Rediscover That Motivation to Work You Probably Lost over Thanksgiving

Getting back into that work spirit is not an easy task, especially after spending an amazing Thanksgiving holiday with family and friends. Many of us found this past Monday to be completely exhausting, and Tuesday has not fared to be very productive either. The reason behind such lack of productivity is a depleted motivation to work, and regardless of the source of this demotivation, we are committed to getting you back on your feet.

Before we go into the nitty-gritties of how you are going to get your motivation back, bear in mind that it is perfectly normal and natural to lose motivation to work every now and then. We are all human beings, with mood swings caused by various factors impacting our lives on a daily basis. Accepting that you lack motivation on a particular day is the first step. Remember, trying to force yourself to become as motivated as you feel on other days will not help you at all.

Before we go into the nitty-gritties of how you are going to get your motivation back, bear in mind that it is perfectly normal and natural to lose motivation to work every now and then

Instead, we recommend the following methods to maximize your productivity on days when you feel completely drained of any motivational push.

Set Microscopic Goals

This does not mean that you aim small, but simply that you split up your tasks into many smaller tasks which are very easy to achieve. This process of splitting up tasks needs to happen entirely in your mind.

For example, if you have to send out an email but can’t convince yourself to begin composing it, then you need to take on this task piecemeal. You start by clicking on the new email button, which is task one. Then you put in the email address of the recipient, which would be task two. And so on.

What this does is that it tricks you mind into believing that you are actually achieving a lot of tasks, which helps release dopamine (the hormone responsible for making you feel good). And, of course, the better you feel, the more motivated you are to work.

This does not mean that you aim small, but simply that you split up your tasks into many smaller tasks which are very easy to achieve

Create Accountability for Yourself

If your boss is not in the habit of micro-managing you, which means you are responsible for completing your tasks on time without any supervision, then lacking motivation can cause some serious delays in your work which may end up costing your company. To avoid all of this, approach a colleague, someone you trust, and explain how you are feeling low in motivation. Tell them to check up on you every now and then throughout the day to see whether you are managing your tasks.

Even if you begin to slack off at some point during your day, at least this way you will have someone who will check up on you and remind you that you have certain tasks to complete. Having a sense of accountability oftentimes provides enough motivation to get the job done, even when you don’t want to do it.

Having a sense of accountability oftentimes provides enough motivation to get the job done, even when you don’t want to do it.

Take a Break

While those breaks your colleagues take every hour or so may seem like a waste of time to you, but such breaks are necessary to keep your mind refreshed throughout the day and to maintain your level of energy. If you don’t take enough breaks, you will eventually exhaust your mind and hence your productivity will suffer as you won’t have enough energy to get anything done in the second half of your day.

You don’t have to take long breaks. Just standing up and walking around for a couple of minutes should suffice. But if you feel like taking a short nap, something around 20 to 30 minutes in duration, then that might not be such a bad idea either, at least according to some research studies which have shown such naps to improve performance.

Treat Yourself with Kindness

You may feel like you are slacking off, but what’s done is done. Negative talk will not help you in anyway. In fact, if you engage in self-criticism all too often, bear in mind that such a practice can lead to physical harm as well, such as chronic illnesses and also acceleration of the aging process. Think positively and provide yourself words of encouragement which reinforce your belief in yourself.