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Writer's pictureAnna Conrad

4 Ways to Escape the Joy-Suck Spiral


Man unhappy at work

Working while feeling emotionally low can be challenging, as it can affect your productivity and make it difficult to focus on tasks. It's a vicious cycle: the less you do, the worse you feel, leading to less productivity. However, there are some things you can do to break this cycle and increase your energy and motivation.


The first thing you can do is engage in activities that please you. These can be simple things like walking in the park, listening to your favorite music, or sitting outside while enjoying coffee. Studies have shown that singing along to your favorite tunes can be particularly beneficial for boosting your mood.


Another way to break the cycle is by accomplishing something. This can be as simple as trying a new recipe, cleaning your living space, or returning a phone call you've been putting off. Your sense of accomplishment after completing a task can be a great motivator and help increase your energy levels.


Alternate between easy, medium, and challenging tasks so you don't do all your heavy-lifting responsibilities simultaneously. Stagger your tasks based on their difficulty level to prevent you from feeling overwhelmed. Doing this will break up the monotony of your day and help boost your energy levels.


Finally, it's okay to take things off your plate. Don't be afraid to ask for help and delegate tasks when possible. You may find that your productivity doesn't decrease when you reduce your responsibilities. Instead, you'll be able to focus on deep work and the tasks that add the most value.


In conclusion, feeling emotionally low can be challenging. Still, it's important to remember that there are things you can do to break the cycle. You can increase your energy and motivation and improve your productivity by engaging in activities that please you, accomplishing tasks, staggering your workload, and delegating responsibilities.

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