Shah Alif Ahmed* says it is the nature of most office work that the tasks are repetitive and uninspiring. He suggests some tricks you can use to overcome this.
There can be times when work is uninspiring, unchallenging, and incredibly dull.
We all have these moments, and when we do, we don’t feel like doing anything, but instead of falling asleep and getting into trouble, you can make use of this time to be more productive.
Research has shown that being bored at work may actually boost employee productivity, creativity, and motivation.
Here are 14 ways to leverage boredom at work to your advantage.
Change your daily commute
If the daily journey to your office is a long, tiring, and frustrating one, simply going to work is arduous.
If you’re already frustrated and tired by the time you reach your office, how motivated will you be to perform your tasks?
Make changes to your commute and start and end your day differently.
Look for new alternative routes where congestion is not an issue.
If possible, use public transport, or maybe cycle to work.
You can also take a route with exciting landmarks that freshen your mind and break out of the monotony.
Revamp your workspace
You can ask your boss to allocate you a new cubicle or desk to work in.
Or you could probably exchange desks with a co-worker.
If that is not possible, make changes to how the things at your desk are arranged.
Little things like placing a picture of a loved one or buying a small potted plant will help ease your mind while feeling bored and unmotivated.
Set new goals and challenges
Think of new areas in your life which require improvement and set goals for improving them.
Working towards a goal or objective will make work exciting and make the boredom go away.
Moreover, doing something interesting every day will freshen your perspective on work and motivate you.
Take a much-needed vacation
A vacation out in a pleasant location will freshen your life up and ease all workplace stress.
Once you come back to work, you will be better prepared to complete your tasks efficiently.
Collaborate with others
Having to work on complex tasks alone can be very dull and frustrating.
Ask your supervisor to allocate you into a team where the workload is divided among everyone.
By doing this, a collaborative environment is encouraged, which promotes contribution and creativity.
You can also search for opportunities to work with other Departments and teams.
Modify your physical environment
Environmental aesthetics really make a difference in the way our brains function.
So try changing the aesthetics of your work environment with bright colours like yellow, orange, green, or red in your workspace to invoke feelings of excitement and freshness.
Take steps to improve your emotional intelligence
You may be quick to blame your job as the reason for your boredom at work, but this may not be the truth.
Maybe you are more prone to boredom resulting from low social awareness and social competence, or more simply, emotional intelligence.
Practice self-awareness or maintain positivity.
It will help you become more motivated and confident.
Get adequate sleep
The cause of constant boredom at work could be as simple as poor sleep.
Poor sleep causes workplace stress, health problems, and many more.
It affects our decision-making, concentration levels and so on.
Make it a point to get seven-to-eight hours of sleep every night.
It will keep you energised, improving your physical and mental health.
Converse and engage with your co-workers
If you work in an office where you are not friends with anybody, it can be pretty tough to avoid boredom.
Spend time to get to know your colleagues and create meaningful relationships with them.
This will help develop a sense of liveliness in the workplace.
Moreover, when you feel bored, you can strike up a conversation with them to share your experiences, crack jokes, etc.
Gamify work
This is a new concept that has been gaining recognition recently.
The idea of gamification is to add gaming elements to everyday work life.
Doing this engages employees and enhances teamwork and productivity.
You can gamify your work by conducting contests or challenges among your co-workers and keeping track of the job done.
If you win, you will receive prizes for your performance.
This can be a great way to ward off boredom, and it is also enjoyable.
Ask your boss for new responsibilities and challenges
With new tasks and challenges, you will get the revamp that you want to fend off boredom at work.
Just make sure that you don’t ask for more than you can handle.
If everything goes well, you will create a good impression on your boss, and promotion may be on the cards.
Take a short break to rewind
Doing the same repetitive work, again and again, is guaranteed to get you bored sooner or later.
If you are bored at work, the simplest thing to do is to take a short break and relax your mind.
Take a coffee break, check your social media, or go for a walk to ease your mind and refocus.
Taking a short breather will help you rejuvenate your brain.
Try these steps to handle boredom in the best way possible and make those boring moments exciting and fun.
*Shah Alif Ahmed is a content marketer at Vantage Circle. He is also an internationally certified nutrition specialist, competitive bodybuilder and musician.
This article first appeared on the Vantage Circle website.
