Boy, you’re bored. Unmotivated. Languishing. What happened to that spark you used to feel when you came into work? Whether COVID has changed what you love about your job or your excitement about your duties has worn off, your commitment to work isn’t what it used to be. It’s a relationship on the rocks, for sure, but you’re not ready to break up just yet (especially not in this crazy COVID job market). So while you wait for the world to improve, these steps can refresh your job and hopefully rekindle some of those old feelings.

Talk with your boss

“Are you kidding?!” we know some of you are saying. But if you’re lucky to have a good relationship, your boss can be a great resource for the next steps in your job journey. If you’re comfortable, go ahead and share your feelings and your career aspirations, and anything that you think might help you. Ask how else you might contribute to the team. Your boss might offer tasks to take on, teams to collaborate with, classes to take, or other professionals to network with. Your boss might even be looking to unload a few projects! Even if your boss doesn’t have any immediate recommendations, you’ll come to mind when things crop up.

Stretch your comfort zone

Routines have a way of taking hold and making us forget what glorious wonders might lie beyond. When you’re not enthused with work, take a look at your day-to-day. Are you cruising or—gasp—disengaging? Get out of your own way! When someone offers you an opportunity, take it. Seek out new people and tasks. Even if an opportunity doesn’t sound exciting, it’s something different, plus you never know where it might lead.

Support other teams or departments

Are you coveting your neighbor’s job? If the responsibilities of another team or department look more appealing, why not see where you can help out? (This is where talking to your boss first comes in handy.) Helping in other areas of the business can introduce you to new people, new projects, and can even help you learn new skills or make better use of the talents you don’t get to use as often. This face time can broaden your scope and enhance your reputation as a valuable and reliable business asset, which could open even more doors.

Offer your expertise in tasks you enjoy

You don’t have to wait for projects to come to you; you can establish yourself as a subject-matter expert in the work you do love. Say you love to build PowerPoint presentations, manipulate Excel data, or write proposals. Put yourself out there as willing to take that task off people’s plates. When you knock the project out of the park, then another and another, you’ll make a name for yourself so that people will start coming to you with this kind of work, whether to seek guidance or to pass the project to you. It’s a great way to fill your to-do list!

In conclusion

You may not be in love with your job right now, but with a little care and attention, you may be able to revive the spark. So give it your best shot to refresh the job you once loved, or at least make work tolerable while you look for something else. You never know what the future holds!