Everyone has days where they would much rather be doing anything other than work. We all have them! Whether there’s a big project that needs to be tackled but you just don’t feel like diving into it, or there’s a meeting coming up that will take a big block of time out of your day and you just can’t find the ability to concentrate to get anything done in the meantime, it’s normal to have difficulty getting motivated to just do the thing from time to time. 

The good news is, you can help get yourself out of those ruts and back into a good frame of mind to be productive, and you can help those around you find their motivation too! 

Here are a few tips to try — see what works best for you! 

• Remind yourself of your role in the bigger picture. If you’re feeling uninspired by your work or like what you do doesn’t matter to anyone, take a moment to think bigger. Take one of the tasks on your to-do list and think about how it got to you and where it goes next. If you’re part of a team working on a project, think about how the parts assigned to other people all fit together. Think of how your role supports other people and how you completing your part of the project will allow others to complete theirs. Think of the end goal and remember that your work contributes to the overall success of your team and your entire company. What you do matters, whether it’s big or small! Other people rely on your work and on you getting it done and they’re grateful for your contributions. 

• Find a way to become an expert on an aspect of your job. Maybe you have the kind of position where you have a laundry list of things assigned to you. Are you considered a kind of Jack or Jill of all trades in your office? That’s great! But it can get a little overwhelming and taxing at times. When you have the opportunity to work on something that really interests you, learn all you can about it and really own that task. Become the expert on it — know everything you can, find interesting facts to share with your team, make a presentation or other fun way to tell others what you’ve learned and what you’ve done. Give yourself a little pat on the back and make it known that you’ve really enjoyed this particular bit of work. If you can make it interesting for yourself, you can help others appreciate it too. 

• Develop methods for keeping stress at bay. We all know what it feels like to be so stressed out at work that everything feels overwhelming. How do you address those moments? If you’re not sure what to do, and it’s adding to your stress and inability to work, try taking a short break. Maybe get a little change of scenery for a few minutes by getting away from your work area and take a short walk around the building, inside or outside (depending on the weather of course). If you can’t get up right this moment, take a little mental vacation: Close your eyes and think of a beautiful place, maybe somewhere you’ve visited or a place you’d love to go. Imagine walking around and the kinds of things you’d see and hear. Try to engage all your senses in your mental vacation and really focus on this little escape for a moment. When you open your eyes again, hopefully you’ll feel a little more refreshed — you might even use this as motivation to book some time off in the future to give yourself something to look forward to! 

• Do something for others. If everyone you work with looks really stressed out or unmotivated, it could be that everyone is having a serious case of the mid-winter blahs. To help bring everyone out of it and cheer yourself up in the process, why not do something nice for your group? Whether you feel like bringing in some baked goods for everyone to share, or organizing a group lunch or activity, find a way to help people feel better and lighten the mood. Lifting the spirits of those around you can help you feel better too! Another option might be to simply thank people or pass around some compliments. A few friendly, kind words can work wonders! 

• Remember that work is not life. Sometimes we just need to compartmentalize. If you’re having a tough time at work and really struggling to make it through the week, think instead about all the wonderful, fun things going on in your life outside of work. Think about your family and friends and all the great times you have together. If you have a big outing or fun event coming up, think about that. Take a moment to be grateful for your whole life, all the people and things you love, and remember that your job helps you to keep doing all those things with all those people. Work is work; life is so much more than that! 

We all find ourselves in ruts at work from time to time, but hopefully you can find ways to enjoy your job again or at least find something to help make the time there go faster until it’s time to go home. 

If you’re just not able to pull yourself out of the lack of motivation you’re feeling, maybe it’s time for a change. Why not call Davis Staffing? We’re a staffing and recruiting firm that can help you find a great new job that will help you become engaged and excited to go to work again. Take a look at our job board and see if there’s something that fits your interest and experience, then call Davis Staffing and we can help you apply — we’ll even put in a good word for you with our client! When you’re ready to make a change, call Davis Staffing and let’s get going!