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While you might associate spring cleaning with pulling out the dusters and throwing out clothes that haven’t seen the light of day since pre-pandemic days, spring is a wonderful invitation to let go of the old to make room for the new in all. areas of your life. One oft-neglected area that could benefit from some airing is your work habits. When was the last time you did a good spring cleaning of some of your useless repetitive behaviors at work? Here are five ways to help you get started with deep cleaning your workplace habits!
Related: 7 science-backed strategies for building powerful habits
1. Build awareness
This may surprise you, but you’re probably not even aware of many of your work habits. Whether it’s slouching over your computer until your neck hurts or mindlessly scrolling through social media, many behaviors happen on autopilot. To let go of what’s not working so you can make room for new possibilities, you first need to become aware of what’s holding you back. You need to become aware of your mindless habits and repetitive behaviors.
So, how can you do this? A good way to start is to get curious. Notice how you feel at different times of the day. Pay attention to where you spend your time and whether those activities exhaust or nourish you. When do you feel your best? When do you feel worst? Are there parts of the workday that you dread? Incorporating mindfulness practices where you bring your focus and attention to the present moment is another thing that can help you build awareness.
2. Try a new approach
Once you become aware of a habit that is not serving you, you can choose to take a different approach. Maybe you’ve noticed that checking your phone, social media, or emails throughout the day makes you feel stressed. To try something new, you can choose to keep your phone in a different place during work and have more structure when you check your bills. The trick here is to try some new methods to see what works. If you want a new outcome, you have to change something!
3. Set new goals for yourself
What is an area in which you would like to improve? Take some time to think about where you are in your professional life, and think about where you would like to see yourself in the future. How can you set small, accessible goals to move you in that direction? What can you do today to build momentum?
4. Keep checkpoints all day long
Once you’re clear on the habits you want to let go of and once you’re clear on some new behaviors and goals you want to embrace, it’s important to have reminders throughout the day to keep you on track. It can be helpful to check in with yourself at the same time each day or set reminders on your phone to help you get back on track if you’ve lost track.
Related: This is the best way to form powerful habits that stick
5. Get support from your community
Let your colleagues, friends and family know what goals you have for yourself and what new behaviors you want to create. Ask for their support to keep you motivated. You may even inspire them to make some positive changes in their lives!
Now that you have a step-by-step plan for spring-cleaning your workplace habits, try to do it regularly so you can continue to learn, grow, and become the best version of yourself at work and in life.
Disclaimer: This content represents the opinion of the author only and is not medical advice or treatment recommendations. Always talk to your healthcare provider about recommendations specific to you.
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