Whether you’re trying something new or testing out a different strategy for making a process more efficient, getting into a routine can be a great starting point. However, taking this same approach to your performance at work, in certain scenarios, has the potential to do more harm than good. For example, if you’ve gotten into a particular routine and you’ve found yourself to be more productive…great! On the other hand, if you continuously find yourself becoming bored or tired of your current job, it may be time to switch things up. Therefore, if you find yourself falling into an unproductive routine at work, try to break the monotony by taking some of the following steps:

1. Communicating with your boss regularly

Employees typically rely on an annual performance review to get an idea of their performance over the past year. While this can serve as a great opportunity to get constructive feedback from your manager, relying on one meeting a year to get a sense of your work can lead you to fall into lazy habits. Instead of waiting for your performance review, recommend setting more time aside at strategic intervals throughout the year to meet with your manager. For example, if you just completed a major project, sitting down with your manager to get their feedback on the final product might help to reveal areas where you excelled as well as areas for improvement. As a result, you’ll have a better understanding of where your true strengths and weaknesses lie.

2. Seeking more opportunities to work collaboratively

Once you’ve been with a particular employer or in a certain type of role for an extended period of time, it is a natural tendency to get into a routine of completing your day-to-day responsibilities. However, if you’ve found that you’re not as engaged with your daily responsibilities as you used to be, it might be time for to find new ways to challenge yourself. For instance, volunteering to work on more projects outside of your role can be a great way to build trust with your team members. You should always be looking for opportunities to shake up your daily routine with new projects and collaborating with other members throughout your company.

3. Improving your time management skills

How often do you find yourself scrambling to complete projects at the last minute? If it always feels as if there’s never enough time in the day to get things done, finding ways to improve your time management skills can help to increase your productivity. For example, if you’re having trouble keeping track of your tasks for the week, making a checklist of your responsibilities for each day might be a good solution to keep you on track. Along the same lines, coming up with new methods to tackle certain types of projects can ultimately lead to feeling more accomplished on a daily basis, adding to your overall productivity.

4. Engaging with your company culture

Whether you’re starting out in a new job or you’re feeling disconnected from the rest of your team, one of the best ways to get the most out of your employer is by finding ways to engage with your company culture and coworkers. Understanding your team dynamics or how people typically operate throughout the company will help to make you feel more part of a team. For example, eating lunch with different coworkers, having conversations by the water cooler, or participating in company-wide events are all ways to engage with your company culture, which can add a bit more satisfaction to your work.

5. Finding ways to proactively learn

One of the most common signs that could eventually lead you to consider leaving your job is if your employer fails to offer additional training and professional development opportunities. Unfortunately, if you’re waiting for your employer to recommend the types of training you should take, you might be waiting a lot longer than expected. Instead, it’s important to proactively find ways to learn more on your own. For instance, online resources, seminars, or networking events can serve as great ways to develop additional skills. Therefore, let your manager know you’re invested in learning more by suggesting the types of opportunities you’d like to partake in.