Where did the motivation go?

So I started this week, ready to take it head on, at least in the aspect of my home life. What I failed to do is bring that motivation to work with me. I was having trouble keeping my focus on work today, and as a result, it showed. I need to find a way to stay motivated at the office. It may be I really need a change of scenery, need to do something different for a little while. Work gets mundane and I hate mundane. This is one of my faults that always creeps up when I get bored with what I am doing. What usually happens, I jump online during a low point, once all my projects have either completed or I am waiting for answers, and I research design sites, check twitter or pinterest, or just read up on current events. Then I usually get a pep talk to stay on task, and I try MY HARDEST to find work to be done. This has become a cycle that I must learn to break. So, here are some ways to help me, and You the reader, stay motivated at work.

Switch Up the Routine

The degree to which you switch up the routine should depend in part upon the flexibility you have with your job. If you have a high amount of flexibility, you can switch things up by working from home, working odd hours, trying a different project, or taking a new approach.
Such major moves may not be an option if you have less flexibility, but even then you can change up the little things in your routine: pack a different lunch, bring a water softener instead of a water bottle, or tackle your daily tasks in a reverse order.

Create Personal Incentives

Studies show that employees are generally more motivated when they are properly incentivized. If your company does not give you the right incentives – or if these incentives are not enough – you can always give yourself personal goals, targets, and rewards.
The goals may reflect productivity objectives on a daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly level, while the rewards, meanwhile, can range from small treats (go out for lunch on Friday if the week has been productive) to larger luxuries (a vacation as a year-end bonus for you and your spouse).

Mix Exercise and Work

People who exercise regularly are much more relaxed and less stressed than their peers, traits which help make them more capable of exhibiting healthy time management strategies. They have a daily commitment that extends beyond their workplace.
For these reasons, incorporating exercise into your daily work routine can help switch up that routine (see tip #1 above), provide you with goals and make you more motivated overall (tip #2), and generally help you relax during the day. The best way to do this is by running or biking to work, or by making time to exercise during a lunch break.

Take a Break

Sometimes a period of stagnation simply needs that you need a brief break during which you can take a step back, refresh, and regain the momentum that you lost. This break doesn’t need to be a week-long tropical vacation; instead, take a personal day on a Friday and drive somewhere nearby for the weekend. There’s a good chance that you’ll return to work on Monday energized and ready to go.

Consider How Your Approach Has Changed

If you were once motivated and productive than you are at present, take a moment to consider what happened to cause that change. Was it something that you did or that you can correct? Trying to replicate your past approach can often prove fruitful when trying to correct the current one.

Talk About It

All too often, our feelings of inadequacy on the workplace turn into self-imposed pressures and frustrations that only furthers a cycle of stagnation.
In many cases this can be avoided by sharing your concerns with another person, ideally someone who works with you and can understand your pressures. Tell them about your lack of motivation and use them as a support when you need some encouraging words in the future.

Change the Pace

Some people don’t want to switch their routine, add incentives, take a break, or talk about their productivity problems. My final piece of advice is a more straightforward one aimed at this crowd. By working longer, more relaxed days, or by going into the office on the weekends, your change of pace may certainly translate into more time on the job – but this temporary measure can help you remove pressure and snap out of your work funk.
In other words, just do it — finish what’s bothering you.
(content taken from  workawesome.com/your-job/motivated/)

I have decided that it is time to change something, and this has given me some ways to do it. Hope it helps you too!