If you’re finding little motivation at work, feeling uninspired, or just sluggish during daily tasks, you may be suffering from a productivity slump. With limited social contact and the stress of the pandemic, it’s normal to see a lapse in productivity, but embracing acts of service can be a great way to reignite your motivation and find a larger purpose in your actions. Here are some tips for incorporating acts of service into your daily routine. 

Think about who you want to help: Reflect on your community and the world at large and think about what causes you’re most passionate about. Think about who in your community most needs a helping hand right now. Reach out to community members and do some research on local organizations to get an idea of how you might want to help out. Once you have narrowed in on your cause, it’s time to think about how you can contribute. 

Analyze your safety net: Really helping our community often means stepping outside of our comfort zones. Make a list of actions that you could take to help those around you that you may have avoided previously because they made you a little uncomfortable. Commit to acting on these items when the opportunity arises. 

Make intentional time: In our fast-paced world, if we don’t set aside time for something, it rarely gets done. Set aside a chunk of time in your day or week to dedicate to service with no distractions. Maybe this means taking two hours to volunteer each Saturday, taking 15 minutes each day to email your representatives about issues that matter to you, or committing to doing a grocery store shop for the local food bank once a month. 

Raise awareness and promote team building: Once you commit to your acts of service routine, share your goals with those around you to encourage others to also learn about the work you’re doing. Bring what you’ve learned from service into your professional world and let it inspire and motivate you.