5 Ways to Make an Annoying Task Less Annoying

We all have them - those annoying tasks that linger on. We avoid doing them and then, when we finally bite the bullet, we complain every step of the way. Sure, it's not professional. But no one's perfect.

So, is there a way to make these tasks a little more bearable? Of course! Try one of the following tips the next time you're facing down a painful to-do item.

Don't Delay

These dreaded tasks are easy to put off. Procrastination was created for such tasks. But avoiding an irritating to-do item will only make it worse because you'll end up worrying about it all day. If this has ever happened to you then you know: sometimes the worrying is more painful than the task itself! Instead of wasting time dreading this task, do it first thing in the morning. That way, it gets done and you can spend the rest of the day feeling proud of your accomplishment and relieved to have it completed.

Break It Up

A large irritating task is the worst! Don't condemn yourself to sitting down and doing it all in one go - that may be too much to handle. Maybe that's part of what makes the task so miserable. Try breaking it down into small, manageable pieces. Take frequent breaks to avoid becoming overwhelmed. This will help keep you from reaching a breaking point where you just want to scream and throw your hands up in frustration.

Do It Less Often

Of course, the "break it up" technique doesn't work for every irritating task. Sometimes, it is much more helpful to consolidate the tasks and do them less often. For example, in my last job, my annoying task was ordering all of the supplies for the office. I had been trained to do it every other week but I quickly realized that, with a little planning and forethought, I could consolidate the ordering into a single order once a month. This cut my irritation in half!

Make it Better

Ok. It's time to take control of those irritating tasks and find ways to make them more enjoyable! You know you can do it. Here are a few very easy ways to make any task more fun.

• Listen to music while you do it
• It it's mindless busy work, pick up the phone and chat with a friend or family member while you do it
• Ask a co-worker to help

Reward Yourself

When all is said and done, you deserve a reward for doing that irritating task! If possible, get up from your desk and go on a Starbucks run. Or, take a few minutes to browse your favorite website. Whatever you do, don't move from one annoying task to the next without giving yourself a few minutes to recover. Chat with a co-worker, take a walk or just let yourself zone out for a minute. This is perfectly ok to do and you deserve it!

We all have to deal with not-so-fun tasks every day. Don't let them drive you nuts. You can take control and, by utilizing these 5 tips, you can make them much more tolerable.