A lot of people have had their typical workday upended courtesy of the pandemic, and have had to develop new habits for the job. Whether that’s due to working remotely or just struggling to adapt to the new in-person rules, the fact is many people are feeling out of sorts in the workplace.
As recently discussed by Allison Pohle of
the Wall Street Journal, there are absolutely ways to
combat that feeling. It might require reevaluating some routines that have
served you well for years, but if you’re feeling like you’re in a slump, maybe
it’s time for something new.
Plan Out Your Day
Especially for those
who work remotely, it can become easy to procrastinate on important tasks.
Worse yet, putting an assignment off can cause it to bleed over into your
personal time making it feel like you’re never off the clock.
Even something as simple as making a list of
what you need to accomplish for the day can help you organize your time better.
Estimate how long you’ll need to complete a task and budget out time in your
schedule to work specifically on that. Having a plan will help you get more
done than picking your tasks based on impulse.
Make Time for Others
This might sound tough given current
circumstances, but even virtually it’s important to connect with others. Plenty
of people like to just show up and get their work done, and it’s fair to not
want to have your job become your whole life.
However, social time is more than just an
opportunity to make friends with coworkers. It’s also an unofficial opportunity
to network. Staying in the loop with your colleagues could help you get wind of
an opportunity for promotion or other career benefits. You might not be able to
go to lunch with colleagues right now, but many companies still have virtual
social events. Make sure you aren’t isolating yourself from getting to know
others.
Remember Your
Priorities
Sometimes we get so stuck in the day-to-day
that we lose sight of the big picture. Consider what drew you to your current
job in the first place, and why you were passionate about it. What is it you
wanted to achieve by being with this particular company? Evaluating your spot
and determining what it is you are currently working towards can help reignite
your drive in your daily routine.
The modern workplace has a lot of unknown
variables for everyone. Demystifying that process is the first step to feeling
confident in your position again.
For more tips on dealing with the modern workplace, take a
look at the Wall Street Journal’s article by clicking here.