How to Stay Productive When You Hate Your Job
Strategies for making it through the day when you’re bored, miserable, and still have work to do
It’s easy to get out of bed and head to the office when you’re excited about your job, but when it feels like a slog, staying motivated is a herculean task. Calling in sick starts to seem more and more appealing. So does whiling away the workday playing solitaire. But productivity-sucking coping mechanisms, while they may help you feel better in the moment, ultimately create a vicious cycle: A job is even worse when you feel like you’re bored and bad at it.
This isn’t necessarily a sign you need to jump ship — sometimes even the best jobs have rough patches — though it might be helpful to start putting out feelers in case the burnout becomes insurmountable. In the meantime, you still need to do the job you have. And while you weigh your options (or try to reignite the spark), you might need a little help maintaining your motivation. Here are some tips to get you through the workday.
Identify the cause of your work malaise
Work boredom is usually a symptom of a larger stressor. Perhaps you don’t jibe with your boss’ management style, or you’re stuck on a particularly grating project, or your desk is in a…
