If you are like most people, you spend at least 40 hours a day working. When you look at the whole year, that’s over 93 full days. Over the course of a lifetime… sheesh.

Here’s the deal: if you’re bored at work, then you are wasting a big chunk of your life. Here are five ways to take some of that time back and dramatically improve the quality of your work.

1. Cut out distractions

We do our best work when we are focused. Distractions sap you of energy and prevent you from getting into “flow,” which is when you also experience the most enjoyment from your work.

To feel less bored at work, minimize distractions so it is easier to get into that flow state.

2. Challenge yourself

One reason you might be bored at work is that you are not challenging yourself. While there is a certain appeal to “easy” work, it does get old fast. It’s about as much fun as beating a 10 year old at basketball over and over again.

With your work, you want to find the right balance between going too easy – which is boring – and going too hard – which is too stressful.

3. Take up meditation

Meditation is a simple way to clear your mind of BS thoughts and create positive emotions. When most people think of meditation, they think of bald guys with funny robes sitting cross-legged with candles all around them saying “ommmmmmm.” In reality, you do not have to monk out to enjoy its benefits!

In fact, all you have to do is sit down and focus on your breath for ten minutes. That’s it.

4. Take a break

If you are feeling bored at work, you might simply need a break.

Ideally, your breaks should shift gears from what you are doing.

That means if you are doing something that requires a lot of brain power, do something during your break that engages your emotions or your body.

5. Get a better job

Sometimes the previous four things don’t work because your job is truly horrible. If this is the case, ask yourself if it is worth spending over 25% of your life feeling bored out of your mind…

Finally, ask yourself if, perhaps, it would be better to do something else to pay the bills.