Ever go through those days when you just don’t feel like welding? Maybe you’re a welder by trade and the long hours spent welding for work instead of pleasure has taken a toll on your love of the craft. Miss that passion? Try these five simple tips to reignite your love of welding and get back in the game.
1. Start a new welding project
Work on a new welding piece for yourself or maybe a loved one, but work on this project just for the heck of it. Don’t set any deadline for yourself. Don’t let yourself get frustrated for any reason (such as the welder acting up or you running out of a supply). Let this be a fun experience. When you complete the project, move on to tip #2 below.
2. Create a wall of achievements
Or a blog, Flickr account, scrapbook, whatever works for you. Take pictures of your favorite welding pieces that you’ve worked on and arrange them around your work shop, garage, den, wherever. This way you’ll always have a reminder of what great work you’re capable of producing.
3. Help a beginning welder
Remember how you felt when you first started welding? What was it that made you decide to take it on as a career? Working with beginner welders will remind you of the fun and excitement that you felt starting out. New welders are usually eager to grasp any and every tip available to improve their welding skills, so why not lend yourself to be their welding guru?
4. Gain new knowledge
It doesn’t matter what it is – whether it’s a new technique, a different type of welding you’ve yet to tackle, or working with new welding technology – learn about an area of welding that is unfamiliar to you. You could even add the challenge of trying to get certified in that new area.
What steps have you taken to relieve yourself from the stress of work and make welding a fun activity?