Eight Tips to Stay Motivated at Work During Vacation Season

When the weather outside is delightful, it’s easy to become depressed sitting under the drab fluorescent lights at the office—especially when almost everyone else is on vacation. Here are eight great ways to stay focused. 

1. Continue to dress for success. If you’re too dressed down during the summer, you may not feel like working. So ditch the flip flops and stick to business casual. When you look professional, you feel professional—and you’ll find it’s actually easier to get work accomplished.

2. Go outside. Studies tell us that as little as five minutes outdoors can boost well-being. Instead of a 10-minute break at the water cooler, take your break outdoors. Then, at lunchtime, take a walk or sit in a park. You can even schedule a “walking” meeting with one or more colleagues. You’ll return to the office refreshed and ready to tackle the next thing.

3. Start earlier; leave earlier. If you can arrange this with the boss, offer to come in an hour earlier and leave an hour earlier during the summer. If you don’t have that latitude, see if your boss will let you work through lunch on Fridays and leave at four p.m., to jump-start the weekend. 

4. Schedule fun activities. Plan an evening at the ballpark, a walk on the beach, or an after-work splash in the pool with family and friends. Having a fun activity planned can motivate you to finish your work faster so you can enjoy spending time outside.

5. Don’t get dehydrated. Skip the caffeinated drinks; choose water instead. We sweat more when it’s hot and humid out, and staying hydrated keeps both our energy and our spirits up. 

6. Schedule your time. List everything you need to get done each day. Prioritize important assignments and set up a timetable for each. Having a schedule in front of you will make it easier to keep on task.

7. Remove Distractions. Don’t check your social media accounts, especially if you know you’ll find friends’ summer snapshots there. If you face a window with a beautiful view, try sitting facing the wall!

8. Plan a vacation. If you haven’t already scheduled a summer vacation for yourself—what’s stopping you? Make sure you plan to take at least a week off, so that you can truly unwind and forget about work.