Are you suffering from summer stagnation?

For many of us, summer is seen as a time for leisure. Our colleagues are off on family vacations or extended weekends hitting the beach, travelling to other countries, or finding a cottage in the woods. This can lead to a slowdown at work as key individuals are out of the office and offline. Projects pause and many of the usual meetings are cancelled.

Under these conditions, workers may feel less engaged and unmotivated as they wait for the office to return to normal. A recent article on Korn Ferry.com points out that 46% of office workers believe the quality of their work slumps in the summer. This can have many effects.

Indeed, being unmotivated during the summer can affect your ability to meet goals later in the year, says Mark Royal, a senior client partner for Korn Ferry Advisory. “It can negatively impact your image and personal brand within the organization,” he says.

However, this time need not be wasted. Employees can take advantage of the summertime shift at work to explore news ways of doing and thinking. To counter stagnation, the article explores five ways to stay energized at work during the summer. One of the suggestions in the Korn Ferry article is to switch things up by busting out of the usual routine.

Simple changes—like working outdoors instead of indoors, or at a coffee shop instead of at home—support engagement and renew excitement, says Val Olson, a career and leadership coach at Korn Ferry Advance. “Slumps can happen due to a lack of variety. Variety is the spice of life,” she says.

If you can’t get out of the office, try rearranging the furniture or adding new decor to revive a tiresome space. Varying your surroundings can be energizing and aid focus.

Another way to take advantage of quieter summer workspaces is to reflect on what actually excites you about your work and career.

More people on vacation often means fewer meetings and emails. Experts say you can use this lull to reflect on, and pursue, the aspects of the job that most engage you. Being able to find meaning and value will help motivate you during any downtime, as well as when the workload heats back up.

Read the full article to learn three more ways to turn summer stagnation into engaging and worthwhile experiences.