How I Shake Off those Pesky Work Doldrums

We all reach our stopping point at some time – that period where we’ve worked past COB every day of the week, scheduled and attended meeting after meeting, and still managed (just barely) to complete all of the errands and tasks that needed to be done outside of the office. It’s absolutely exhausting and can leave you running at less than 100 percent for who knows how long.

Fortunately, I discovered during one of my achingly planned networking meetings (one that I wasn’t dreading, but wasn’t quite prepared for either) that having a great conversation about the things you love can be just what the doctor ordered when it comes to getting your mojo back.

Whether it’s exciting new happenings in your field, the purpose surrounding the things that you work for, or even family and home life, talking about your passions in each area can ignite your drive and get you back on track for productivity and continued success.

If you’ve been slogging through the weeks recently, here’s some of my recommendations for getting some spring back in your step:

Have some coffee with a colleague (or friend). Whenever my friend Christina recommends I connect with a particular individual, I have complete confidence that the meeting will be well worth the time – even when her recommendation comes at the tail end of a crazy work week. Despite being out of “practice” when it came to chatting with a new acquaintance, I left the meeting feeling energized about the work I do (and it helps that it gave us both a chance to vent about any work troubles).

Try changing the scenery. Instead of sticking your same old work routine, try working in a completely different fashion for a while. Go to a coworking space, work outside, or even work from home! I’ve always felt that going outside is a great change of pace when it comes to approaching work (especially during the nicer seasons). And working from home can give you some peace and quiet to really think about your work and career.

Inject a bit more fun into your life. Sometimes all we need is to step away from work for a little while to remember why we fell in love with it in the first place. So if you have some vacation days piling up, don’t be afraid to use them – you never know what experiences you’ll have and what things you’ll learn that can hit the burners on your passion. Or even take you into new territory altogether!