What to Do When Life Is a Chore
There is nothing that will drain your energy like being bored all the time and having no enthusiasm for the things you do in your everyday life.
Many people who are chronically tired are actually in a rut, doing the same things every day and just going through the motions with no enthusiasm for life.
If this sounds like you, there are some things you can do about it:
1. Try Something That You’ve Never Tried Before
If you like music but have never even attempted to carry a tune, learn to sing.
Many times we surprise ourselves with our ability to do things we never thought we would or could do. That realization alone can give you more energy and enthusiasm for life.
2. Do Something Active
Physical activity is known to increase energy, so if you enjoy the outdoors, take up hiking or biking. If you are interested in spiritual matters, take a yoga or tai chi class.
You can even combine physical activity with a desire to help others or the environment.
For example, volunteer to help clean up a river, walk dogs at an animal shelter or work on a construction project to help build homes for low income people.
3. Go Back To Your Roots
You can probably remember something you used to enjoy but haven’t done in years. Did you collect trains, stamps or coins as a child? You can bring a whole new perspective to these hobbies as an adult.
Did you play little league baseball? Maybe now you would enjoy being a coach.
4. Ask A Friend Or Relative For Ideas
Sometimes we avoid the hobbies and interests of others because we consider it their domain. However, most people like to share what interests them.
Ask the artist in your family to give you painting lessons or join your mountain-climbing friend on his next excursion.
If you know a history buff or someone who is good at cooking or do-it-yourself projects, ask him or her to teach you something about their hobby.
Dealing With Boredom At Work
The trickiest type of boredom to beat may be boredom at work. That’s because most of spend so much time at our jobs.
If you find yourself bored with your work, this can not only affect the time you spend on the job, but it can also drain you of the energy or motivation to live fully when you are not at work.
After a mind-numbing day at a boring job, you may compound the problem by coming home and doing nothing in the mistaken belief that you are saving your energy to recover from a draining day at work and get through the next one.
The best thing to do if you are bored with your job is to try to find a job that you like better.
Of course, that’s not always easy and in the short term at least, you may need to find a way to make your job less of a drain on your energy.
1. Make Finding The Positive A Challenge
There is always something positive that can be taken from any experience. It is your choice to try to find what that is no matter what situation you’re in.
Find something new you can learn at work or just simply take on the challenge of staying positive. If that doesn’t work, do the job for the long-term benefits or for someone you love.
At the very least, a job is a paycheck that pays the bills and makes your life less stressful than it would be without one.
2. Stick With Upbeat People.
Seek out enthusiastic, upbeat colleagues and stay away from complainers. This is very important if you want to keep from burnout and boredom.
The energy of the people around you is contagious. If you don’t believe that, try to spend a day with the most positive and interesting people in your work environment. Then spend the next day with the complainers.
On which day do you have more energy? Sometimes just being around energetic people can increase your own energy and give you a new perspective on your situation.
3. Emphasize The Social Aspect Of Your Job.
While the tasks you perform at work may not be very exciting, you can develop positive relationships with the people.
If you work in any kind of customer service job, interacting with the people can be the focus of your workday. This can be very rewarding because you never know when a smile or friendly word can make someone’s day.
You can also develop positive relationships and even lasting close friendships with your co-workers. After all, you probably spend at least as much time with them as you do with members of your own family.
Going to lunch or taking coffee breaks with work friends can help to alleviate boredom and add some meaning to your day.
Just remember to build relationships with positive people and avoid those who complain about the boss or the job and drain your energy further.
Other Ways to Boost Energy
While boredom may not be the only reason for your chronic tiredness, it will certainly contribute to your lack of energy.
If you have other stressors or reasons for being tired, those things should also be addressed.
You can explore the issue further and find tips for beating many causes of tiredness in the “End Tiredness Program” ebook.