As Americans, we spend a good chunk of our waking hours at our jobs. If you aren’t a remote worker, you may log as much as 35% of the time you are out of bed, at the office.
So obviously, it’s important to stay happy and mentally healthy during those hours. If not, it could seriously affect your overall health and well-being. There are a few easy ways to remain happy at work.
1. Eat Healthy and Stay Hydrated
Eating nutritious foods and staying hydrated can help balance your mood and keep you more energized and focused throughout your work day. Though it is oh-so-easy to grab a burger or snack on a bag of trail mix, eating unhealthy can really affect your overall mood and productivity.
- Plan ahead for lunch. Ideally, you’d brown-bag-it with a salad, piece of fruit and some healthy whole grains. If you don’t have the time to prepare a lunch in the morning, scope out the restaurants in the area that offer healthful options. Decide on which restaurant you’ll go to by figuring out which is best for your taste, budget and which offers the most amount of health benefits. By planning ahead, you aren’t running the risk of making a last minute impulsive decision to get that to-die-for deep-dish pizza.
- Check out the vending options in your building. There are plenty of health-friendly options in the vending world today. Scope out the ones with refrigeration and fresh options. Opt for whole-grains and water rather than sugar and soda. If your company doesn’t offer a fresh option for vending, talk to your boss about who you can contact for healthy office snacks.
- Keep a bottle of water at your desk. Set a goal for yourself on when it will be emptied. Use this as an opportunity to get up, stretch your legs and refill at the water cooler.
2. Move Around and Go for a Walk
Take time out (10 minutes) from sitting all day at your computer to move around and go for a walk! Get some fresh air, increase blood flow and get in a better mood.
- Twenty years ago, it was common for workers to take a 10-minute smoke break. While highly unhealthy due to the obvious, it also provided an opportunity to get up and walk away from the desk for a small amount of time. Flip the switch and use this old model to start a healthy brain-break for yourself.
- Do you have a partner or work-bestie? Grab them and bring them along to join in on the fun. Everyone needs to clear his or her brain. It will be a welcomed distraction.
- Better on your own? Start listening to an audiobook and walk while you listen to the story. This is both motivating to get yourself moving and helpful to give yourself a mental pause. If you are worried about getting distracted for 10 minutes, choose a book on the industry. This way you are learning about your business and getting fresh air.
- Choose a spot to walk to. Maybe it’s a tree on campus or a local convenience store with super coffee. Once you’ve walked there, walk back. You’ve met your goal and refreshed your mind.
3. Build an Office Support System
It’s important to have a support system at your office for a more efficient, encouraging work environment.
- Making friends at work doesn’t just help your emotional well being. It also helps you and your company’s, bottom dollar. According to Gallup polls, you are more likely to be engaged and happier at work if you have a best friend at work.
- Friendship is built on trust and proximity. Chat with coworkers about small things and start sharing the parts of your life with which you feel comfortable sharing. Don’t be afraid to open up.
- Invite coworkers that you admire to lunch. Maybe even invite them to an event outside of work! This will allow for a friendship to be built.
4. Give Compliments and Say Thank You
Studies show that “receiving expressions of gratitude makes us feel a heightened sense of self-worth, and that in turn triggers other helpful behaviors toward both the person we are helping and other people that are around us, too.”
- Like a coworkers dress? Say so. Admire your neighbor’s cute new bob? Tell her! People like to hear what you like. If there is something you immediately notice when you see someone, share the positive sentiment.
- Compliment a coworker’s job-well done. If an office mate received an award or public recognition, share in her success. Maybe a teammate had a knockout idea on a group project. Tell her so. Point out the positives in people’s lives.
- Thank those who help you with your successes. And if others compliment you, resist the urge to shrug it off. Reply with an honest “thank you!” It’s OK to feel proud. And your gratitude feels good to those giving you the compliment.
5. Be Organized
Increased organization can lower stress and create a happier, more balanced work life. It’s easy to do, even if it isn’t something that comes naturally to you.
- Manage your schedule to handle your workload so that you don’t feel overwhelmed and instead keep track of your accomplishments. Set aside 15 minutes every morning to organize your tasks and set goals for the day, week or month.
