The Conference Board at Forbes magazine reports that a staggering 53% of Americans are unhappy at work.
So if you’re burned out from work and can’t exactly go on an Eat Pray Love vision quest, you’re not alone. It’s normal to fall out of love with work, or never enjoy what you were doing in the first place.
Sometimes all you need is to build relationships with co-workers, boost productivity, and learn effective stress reduction techniques to feel rejuvenated. Here are a few hot tidbits to help reignite the flame.
How can I be more productive at work?
Nothing makes you hate your job faster than feeling exhausted at work. If you work the night shift when you’re a day breaker then it’s probably time to change shifts. Conversely, if you’re a night owl then consider taking a night shift. Always work with your body, never against it.
After optimizing your shift schedule, the next step is task prioritization. Make sure you complete the hardest tasks first so they’re not looming overhead all day. This will significantly reduce your work stress and help keep you feeling relaxed.
How else can I lower work stress?
Sometimes what makes us loathe our job is the high stress it puts us under. It may not actually be the field of work, but the volume or work or deadlines you have to meet that wears you down.
The best way to get some endorphins at work is to try periodic walks throughout the day. Try taking a five or ten-minute brisk walk around the office or outside if you can. This will boost your mood and also help you shed some pounds.
If you’re exhausted and always reaching for the coffee, then it’s time to cut the caffeine. Coffee increases stress levels dramatically and only gives you a short rise in energy. Try drinking green tea instead if you need an energy boost without the jitters.
A lot of people feel like they can’t articulate what’s bothering them at work. That’s why we also suggest journaling to decrease stress. Writing down your thoughts and feelings can be very therapeutic and stress relieving.
How to improve work relationships
A terrible relationship at work will kill your drive just as fast as a terrible one at home. We can’t like all the people we work with but working together has to happen.
Try and find something you and that coworker have in common. Sometimes common ground, like sharing a favorite T.V show or travel location can be just the spark to get you two on better speaking grounds.
Don’t get defensive when talking to your coworkers. It’s easy to take out your stress on the people you work with and vice versa. Try and be an active listener and always come to agreements that will benefit you both.
A coworker has it out for you? When it feels like you just can’t get alone, there are a couple more techniques to try. The first is to closely watch how others act around them and mimic their interactions. Maybe you just rub them the wrong way and trying another approach will be the trick.
The second technique is tried and true; ignoring them. This is really difficult to do when you work in close quarters with someone but being the bigger person and ignoring them may be best. Ignoring them means communicating with them for work and leaving out any social conversations.
Maybe you’re not at your dream job or you’ve fallen out of love with your job recently. Whatever the case, dig deep within yourself and find your passion again. These proven techniques will help you along the way.