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The first step towards getting your motivation back at work is finding the why. Why do you feel demotivated? It can be linked to:

• Boredom

• Burnout

• Stress

• Anxiety or other mental health issues

• No opportunities to grow and learn

• Lack of long-term goals

• Lack of alignment between your values and the company's values

• Impostor syndrome

• Poor work-life balance

When you identify what makes you feel demotivated, you can take the right steps towards changing it.

Before we discuss some methods that can help you stay motivated at work, it's important to note that if this is caused by a mental health condition, your best course of action is to talk to a therapist. They will help you navigate this process.

As such, here are 13 methods that can help you stay motivated at work!

1. Connect Your Work with Long-Term Goals

Job motivation is closely linked to your long-term goals. After all, it's much easier to stay motivated at work when you know what you're working for, isn't it? When you see how your daily work fits into the bigger picture, it becomes so much more pleasurable to push through the mundane tasks and actually be happy about your progress!

Your goals don’t always have to be professional! It can be anything you dream about! If you're working toward a promotion, buying a house, or saving up for traveling the world, your daily tasks become stepping stones rather than obstacles. Psychologically, this creates a sense of purpose, which is directly linked to sustained motivation.

So, write down your big goals and describe how your current role supports them. Try visualization techniques to imagine yourself achieving those goals. Create a vision board and place it on your work desk. All of these will help you maintain your motivation.

2. Find a Hobby!

Contrary to the hustle culture mindset, motivation at work can actually increase when you have fulfilling interests outside of work.

On a certain level, hobbies create a reward system: if you manage to complete tasks at work, you're psychologically and physically free to engage in something you love. This gives your mind something to look forward to after all that hard work!

Hobbies even boost overall life satisfaction. According to a study published by Nature Medicine, people with hobbies are healthier, happier, and experience higher life satisfaction!

Additionally, hobbies can sometimes be quite expensive. If you like to take photos, for example, you'll definitely spend a lot on a camera! So, working to support these expenses can create a more emotionally rewarding relationship with your job.

3. Set Short-Term Goals for Work

Setting short-term goals is a great way to maintain momentum. You'd basically break down larger tasks into smaller components to have clear expectations for each day. This will make your projects feel less overwhelming. They can also help you see quick progress, thus also helping you find motivation to continue.

The SMART framework is an effective method to set clear short-term goals. SMART stands for:

• Specific: clear and well-defined goals

• Measurable: quantifiable goals so you can track your progress towards the end result

• Achievable: realistic goals, taking into account the time and resources available

• Relevant: aligns with your overall goals

• Time-bound: choose a deadline; this will create a sense of urgency

For example, instead of saying I will work on my presentation, say, I will create 5 slides for my presentation by 3 PM. The immediate feedback from accomplishing these small individual tasks will keep you motivated.

You can start each morning by creating a to-do list with 2-3 SMART goals for the day. Use a tool like Todoist or Notion to track them.

4. Make Use of All the Tools Available for Optimizing Work

We live in a digital world–that's a given. While these digital tools and social media are often detrimental to us because they can significantly affect our mental health, they can actually be incredibly beneficial when used wisely. So, take advantage of all these inventions! They'll really help you optimize your workflow and reduce the amount of repetitive tasks you need to complete.

Here’s a list of useful tools for work:

• Trello or Asana: for task and project management

• RescueTime: tracks how you spend time on your devices to help you focus on what matters

• Slack or Microsoft Teams: for communication and collaboration

• Evernote or Notion: for organizing notes and ideas

• Focus@Will: for productivity-enhancing background music

• Forest: a fun app that helps you stay engaged by growing a virtual tree (and contribute to planting real trees!)

5. Train Your Brain With Neurofeedback

Mendi neurofeedback offers a long-term solution that strengthens your ability to focus and stay motivated. Here's how it works:

• Mendi trains your prefrontal cortex, the part of your brain responsible for focus, decision-making, and self-control.

• While using Mendi, you'll receive instant feedback on your brain activity as you play a game. This feedback can help improve concentration and sustained motivation throughout the day.

• Unlike short-term motivation hacks, Mendi creates lasting neural changes in your brain. As you continue using the device, it can help form new neural pathways that make staying focused easier over time. This creates a foundation for long-term motivation, which doesn't rely on quick fixes.

Ultimately, rather than relying on external motivation boosters, Mendi can help you build intrinsic motivation. This means that, over time, you'll find it easier to stay motivated and engaged with tasks, reducing the need for constant external cues or rewards.

Plus, Mendi uses gamification to turn brain training into a game-like experience, which makes sessions enjoyable and engaging!

6. Stop Multitasking

Many people think multitasking helps them stay productive, but the truth is that the brain can only focus on one task at a time. What you’re really doing when you're multitasking is quickly switching between tasks, which leads to mental fatigue and reduces efficiency. Multitasking can also cause you to overlook small details, increase stress, and lead to burnout.

So, try to focus on one task at a time. If you're used to multitasking, you'll probably find it difficult at first. This is why it's important to keep track of your progress. Over time, you'll see that even if it feels counterproductive, monotasking is a much better method in the long run. Ultimately, you won't feel tired anymore, you won't be at risk of burning out, and you'll actually enjoy your work!

7. Take 5-Minute Exercise Breaks

A simple 5-minute exercise break can do wonders for your motivation! Physical activity boosts endorphins, helping you stay energized and focused, and gives you a break from the computer screen.

And it doesn’t have to be a long, grueling session at the gym. You can simply stretch your body for a few minutes, do some jumping jacks, go out for a short walk, or even try a 30-second plank! All of these can reinvigorate your body and mind. Taking regular breaks throughout the day gives your brain a chance to recharge, reducing fatigue and boosting your ability to feel motivated.

