5 ways to get out of a work SLUMP

It can be demotivating to feel like you’re just a cog in a big wheel. To reset that motivation, take a step back and think about what your organization really does.

Motivation comes and goes. Chances are, you have some days where you hit the ground running and there isn’t anything that can stop you, and other days where your thoughts come in slow motion and you spend a lot of time staring at your phone or flipping through random websites.

A day of malaise every now and then isn’t something to worry about. A decent meal, some exercise or a good night’s sleep ought to take care of that. But, as that day stretches into the next (and the next), it might be time to think about how to snap out of your slump.

Here are five things to consider:

Remind yourself why

One thing about the modern workplace is that you rarely get an end-to-end view of the work you do. The meetings you attend may influence the development of a product or service, but on most days you’re not looking at the end product or the people whose lives are affected by your work.

It can be demotivating to feel like you’re just a cog in a big wheel. To reset that motivation, take a step back and think about what your organization really does. Engage with it. If you make a product, go take a look at it. If you provide a service, engage with some of the customers or clients. If you build websites, take a look at the site itself.

Find a way to appreciate the way your efforts contribute to a bigger outcome.

As a university administrator, I spend a lot of time in meetings with people talking about ideas. Luckily, I can step out of my office and walk across campus and see the people we serve.

Sometimes I take a midday walk just as a reminder that I am part of an organization that influences the lives of thousands of college students each year.

Take a class

Motivation can also fail when you feel like you’ve stopped growing in your job. When you start a new position, there is a ton to learn. Eventually, though, you may feel like you can handle anything that comes at you.

At that point, you might want to focus on your own personal growth. Pick a work skill you’d like to develop or improve. If your company has a lot of learning and development opportunities, select one that will address that skill. Otherwise, there are a large number of programs you can attend in person or online to learn more. Dive in.

Adopt a pet (project)

Some people are lucky enough to be able to drive a lot of their daily agenda. Most people’s workdays are taken up with tasks that are selected by someone else — other managers or perhaps the needs of clients and customers.

The feeling that your life is being dragged along by forces outside of your control is also demotivating.

In that case, you need to reinvigorate your sense of agency. Find something at work — even a small something — that you can drive. Having a project where you can make key decisions and move it forward allows you to engage in some enjoyable problem-solving, knowing that the outcome rests on your efforts. In addition, each step of the process can give you a feeling of accomplishment that will carry over to the other tasks you’re working on.

Take a mentee

After about your first month in the workforce, you have a perspective that differs from that of everyone around you. The things you know and the skills you have are likely to be ones that other people will want to know about.

So, looking for an opportunity to mentor others should be a regular part of your work to ensure that you spread your expertise around.

What may be less obvious is that serving as a mentor also benefits you. When you teach something to someone else, you have to view the world through their eyes. Often, that exercise can connect you to the factors that motivate those other people to work. In that way, mentoring others can energize you for the work you do.

On top of that, when you discover that someone else has used something you have taught them to advance a project or to achieve a goal, that feeling also provides a boost.

Phone a friend

When you’re feeling down about your work, you also start to feel isolated from your colleagues. Give one of them a call, or grab a cup of coffee or lunch. Talk a little about how you’re feeling and your lack of motivation.

There are lots of good reasons to want to discuss this with a colleague. For one, good colleagues provide a sympathetic ear. For another, it normalizes discussions of the ups and downs of work, which helps everyone to feel less guilty when they’re not energized to work.

In addition, your colleague may share some suggestions they have used when they’ve felt the same way.

Finally, just by talking through your situation with someone else, you often notice things about yourself that you don’t see when you just think about it. In the course of conversing, you may discover your own path forward.

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