Picture this: the day is Wednesday, you’ve had a restless night’s sleep, the milk in the office has all but disappeared and generally, everything is going wrong. It’s unsurprising that your motivation to be remotely productive sometimes lacks and it’s true, there are some days when you can’t help but feel sluggish and lethargic. Don’t worry, everybody has those days. It’s common that people sometimes feel unmotivated with their work and a lack of motivation can put a real dampener on the working week, leading to unproductivity and a shortage of personal achievement. Even if you want to, the will to work just cannot be seized. The question is; how do you get over this? Below, we have steps that will increase productivity and motivation throughout the working day/week. Take a look and see if any of them can be implemented into your routine!
What’s comfortable?
- To start with, choose a task to complete that you feel most comfortable doing. It doesn’t have to be too hard or strenuous, but something that you feel can be done easily and accomplished to a high standard. Remember, not every day is going to be intense and busy so ensure you take some time to do the comfortable tasks, ones that might not take as long as others. Knowing that you’re still doing something, crossing items off the to-do list and working even when you feel unproductive will help to increase your motivation.
Reading is key
- Sometimes there’s nothing wrong with kicking back and taking some time to read something that could help build your knowledge. Whether it’s an article, book or newspaper, if the content you’re reading gives you a lightbulb moment and actively adds to your productivity levels then there is absolutely nothing wrong with reading to become more informed. All the best employees and employers do.
Routine, routine, routine and then break the routine.
- Set yourself a workable timetable to ensure you’re at your maximum ‘busyness’ for a specific amount of time. There’s no point in working for hours on end because for most people, this kills productivity. The best thing to do is to take regular breaks and work effectively in shorter bursts. Don’t be tempted to work late on into the evening or weekends. You’re free time gives you a chance to rejuvenate and helps build your motivation back up ready for the next day or the next working week. So, make sure you leave a little bit of ‘me time’ in the day-to-day routine.
Feedback
- If you find yourself really stuck in a rut and are unable to kick-start the brain in work-mode again why not seek out some feedback. Sometimes feedback can be perceived in a negative light. You can turn this round and speak to your Peers, Team Leader or Manager to get their feedback on how they feel your contribution to a particular project went or how they feel things have been going over recent months. There’s absolutely no harm in encouraging some praise from time-to-time. It will boost morale and inspire you to get back in the groove. Constructive feedback only helps you to grow and develop, refining your skills and keeping you motivated to succeed.
Exercise
- Everyone knows the physical and mental benefits of exercise so we won’t bore you with the ins and outs of endorphins and serotonin. Instead, we’ll just tell you that using your lunchbreak to do a little bit of light exercise will work wonders for increasing motivation. Whether you it’s a quick 10 minute walk, a swim, run or bike ride; getting the heart pumping leaves you feeling energised and ready for a good afternoon’s work.
Don’t be scared to celebrate
- If you’ve had a particularly hard week and the motivation to complete it has been hard to come by, by the time Friday comes, it’s normal to feel extremely drained. However, if the job has been completed and everyone is happy with it, there’s no shame in celebrating with the rest of your team. Whether the celebration is in the form of baked goods, an early finish, or takes place in the local after you finish, we’d recommend allowing yourself the opportunity to blow off a little bit of steam as it gives you time to rebuild the motivation that you’ve lost over the working week.
Remember, everyone deals with a lack in motivation from time to time; it’s how you deal with that that shows your true working character. We hope that following these steps sets you on your way to an increase in motivation!
