12 Solutions for When You Really Don’t Want to Work Today

Key Takeaways

• Everyone has days when they don’t feel like working, often because they are tired, stressed, bored, or dealing with work-related problems.
• If you’re facing physical or mental health issues that are making it difficult for you to work, it’s essential to seek treatment for them.
• If it’s the job itself creating problems, it’s important to reevaluate your work situation and consider your options.

Even if you usually look forward to your work, we all have those days when it’s a struggle. It might be because you’re tired, overwhelmed, unmotivated, or simply burned out.

Whatever the cause, it’s a common experience. Instead of just plodding through another day, it’s helpful to figure out what’s going on and what to do about it, whether that means a quick reset or a complete break.

1. Explore Why You Don’t Want to Work Today

Reflect on why you’re feeling reluctant to work. Does this feeling occur daily, or is it limited to today? Are you tired, stressed, or unhappy with your job or work environment? Identifying the root cause can help you make changes to improve your situation.

Consider these possibilities:

• You’re tired: Lack of sleep makes it hard to find motivation, impacting skills like attention, memory, and decision-making, all crucial for work.
• You have work fatigue: Work fatigue may also affect you. A study found that 60% of employees in six corporations reported moderate to high burnout.
• You’re stressed out: The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health reports 40% of workers feel their work is extremely stressful. While short-term stress can boost productivity, chronic stress harms physical and mental health.
• You don’t enjoy your job: If your job lacks satisfaction, getting up for work becomes challenging. This could be due to a mismatch between your role and your interests, unmet expectations, or stagnation.
• You’re facing issues in the workplace: Conflicts with managers, colleagues, or differing work styles can lead to workplace tension you’re hesitant to address.
• You don’t like the work culture: Unsupportive or discriminatory work cultures can hinder teamwork and reduce job satisfaction.
• You’re feeling bored: Occasional boredom is normal, but frequent boredom may signal that your job isn’t the right fit.

2. Take a Sick Day

Here are coping strategies for when you’re not feeling up to work. One option is taking a day off if possible.

If you’re physically unwell, take a sick day. For mental and emotional burnout, consider a mental health day to recover. While not a cure-all, taking occasional days off can provide significant benefits.

3. Get Moving

If you’re feeling bored or unmotivated, try getting up and moving. Activities like a run, brisk walk, or any exercise you enjoy can enhance your mood, boost energy, and improve focus and productivity.

4. Work From a Different Location

If your work location is flexible, try changing your workspace. It could be another desk, a different room, or a nearby coffee shop. A change of scenery can be refreshing and offer a new perspective.

5. Start With Easy Tasks

Begin with simple tasks to ease into your workday. Start with activities like checking emails or scheduling meetings. As you gain momentum, gradually move to more complex tasks.

6. Take Breaks Regularly

Make it a point to schedule a few breaks for yourself during the day. If your job involves sitting in one place, try to take a five- to 10-minute break every hour to walk around and get some physical activity.

7. Change Your Routine

Try and identify whether there’s room for improvement in your daily routine. For instance, would it help to go to bed earlier, so you can wake up for work on time and feel more rested?

Or, would you feel more energetic if you ate a healthy breakfast before you started working? Your routine can make a big difference to your daily life, so it can help to optimize it to suit your needs.

8. Focus on Your Goals and Reward Yourself

It can be helpful to remind yourself of why you work and what your goals are. For instance, are you working toward buying a house, supporting a family, or being able to afford a certain lifestyle? Keep your goals in mind and check in with yourself regularly to evaluate your progress.

Make it a point to celebrate your achievements at work and reward yourself for meeting your work-related goals, to help keep your motivation levels high.

The rewards don’t have to be expensive or extravagant—they can be small gestures of personal acknowledgment. For instance, you can treat yourself to a coffee for every assignment you submit in advance of your deadline.

In fact, your reward also doesn’t have to cost any money at all! You can take a nice walk, watch a movie you’ve wanted to see for a while, or take a soothing bath. You can also reward yourself with a break after working for a designated amount of time.

9. Evaluate Your Job

If you don’t feel like working because of issues related to your job, your colleagues, or your organization, start working on a plan to remedy the situation.

Would it help to talk to your manager about your concerns? Would a different role suit you better? Do you think you want to look for a different job and quit this one? Once you have a plan, start working toward it.

10. Plan a Vacation

A vacation can be a good break from work that allows you to come back refreshed and rejuvenated. While you may not be able to go on one right away, you can schedule one in the near future and start planning it today. It’ll give you something to look forward to.

11. Get a Health Check-up

If you’re feeling unwell or tired and aren’t sure why, a health check-up can help determine whether you have any health conditions that could be causing you to feel this way.

12. See a Mental Health Professional

If you’re struggling to cope mentally or emotionally, it can be helpful to see a mental healthcare provider and discuss your concerns with them.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

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2. Lam LT, Lam MK, Reddy P, Wong P. Factors associated with work-related burnout among corporate employees amidst COVID-19 pandemic. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(3):1295. doi:10.3390/ijerph19031295

3. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Stress at work.

4. Körner M, Wirtz MA, Bengel J, Göritz AS. Relationship of organizational culture, teamwork and job satisfaction in interprofessional teams. BMC Health Serv Res. 2015;15:243. doi:10.1186/s12913-015-0888-y

5. Seppälä P, Harju L, Virkkala J, Hakanen JJ. Is boredom at work bad for your health? Examining the links between job boredom and autonomic nervous system dysfunction. Stress Health. 2024;40(3):e3326. doi:10.1002/smi.3326

6. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Benefits of physical activity.

7. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Physical activity breaks for the workplace.

By Sanjana Gupta

Sanjana is a health writer and editor. Her work spans various health-related topics, including mental health, fitness, nutrition, and wellness.

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