- Use your email inbox as a to-do list. Don’t allow it to add up to the thousands. Delete the unnecessary emails as though you have already taken care of them. Only leave the ones you still need to address. Following this model, your inbox will never be filled with unnecessary emails that don’t help with your productivity.
- Clean up your workspace each evening before leaving. Put items that need to be taken care of the next day in one neat pile and place it where you will most likely see it when you come in. File all other paperwork in the appropriate places.
- Keep a to-do list and check it regularly. This is essential to organization.
6. Make Your Workspace Yours
Having a personalized space can make you smile. It creates a sense of belonging in a place that can otherwise seem cold and unfriendly.
- Make your workspace or desk somewhere you want to be. Get creative and decorate with photos of your family, pets and loved ones. Hang art or add a fun background to your desktop. A more personalized workspace can uplift your spirit.
- Surround yourself with items that you enjoy looking at. Personalize your “look” by adding supplies that fit your personality and express your creativity.
- Bring in a plant. This will help not only with aesthetics, but will also increase the level of oxygen in your workspace. It’s a win-win.
7. Help Others
“According to the Harvard Health Blog, volunteering is beneficial for both mental and physical health. Helping others helps you feel more connected and useful, and continued volunteerism could help bring down high blood pressure.”
- Start small; reach out to coworkers who may need a helping hand. Does someone’s car need a jump? Do they need a ride home? Should you cover them in a meeting? Bring them a coffee on a rough morning? These small things may help out your coworkers, but they will also help you out.
- Consider what is going on in the space around you. Look for bigger issues that require more than just a one-time good deed. Is there a medical issue with someone in the building that will require a chunk of change and some emotional support? Start a drive to help raise money. Create a sign-up to help them with their kids, their meals or even their work responsibilities. These things bring a company together and help create a familial environment that will make coming to work way more bearable.
- Look outside your environment, as well. Gather a group together to volunteer at a soup kitchen or women’s home. Bring sandwiches or blankets to the homeless on Saturday morning. Arrange for lunchtime tutoring sessions with a school close by. Volunteering together creates friendship and connection that will last.
8. Listen to Music
Pull your favorite songs together in a playlist to make your workday more enjoyable!
- Music can boost your mood and productivity. This isn’t just a fanciful thought. A research study done by the University of Missouri has proven that it’s true.
- Put together playlists that are meaningful to you. Assemble piano music for when you need to concentrate. Create an upbeat playlist for the after-lunch slump. Create a list of new songs in a genre you love to play in the background.
- Dance in your seat! Or in the break room! If you feel comfortable, have a little fun and kick up your feet, even if it’s just to be silly! A brief break can get your blood pumping and refresh your brain.
9. Stay Focused
Leave your personal problems at home and hone in on your tasks at hand and the goals you want to accomplish. Work is enough to focus on without other stressors affecting your thought process and mood.
- Get your coffee and snacks first thing in the morning so you are ready to go! Having a handful of healthy office snacks will help make every morning enjoyable.
- After you’re settled, check out your to-do list. Create a plan for the day based on what needs to be done. What items are high-priority? Highlight them, or write them on a post-it. Then promise yourself you won’t leave until those items are done.
- If you have a door, close it during times that require focus. If you share your workspace, use headphones to signify to others you are working on something that needs all of your attention.
- Leave your personal relationships at home. Try to leave home on a happy note and try to solve issues before you sit at your desk. If there’s a problem in your personal life, remember to separate home and work life. Worrying about things will only create stress and unhappiness. Besides, coming back to a problem after a respite will really clear things up. It may even help you solve whatever is bugging you!
10. Smile!
Studies have shown that smiling makes you feel happier. It connects us to others and is a universal language.
- Smile in the morning when you first see your coworkers. Greet them and ask about their well-being.
- Smile while you’re working on a really tough project. Make things fun with jokes and a light-hearted attitude.
Since we spend so much time at work, it’s important to make the best of it. There are so many ways to make this time the most productive, positive and pleasant it can be.
Even if you love your job, it’s easy to get burned out or run down. Keep it light and positive and make the most of your time at the office. Loving what you do and where you’re at can make all the difference in the world.
