superiors (and colleagues) about your work ethic! Trying to tackle something new and unfamiliar might push you out of your comfort zone and out of stagnation!
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3. Make An Inspiration Playlist
Music can have an immense impact on your productivity, the way you work, and the way you feel about things. It is no surprise that music can also shake things up and make your regular work feel exciting and fun! It is time to create the playlist that promises to keep the pistons in your brain firing!
Listening to music to get you into power mode is a common trick!
However, you have to make sure that you are listening to the right kind of music. Listening to something with fast beats and loud bass can distract you. Listening to something too slow might also have a negative impact on your concentration. Find your own sweet spot and use music to break the monotony of work!
4. Change Your Work Routine
Switching up your daily routine can help you recalibrate and set your goals. Even small changes can make you feel like your workday has changed immensely. You can try starting off with changing the timings. Wake up a little earlier, or start working 5 minutes later than usual.
Breaking your routine will help you stop working on autopilot.
When you go through the same motions everyday, it can feel like you are stuck at a place where you don’t want to be. Break the cycle and your days will stop blending into each other! This will help you break past your own limitations and be more productive!
5. Get Some Help At Work
Living in the lockdown can get a little boring and tedious. Doing the same things day in and day out often leaves you feeling helpless and stuck. You might not be anchored to your desk, but a workday can end up making you believe that you are alone, trudging on.
Asking for help can help you brighten your life and change your pace.
Living alone, not going out of the house, and leading a solitary life can make you feel like you’re stuck in a rut. The best way to break out would be to talk to people, ask friends for advice, your colleagues for help, etc. You can even listen to seminars or do work while chatting with your loved ones to make it more fun!
6. Set Your Goals
Getting into a groove at work might help some people, but it might also lead to your becoming complacent. This can lead to you becoming bored with your work. When you are doing something unstimulating but safe, you’re often too scared to rock the boat.
Set your goals and work towards them. Make hourly, daily, monthly, and yearly goals as well!
This will help you change the pace of work and give you something to strive for! Start by adding small chunks of additional tasks for yourself. If you have your way ahead mapped out, it might help you look to the future and not get stuck in the present.
There are little things that we do in our daily office life which relieves us from the stress and tension of everyday life. From taking smoke-breaks to talking to the person in the next cubicle, the pandemic has essentially taken away the little things we do to ensure our work goes on smoothly.
It is important to take care of yourself, relax to avoid burning out, and most importantly, re-evaluate your work and career choices if the feeling of failing keeps persisting!
Have you ever had to deal with a continuous feeling of being stuck at work? Tell us about how you got your inspiration back!
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