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Time wasting. Do you hate it?
Do you loathe being kept waiting in the supermarket checkout, your doctor’s surgery or to refuel your car.

We seem an impatient lot. Always on the go because we’ve got so much to do.
Yet it appears we do waste a lot of our time, sometimes quite deliberately in the workplace.

What’s the reason for this?

The most commonly cited cause/excuse given is the Internet. We get sidetracked by emails and surfing the net. We spend time online doing non-related work and then complain about not getting our work done in the allotted time.

A survey by Salary.com of 3200 people in 2012 revealed some of the reasons given as to why we choose to waste time at work:

  • 35% Lack of challenge in the work required  
  • 34% Long hours, looking for some light relief
  • 32% Lack of motivation from other staff
  • 30% General dissatisfaction with the job

And 23% said it was because they were bored and 46% were online looking for another job.

Which all sounds suspiciously what some would call a lack of engagement.

Finding a way to make our work seem appealing, interesting and rewarding matters because we spend so much of our life at work – approximately 90,000 hours in total.

The Gallup State of the Global Workplace Report in late 2013 revealed that only 13% of people reported feeling engaged in their work while a staggering 63% were disengaged.

What can you do to help boost engagement levels at your work?
There is no easy answer, but here are several questions to consider:

  • Is your work something you enjoy overall and that you think is valuable to your organisation or others?
  • Do you find your work stimulating with any challenge being something to look forward to finding a solution to?
  • Are you encouraged to think outside the box and innovate? Does your boss or manager invite discussion of new ideas?
  • Do you receive encouragement from your boss or your manager for the work that you do? Do they nurture your professional development?
  • Are they interested in you as a person and know your goals and aspirations?

The modern workplace is changing rapidly. Forward thinking companies are now looking to seek growth and success not just from technology and information, but also through investment in their most precious asset: the mental capital and well being of their staff.

Is your workplace one of these companies?

I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Dr Jenny Brockis

Dr Jenny Brockis is a medical practitioner and internationally board-certified lifestyle medicine physician, workplace health and wellbeing consultant, podcaster, keynote speaker and best-selling author. Her new book 'Thriving Mind: How to Cultivate a Good Life' (Wiley) is available online and at all good bookstores.

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