Some mornings it can be a difficult thing to find the motivation to get out of bed to start your workday. Perhaps you’ve been working extra hard recently and you’re experiencing burnout. Either way, it’s important to understand how to improve your motivation towards work.
Burnout is one of the most significant causes for a lack of motivation, where 84% of Gen Zs experience regular burnout, along with 74% of Millennials and 47% of Baby Boomers – highlighting a positive correlation between burnout and the youth of workers. A McKinsey study shows that 25% of Gen Zs, 14% of Millennials, 13% of Gen Xs, and 8% of Baby Boomers reported feeling emotionally distressed with low levels of wellbeing.
When narrowing this down to motivation, around 50% of the global workforce is disengaged from work, with only 15% of employees feeling engaged.
Motivation is the single-handedly most important thing for you to have a successful career. A Gallup study shows that employees work 20% better when motivated – imagine what you can do with that extra 20% at work…
While it’s next to impossible to be highly motivated every day, it’s important you can implement different strategies into your routine to help your motivation level.
So, let’s get into what you can do as a worker to be more – and consistently – motivated…
How to improve your motivation in the workplace
Here, we look at different strategies which you can add to your daily routine in order to improve your overall welfare and motivation towards work:
1. Find work that interests you. This is probably the most obvious factor, but according to an Employees report, the number one factor for motivation is to have a job which is tailored to your interests. This doesn’t mean you should quit your job and look elsewhere, but it might be worth asking your boss for a new project based on your preferences, or maybe you should try and shift to a different role in the same company. This can help ensure that you’re staying engaged and motivated.
2. Request feedback from your boss or colleagues. It can be hard to find motivation for work if you aren’t aware on how to improve your working. It’s always a good idea to ask other people at the company for feedback, as this can be a great way for you to build on certain aspects of your output. This can also be a brilliant way for you to set yourself goals to work towards, meaning that your work rate isn’t maintained at a stagnant level. Remember, there is always room to learn and grow in any professional role!
3. Learn new skills. Having too many skills is never a bad thing. Data suggests that learning new skills is a great way to keep your brain sharp, which ultimately helps you add value to your resume. Try and identify a skill which is relevant to your current role that interests you, and pitch the idea to your boss. If it’s something which can also benefit the company, then your boss will most likely be onboard, and may even be willing to fund the learning experience. This can help you become proficient in different areas to relieve you of boredom in the workplace.
4. Ask for a raise. Asking for a raise is never an easy thing to do, and it can sometimes be extremely daunting. Here are some tips on how to ask for a raise from your boss. When you get a pay rise, this can instinctively make you work harder, and become more motivated towards work. Of course, money doesn’t always fix the problem – but it certainly might help if it’s been a while since your last pay rise. What’s the worst that can happen – they say no? Then show them why you deserve it.
5. Take a holiday. Holidays are the most effective way for you to have a rest from work and come back more refreshed than ever. Typically, staff don’t use all of their holiday throughout the year – even to the point where managers are asking them to use all of their remaining holiday hours. You don’t have to go abroad, but just try and use this time to do activities which are completely unrelated to work. A Harvard Study showed that 94% of workers who took time off felt that they had returned to work feeling more energised than before.
6. Lead a fit and healthy routine. This is another obvious one. A healthy lifestyle leads to a healthy mind. This will most likely be the hardest one to do out of the bunch if you’re already struggling for motivation, so it will take a lot more effort to build a healthy lifestyle if you’re not already. Get a gym membership, go on an evening walk, put together a diet plan, limit yourself to one snack per day (or zero if you’re a really going for it). These are all things that you can do to have a healthier lifestyle, which in turn can contribute towards a more motivated mindset.
7. Set yourself goals (SMART). Having a goal to work towards can help you remain on task, and feel more motivated. The SMART method is a universally accepted strategy to setting goals:
– Specific: Narrow down the scope of your goal to better understand what you need to accomplish.
– Measurable: Find a set of parameters for how you measure the progress of your goal.
– Achievable: Choose a goal that’s realistic for you to accomplish. You can start small, and gradually increase your aspirations.
– Relevant: Relate your goal to your career and work responsibilities, which can help you grow in your role.
– Time-bound: Plan on the time it will take for you to complete this goal. If it’s long-term, set specific dates for each of your milestones.
Setting goals is essential for you to work towards something – and it may be a good idea to use feedback given to you by bosses to set yourself goals. Read our article specifically on setting yourself SMART goals.
8. Create your own reward system. If you haven’t got a great reward system at work, then learn to reward yourself. Set up a reward system which rewards you at every stage in completing a long-term goal. For instance, if you like to get active, your reward could be taking a break to go on a walk once you’ve completed a challenge. If you’re social, your reward could be to meet with some friends for an hour. Try to match your rewards to the tasks you complete. Smaller tasks earn smaller rewards, whereas larger tasks earn more significant rewards.
9. Take short breaks. Working constantly can be draining, and can really take it’s toll on your work ethic. It’s important to take small breaks here and there, where you think about things other than work. Chat with a co-worker, grab a snack, watch an educational YouTube video – do whatever you want! By giving your mind a short rest, you may feel ready to get started on the next task at hand.
10. Find your zen. This might be the most difficult one to accomplish. Finding your zen has a very broad meaning. For some people, this may be reading a book at least an hour a day. For others, it might be going to the gym 5 times a week. Finding your zen in this context means to find an activity that you enjoy doing – where the burden of work is completely forgotten. It can help clear your mind and better prepare you for the tasks you need to complete. It may take some trial and error, but you will eventually find the escape that’s right for you.
Remember, we all lose motivation…
We all fall into motivation slumps in our careers at some point, so it’s normal to feel this way. The most important thing is to just find the right coping mechanisms to deal with this. Try not to stress about it, and become productive in other areas to help create a solution for the lack of motivation.
If these things still don’t resolve your motivation problem, then maybe you’re not in the right career. It may be a sign to look at other options, and plan a career change. Take the time to look into other roles which may be better suited for you and your interests.
Have any other suggestions for becoming more motivated in the workplace? Give us an email at [email protected], or let us know on our LinkedIn or Facebook Pages!
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