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Everyone experiences a work slump now and then, but the halfway point of any year can make it increasingly difficult to maintain motivation. Fortunately, it’s possible to revive job satisfaction by reigniting your drive and reassessing your goals.
When your brain switches to autopilot, you make conscious, automatic decisions without realising it. This helps you accomplish all your daily tasks. As a result, you could be trapped in a mid-year slump without realising it.
Signs that you could be experiencing a mid-year slump
- Every day feels like a rinse and repeat of the previous day. It doesn’t matter whether you’re doing new tasks, hobbies or work you normally enjoy, you’re always bored.
- You are reluctant to exit your comfort zone. When you’re in a slump, you’re more likely to lack the drive or passion you initially had. This demotivates you and leaves you with no enthusiasm for working towards your goals, trying new things and excelling.
- Dreading going to work most days and experiencing heightened work-related stress (virtually or in-office) is a regular occurrence.
- You are desperate to make a change or an escape. This could include searching for new job roles, new cities or courses to study. You may also spend a lot of time daydreaming about other situations without taking action.
How to reignite your drive
Determine why you’re in a slump
Figuring out the main trigger for your slump can help you tackle the issue. For example, it can be difficult to be motivated or excited about work if you’ve mastered your current role. This could mean you need to try new tasks at work, such as volunteering in a different department, or upskill with interesting short courses on a learning platform such as Coursera. Writing down how you are feeling and or talking to someone you trust can help you to identify your triggers.
Reset your goals
If you’ve been struggling to achieve your goals or haven’t achieved many of them thus far, you may lack the confidence and drive to follow through. Relook at the goals you’ve been working towards and assess whether they are realistic and still meaningful. Write down the goals which are still relevant and try breaking them down into smaller components to make them less daunting. Devise a plan to meet each one with a set deadline.
Reactivate your motivation
Discovering what energises you is key to activating your motivation. What makes you feel most alive or inspired? For some, this could mean taking a walk, journalling, listening to a podcast, drawing or sitting by the ocean. Do activities that ignite your drive and schedule them daily.
Break out of your comfort zone
Slumps are often rooted in being stuck in your comfort zone, so push yourself to gradually change your routine. This could be as simple as getting up earlier, including a morning walk in your daily routine or trying new dishes. Then work your way up to exploring a new hobby or an unfamiliar work task.
Set healthy boundaries
This could mean saying no to working overtime, telling your team you won’t be answering emails after clocking out for the day or delegating work when possible. It’s also important to talk to your manager if you have any work-related issues, particularly if anyone is overstepping the boundaries you set.
For more advice related to work, read these helpful articles:
The information is shared on condition that readers will make their own determination, including seeking advice from a professional. E&OE.
References:
- Ritchie, D. (2018). 11 Signs You’re in a Slump but Don’t Realize It. [online] Calendar. Available at: https://www.calendar.com/blog/11-signs-youre-in-a-slump-but-dont-realize-it-yet/ [Accessed 8 May 2021]
- Patel, D. (2019). 7 Ways to Get Motivated and Break Out of a Work Slump. [online] Entrepreneur South Africa. Available at: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/340746 [Accessed 8 May 2021]