Here's another fun activity you can try explained by Deb Lancashire, an educator with 40 years of experience. She suggests a coordination activity as a brain break for kids, but it definitely works for adults as well! Plus, it's quite a fun way to give your brain that well-deserved rest! Here's what you need to do:

1. Touch your nose with your right index finger. Then, touch your right ear with your left index finger.

2. Switch your hands–touch your nose with the left index finger and your ear with your right index finger.

3. Repeat this movement until you can switch your hands rapidly and with ease.

8. Learn How to Enter the Flow State

Flow state is the mental state of being fully immersed and focused on a task. When you're in a flow state, time seems to fly by, you are incredibly creative and focused, and your motivation has no limits!

To enter a flow state, you'll have to focus on tasks that are challenging yet manageable and enjoyable. It's important to do this when you are not stressed or nervous.

Mendi neurofeedback can help train your brain to enter flow more easily by improving focus and concentration, as well as your ability to remain calm under pressure. It's a cutting-edge device that tracks brain activity and provides real-time feedback while you're playing a game in our app.

9. Organize Your Tasks Differently

One of the best ways to stay motivated is to find a way to organize your tasks that works best for you. For example, you can try the Pomodoro Technique, which involves working for 25 minutes, followed by a 5-minute break. However, while this time management technique works for some, it may not work for you. Don't force yourself. Just try something else. You'll eventually find a method that your brain can get used to.

Here are some you can try:

• Time-blocking: allocate specific times for specific tasks

• The Eisenhower Matrix: prioritize tasks based on urgency and importance

• The two-minute rule: if a task takes you two minutes or less, do it immediately

10. Learn Something New to Avoid Getting Bored

Boredom is one of the biggest motivation killers at work. If you're doing the same thing over and over again or if you haven't learned anything new in a while, you'll naturally get bored.

Dr. Sylvain Moreno, Associate Professor of Neuroscience at SFU, confirms that our brains respond three to five times stronger to things we've never experienced before. This is linked to our survival instincts. "We need to understand if novel stimuli in our environment are dangerous or not," says Dr. Moreno. This needs to be done quickly, which fuels our brains with dopamine.

So, the moral of the story is that you should learn something new if your current role feels stagnant! Enroll in a workshop, engage more during team meetings, take an online course, or explore new technologies related to your field. Talk to your manager about potential projects or tasks that allow you to recognize, develop, and leverage your best skills.

Did you know that company culture has a major impact on its employees' motivation? So, don't be afraid to express your willingness to learn!

11. Take Proper Care of Your Body and Mind

Your physical and mental health are directly linked to your motivation at work. To stay energized and focused, it’s essential to eat well, stay hydrated, get enough sleep, and manage stress.

Therefore, make sure you get at least 7-8 hours of sleep a night, drink enough water, and fuel your body with nutritious foods. You can also manage stress by practicing mindfulness, meditation, or breathing exercises.

And don't forget about a healthy work-life balance!

12. Identify Your Most Productive Times

Everyone has different peak productivity times during the day. Some people work best in the morning, while others are more productive in the afternoon. If you can identify when you are most productive, you'll be able to change your work schedule to fit the most challenging or important tasks within specific timeframes.

You can find your most productive times by keeping a productivity journal for a few weeks. You'll have to write down your mental energy levels and focus at different times of the day. Ultimately, you'll be able to identify patterns that will help you understand when you're most productive.

13. Other Practices that Can Help You Stay Motivated at Work

Here are some other practices that can help you stay motivated at work:

• Practice gratitude at the end of each day.

• Start your working day with a 5-minute mindfulness session.

• Keep a water bottle at hand, ideally one of those with different hours marked on them (the physical act of drinking water is a sensory input that can help anchor your attention to the present moment, which is why it can also help with focus and motivation).

• Create a motivating workspace environment.

• Listen to music or white noise if it helps you stay focused.

• Celebrate milestones (focus even on the smallest things!).

• Learn to say no to avoid overloading yourself with tasks.

• Start your day with the most important tasks.

• If you've lost motivation, review past successes.

• Work from a different location, if possible, to change your work environment and refresh your perspective.

• Ensure you have a support network within your organization or find an accountability partner.

Fuel Your Motivation at Work with Mendi!

Developed with advanced technology and vetted by neuroscientists, Mendi is designed to help you train your brain for sustained focus and long-term high motivation levels!

So, are you ready to make a real, long-lasting change? Order your Mendi device now!

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do I struggle to stay motivated at work?

You may struggle to stay motivated at work if you have a poor work-life balance, if your work bores you, if you don't feel challenged, or if you have no long-term goals. You may also feel demotivated if you are stressed or burnt out or if you suffer from a mental health condition.

How do you keep yourself motivated at work?

You can keep yourself motivated at work by connecting your progress with long-term goals, rewarding yourself for small wins by engaging in a hobby, training your brain for sustained focus with neurofeedback, and learning to enter the flow state.

What is a lack of motivation a symptom of?

Lack of motivation can be a symptom of depression, anxiety, chronic stress, impostor syndrome, fear of failure, burnout, and other conditions.

How can breaking work into smaller goals help in staying motivated?

Breaking work into smaller goals boosts motivation by making tasks feel achievable and less overwhelming. Each completed goal offers a sense of accomplishment that fuels your drive to keep going!

Why are regular breaks important for maintaining motivation?

Regular breaks are crucial for preventing burnout and keeping your mind sharp. Methods like the Pomodoro Technique can significantly boost your productivity and focus, helping you stay motivated throughout the day!

How can practicing gratitude improve job satisfaction and motivation?

Practicing gratitude can significantly boost your job satisfaction and motivation because it shifts your focus to the positive contributions and strengths in your work.