“Work nourishes noble minds.” Seneca, Moral Letters.

Finding purpose in whatever you do is a powerful tool for managing your emotions. It can help you to get over the inertia and procrastination of ‘being bored with nothing to do’. There are always plenty of things that need to be done, but right now you just don’t feel like it.

Think of the desired end goal (the ‘higher purpose’) involved and allow the pleasure of that future state to overcome the negative but temporary feelings you have now. “It will all be worth the effort, because…”

People who find purpose in what they do have been shown to experience greater psychological well-being. If you can include physical activity in your work, better still. And with a strong sense of purpose comes self-esteem – knowing that what you do, no matter how small or seemingly unimportant, has a part to play in the grander scheme of things. Think Deacon Blue and ‘Dignity’.