Stop workplace boredom and stress from ruining your diet

Mondays aren’t usually the cheeriest day in the office. Chances are that you’ve heard (or said) one of the following today:

• “Yawn, I’m so bored.”
• “Argh, I’m so stressed.”

Neither the tedium nor the pressure of work is going to disappear as easily as a handful of chocolates, though…

Beating boredom

Those of us with less than thrilling day-jobs inevitably find the clock dragging at times. Around three in the afternoon is often a low point; how can there still be two hours left to go?

At moments like this, a warm drink always seems a good idea (if only to kill five minutes standing by the kettle). And what better to go with a brimming mug than one of those cookies so kindly brought in by a colleague…

Instead of reaching for the snacks, though, try some of the following:

• Tackle the backlog: crack on with all those non-urgent, non-important tasks that just keep getting put off
• See if you can give a colleague a hand: offer to take on one of their more mundane tasks, and they’ll be hugely grateful.
• Talk to your boss: if you’re consistently sitting around with nothing to do at work, it’s not good for your or your employer. Can you take on more responsibilities?
• Look for a new job: drastic, but if your current role is one you could do in your sleep, it might be time to move on.

Stopping stress

Some of you doubtlessly gave a hollow, mirthless laugh as you skimmed past the above paragraphs. Maybe you wish your job was boring – as it is, you’re constantly rushing around, struggling to keep up with everything.

It can be very tempting to reach for the nearest source of chocolate on a bad day, or to “treat yourself” for successfully finishing a difficult task. Instead, try:

• Delegate: maybe you’ve got a couple of colleagues who don’t have enough work and would welcome a chance to try something new.
• Prioritise: what really needs to be done? The quickest way to get a task off your to-do list is to abandon it completely.
• Talk to your boss: don’t struggle on in silence, if you consistently have too much work, or if the work is very intense and stressful.
• Get some exercise: make a point of taking your full lunch break and leaving the office, perhaps for a brisk walk or quick gym session.

(Photo above by aindschie)