Tedious work can be very boring. You might feel like you’ll lose your mind, facing another hour of tedious tasks.
Some of my responsibilities have been tedious in my jobs, covering more than twenty years. Hopefully, not all of your work is dull.
Here are some ways I’ve found that have helped me get through the boredom that can come with tedious tasks.
Split Up Tedious Tasks
Splitting up tedious tasks can help with the drudgery.
For example, if you have one hour of tedious work a day, try splitting the tasks into 15- or 20-minute increments. Then, you can alternate the tedious work with engaging or exciting work.
Do The Boring Things First
Another tactic is to do all the tedious work at the start of the day. Then, your mind will be free from any looming dread while you do enjoyable responsibilities.
However, if you do your best work in the mornings, you might push off tasks that require less thought until later in the day.
Avoid Distractions
Indulging in distractions will add to the time it takes to get through the work. Here are a few to avoid:
- Anything on your phone, from social media to games
- The chatty coworker who’s always wanting to chat (they may be avoiding their work, too!)
- Watching videos or movies that are too engaging.
Challenge Yourself
Can you complete the tasks faster than yesterday? Of course, you want to maintain the quality of the work.
Challenging yourself to complete the work as fast as possible might help you forget how boring it is for a little while.
Looking for Efficiencies
As you do the work, think about how to improve the process.
Could the tasks be automated? Is there a different way to complete the tasks more quickly?
For example, if you are copying and pasting the same text often, you can create a document with the snippets instead of typing the text each time you need.
Listen to Podcasts
As long as listening to people talk is not too distracting, a podcast can help pass the time faster.
If you are stopping your work to focus on the podcasts, it’s making it take longer to complete your work.
Listen to Music
According to studies, background music can help your productivity.
You should choose music that is not distracting. Classical music may be a good choice. However, individual preferences vary greatly.
Listen to Familiar Movies
I would not recommend having a movie you’ve never seen in the background, as it will likely take your attention.
However, if you have a favorite movie you’ve seen many times, it could make for easy listening while completely routine work.
The Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro technique is setting a timer for 25 minutes. After every 25 minutes, you take a 5-10 minute break.
Knowing that a break is coming soon can be helpful when your work is boring.
After four sets of working and the short break, you can take a longer 25-30 minute break.
Switch Tasks with Teammates
What you find boring, tedious, and mind-numbing, another person may enjoy.
It may be worthwhile to discuss this with your team as you may be able to switch tasks to avoid the boring tasks altogether.
Staying Busy When Bored At Work
When you are bored out of your mind at work, there are things you can do to stay busy!
Are You a Good or Bad Coworker?
Do your coworkers like having you around?
Funny Work Memes
Are you stuck working during the long weekend? Laugh at some work memes:
