Nothing leads to feeling burned out at work more than a going back to the lab after the most fabulous weekend. Today it hit me hard, and as soon as the coffee wore off, getting to work and feeling motivated was like pulling teeth. I noticed a few things made work more bearable today, and I want to share a few tips so you all can survive a difficult workday as well!
1. Put on your favourite song
I know this is a no-brainer, but I had to include it. Nothing will fix a blah day like the best music! Today I was in the mood for some Blue Rodeo, so I turned on a spotify playlist of their top songs and jammed out while organizing my MATLAB scripts for a publication.
2. Put on a podcast
If you’re not feeling music, go for a podcast. I’m much more of a music girl, but I have listened to some episodes of Ologies and really enjoyed!
3. Quickly pamper yourself
Now I know this might sound silly, but when I look good, I work good (sorry the grammar is killing me too). Nothing cheers me up like a little lipgloss reapplication mid-day, or a change of hairdo, or some hand cream. Sometimes that’s enough to snap you out of your funk.
4. Tidy your desk
Sometimes desks get cluttered (unfortunately mine was a disaster today…). Sometimes that doesn’t affect work at all. Other times it makes it impossible to get anything done! A little desk reset can give you the brain break you need to get back into things.
5. Go on a little walk
If you can go outside on a 10 minute walk, that can change the course of your day. If you can’t go outside, maybe walk around the lab. I find that any form of movement is helpful to get me concentrating again.
6. Get some coffee (or a sweet treat!)
Sometimes you just need a little external motivation, and nothing motivates me more than a latte. Well maybe a cappuccino’s nice too. And I do loveee mocha. And drip coffee’s quite nice also. Ok, you get it, I love coffee! If I can make coffee (or buy every once in a while) at work, sometimes the little pick me up will get me right back into the swing of things.
7. Do the easier tasks that you’ve been putting off
We all put off little tasks that shouldn’t take much effort, I am very guilty of this! Signing forms, answering emails, arranging your schedule. If you really cannot focus, get these chill tasks done. You might even feel so good after that you want to keep working!
8. Write a to-do list
I know writing a to-do list isn’t doing the actual work, but planning the steps you need to take to accomplish a research goal is an important part of the process! Sometimes lack of organization is what is stopping me from finishing what I need to finish and even perpetuating the burnt-out feeling.
I know feeling burned out at work can be difficult, but hopefully these tips help you survive the rest of the day!
Thanks for romanticizing the lab with me🤍