Do you find it difficult to focus when it’s time to buckle down and handle monotonous business tasks? No matter how passionate you are about business, routine tasks you’d rather outsource can leave you feeling uninspired and less engaged.

No matter how much you love entrepreneurship, there are challenging periods that can leave you feeling stuck. So, here’s a look at 7 tips to help transform boredom into productive solutions.

1. Gamify your tasks

All work and no play makes John/Jane a dull boy/girl. But what if you could combine work and play? Overcome boredom and achieve maximum productivity with task gamification.

Nothing can engage and captivate human attention more than games. You can gamify projects by attaching rewards to completed goals. There are apps that make work gamification possible including Todoist, Habitica, and Mindbloom.

2. Create a habit loop

Routines often breed boredom – especially if they aren’t ideal. Instead, create engaging routines that set the tone for your day. This will make everything more clear and systematic; and eventually habit forming. “Success in all areas of life has far more to do with the little things you do habitually.”

For example, if you’re a freelance writer, designate time to make an outline (cue), start with the research and assign time for writing and editing during set times in the day. “After the routine comes a reward. It can be just about anything, from tangible things like food, to intangibles like amusement or a feeling of accomplishment… Together these components [cue, habit and reward] form the habit loop.”

3. Master the art of ‘deep work’

In order to keep boredom at bay when met with a hard task,  master the art of deep work. Deep Work, according to Cal Newport is performed “in a state of distraction-free concentration that push your cognitive capabilities to their limit”. In this state, you’re giving it your all.

“Deep work is the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task. It’s a skill that allows you to quickly master complicated information and produce better results in less time. Deep work will make you better at what you do and provide the sense of true fulfillment that comes from craftsmanship.”

4. Take a power nap

Boredom is often tied to sleepiness. One of the best ways to combat this is to take a short power nap. “The length of your nap and the type of sleep you get help determine the brain-boosting benefits. The 20-minute power nap — sometimes called the stage 2 nap — is good for alertness and motor learning skills…”

“Research shows longer naps help boost memory and enhance creativity. Slow-wave sleep — napping for approximately 30 to 60 minutes — is good for decision-making skills, such as memorizing vocabulary or recalling directions. Getting rapid eye movement or REM sleep, usually 60 to 90 minutes of napping, plays a key role in making new connections in the brain and solving creative problems.”

5. Ride the ‘Tide’

Employ the Pomodoro Technique,  a time management method that uses a timer to segment work into intervals, traditionally 25 minutes in length, separated by short breaks. Pomodoro and white noise apps like Tide can help you stay focused, boost concentration and start the status of flow.

6. Meditate

Boost your healthy lifestyle routine with meditation. You can train your mind to be present. The more present you are, the less likely you’ll feel bored. Meditation can help you regain focus and overcome distracting thoughts.

7. Overhaul your workspace

Fresh perspective is often found in fresh new environments. A small, dimly lighted, and cluttered workspace is not exactly a welcoming work environment. Add proper lighting, color, and greenery; organize an overhaul your space to curb boredom. A simple office space redesign can do wonders for your productivity.

Final thoughts

Boredom is a burden–especially for entrepreneurs. These 7 tips can help you overcome feelings of boredom and kick things into gear when you need to be productive. However, chronic boredom could be a sign of deeper issues which often benefits from introspection, self care, and mentorship.

This article has been edited.

Armela Escalona is a freelance writer and content marketer. Her work has been published in various blogs, magazines, and online new sites. She writes about business, startups, and technology. Connect with @ArmelaE on Twitter.

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