In the Mood for Work

If you are like me you’ve probably experienced this sometimes difficult moment that occurs when you move from one task to another. And especially if you took a two-minute internet browsing break in between you can find it a bit tricky to get back to work on your next task because it is either hard to focus or to simply find the motivation. So today I thought that I would share some tips with you, little things that I do to feel fresh and boosted to get back to work. Who knows, it might help you as well?

Drawing:

For those who are channelling the spirit of an artist or who simply like to sketch and scrawl, drawing can be a very efficient way of focusing on a simple task while having fun. Draw something simple like a pen, an eraser, your sandwich, the place where you’d rather be, whatever you feel like drawing or pops into your head. Use colours and don’t worry too much about the details: you’re not trying to be the next Leonardo da Vinci but rather to be creative and detach your mind from what you were doing previously. So even if all you can think of are some geometrical shapes, go ahead! Don’t spend too much time on it either (you could have problems with your boss). Five minutes is a reasonable time to allocate to this activity. Personally I always feel refreshed and happy to work on my next task after I’ve done that.

Imagining:

Some of us are more cerebral than manual. If it sounds like you I would suggest that you work on developing your imagination through thinking. For example, create a new bank holiday, name it and imagine what people would celebrate and do as part of the celebration on that specific day; once, one of our creatives came up with “Be Kind to the French Day” so be creative and a bit crazy if you like: you’re allowed! (You can try to suggest it to your boss as a new bank holiday for your company but I can’t guarantee it will be accepted.) Another thing you can do is to imagine what a Barclays hat, a Dove pen or what McDonald’s shoes (in short: pick a brand and an activity that is far removed from their field of competences) would be like. To help you in this task it is sometimes a good idea to write down and/or draw what you are thinking about. Here again, the point is to keep it short and to not over think it so five minutes is enough.

Solving problems:

If problem solving is one of your strengths, passions or if you only want to practise it without having the pressure of bringing viable solutions, here is what you can do: choose a concept or institution (for example school or the company’s cafeteria) and think about ways to improve it in an ideal world (meaning: if anything was possible). Not only should you come up with good and creative ideas (who knows? You could even end up actually finding and suggesting ways to improve your company’s cafeteria – what a hero you would be among your colleagues!) but you could actually find yourself having fun doing it. Keep it short and remember: no one is going to judge or assess your suggestions so again, be creative if not a bit crazy (I once read that there is genius in craziness).

And finally, if you don’t feel like doing any of this but still can’t focus on your next task, well… nothing equals the virtues of some fresh air. Go for a short walk or stand by an open window, looking outside for a bit and it shouldn’t be long before you start feeling like you can work again.

I gave you only but a few examples of things you can do but there are plenty of activities that help to refocus and get the brain ready to work on something new, or to have an entertaining short break.

Feel free to share your own tips with us and our readers or to ask for more if you ever run out of ideas!