3 tips for feeling more engaged at work

Hey there!

In our last issue, we continued our exploration of practical AI skills by looking at some simple but effective prompting methods that can help improve your generative AI results. Today, we’re taking a break from the tech talk to dive into some much-needed real talk about work. Specifically, we’re exploring tips for re-engaging with work when you’re feeling checked out. 

First, let’s be clear: It’s totally normal to feel disengaged at work. According to Gallup, only 32 percent of surveyed workers in the U.S. report feeling fully engaged in their jobs, meaning the vast majority of workers in the country are at least somewhat disengaged during their work hours. What’s more, 16 percent say they’re actively disengaged in their jobs. 

If disengagement feels like it may be an issue for you, it’s worth finding ways to re-engage. According to Gallup, engaged employees experience higher well-being and productivity levels than disengaged ones. So, what can you do when you’re feeling burnt out, stressed, or bored at work? Here are some ideas:

1. Set (and hold) your boundaries.

When you feel unfulfilled or stressed out by your job, it can be easy to carry negative feelings around with you outside the workplace. As these difficult emotions fill more of your professional and personal life, you might feel like totally disengaging from work is the only way to deal with it. While this approach may work occasionally, in the long run, it may just take you further away from your professional goals.

Setting and maintaining boundaries in the workplace is a more sustainable approach to managing negative feelings and can ultimately help you re-engage with your work. Rather than carrying stress from work into your personal life, give yourself space to disconnect from the office when you're outside of it so that you can engage when you’re inside it. 

set boundaries like consistent work hours and communication cut-off times that allow you

There are many ways to set boundaries at work, including:

• Setting consistent work hours (and sticking to them)
• Building breaks into your work schedule
• Only saying “yes” when you mean it
• Establishing healthy email communication hours

2. Prioritize tasks that matter.

Some people become disengaged at work when they feel their tasks are too unimportant or overwhelming to tackle. Whether you’re bored or exhausted by your work, it’s helpful to consider how important each task is and how much time and effort it requires. We only have so much time in a day, so it can be helpful to spend it on work that truly matters.

Here are some things to keep in mind when deciding on what to prioritize: 

• Consider deadline and impact: Prioritize tasks that have impending deadlines and/or are most impactful to achieving a particular organizational or personal goal. 
• Plan tasks by effort level: Rank tasks by how much energy they’ll require, then plan them for times when you’re best able to tackle them. 
• Keep your to-do list small: Save yourself from being overwhelmed at work by keeping your daily to-do list focused and manageable, such as only three to five tasks of varying effort levels a day. Keep a broader to-do list elsewhere.

3. Foster your own growth opportunities. 

One common reason workers disengage from work is simply because their workplaces don’t actively engage them. After all, it can be difficult to feel engaged at work when you feel like you lack meaningful work relationships, career development opportunities, or projects that challenge you in just the right way. This is when it helps to get proactive: identify, build, and foster your own growth opportunities. 

Some ways you might consider building your career opportunities include seeking a mentor at work, networking with other professionals in person or online (like here on LinkedIn), volunteering to help another team’s project, or pursuing a project of your own to build your skills. 

Ready to re-engage?

For tips to manage stress at work, look into Yale’s Managing Emotions in Times of Uncertainty & Stress. 

To learn how to get better results at work, consider the University of Michigan’s The Science of Success: What Researchers Know that You Should Know.

Finally, if you’re seeking guidance on accomplishing your goals, check out the University of Pennsylvania’s Achieving Personal and Professional Success Specialization. 

That wraps up our issue for this week. Drop us a comment below to let us know what you do to stay engaged with your work. 

Have a career question you’d like us to answer next? Share it below. And, as always, we welcome YOUR advice and experience in the comments.