Getting the job done when you’re not feeling it can be tough. To help, we’ve reviewed some of the top ways to power through those low mood days.
Everyone has days when they’re just not feeling it. Tiredness, stress or boredom can all quash productivity flat. We humans all have our down days; we aren’t robots, after all!
Work, though, doesn’t much care for excuses. When there’s a job that needs doing (and, in the thriving Payments sector, there’s always a job that needs doing…), sometimes you just have to power through a low mood and get it done.
So, how can you muster the energy and enthusiasm for work, even when it doesn’t suit you? We’ve selected a few choice tips for “powering through”.
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Tip 1: Try Mindfulness; Yes, Even At Work!
Mindfulness isn’t just for monks, and you don’t need to go on an ‘artistic away day’ to practice it. As profiled in the NY Times, “in recent years, many companies — from Google to General Mills — have started teaching mindfulness in the office.” It’s just about minimising the distractions and focusing wholly on the task at hand. Easier said than done, but a skill that’ll send your productivity soaring.
Tip 2: Plan Ahead
Getting going with work from a standing start is hard. That’s why planning and time management strategies (as usefully explained here by Tony Robbins) are essential in order to hit the ground running. If you’re not feeling productive today, spend time putting plans in place for tomorrow. That way you’ll be back to full speed before you know it.
Tip 3: Bring Your Exercised Brain To Work
According to Harvard Business Review, regular exercise is part of your job. Why? Because exercise is good for your brain. Not only does exercise increase endorphins and boost mood, it also builds ‘essential-for-work’ skills like perseverance and resilience; exactly what’s needed to push through a difficult day.
Tip 4: Work When It Suits You
The 9 to 5 doesn’t necessarily have to start at 9 and end at 5. If mornings are tough, how about shifting your work schedule to later in the day? This BBC work life report showed that, contrary to popular opinion, night owls don’t necessarily lag behind early risers in terms of productivity. Perhaps you could ‘power through’, just a little later on?
Tip 5: Step Away From Technology
What if your ‘down day’ is actually a burnout from too much tech? We’ve all experienced times where screens just aren’t our friend. This Berkley article explains some great reasons to take a break from the tech. Perhaps take some time to plan a non-technology based task, and ‘power through’ that instead?
Got a better feeling about the day ahead? We hope so. Even on down days, there are ways to power through and get a great job done.
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