Jul
05
10 Ways to Have a Happy Workday
Posted under Goals and Goal Setting, Motivation, ProductivityEveryone wants to have a great work day. You want to go to work, get the job done and head for the horizon with a smile on your face. It’s easy to have a good day at work if you prepare in advance and keep a good running list of how to get through with the most happy day.
Here are the top 10 ways to have a happier workday.
1. Eat breakfast - If you skip breakfast, you won’t be at your best during the morning. You will more likely gorge yourself at lunch and have a sleepy afternoon. So eat something, anything (within reason) so you can ensure a smooth start.
2. Get plenty of sunshine - Sun in the morning signals the body and mind to wake up. So instead of reaching for a big cup of Joe, put on your shoes and go outside.
3. Get Aerobic Exercise - while you are getting your sunlight, use it as an excuse to get a good walk or jog in. Excercise lowers stress, gets your blood moving and wakes you up.
4. Avoid RSS, EMAIL or phone before 10 am. RSS, email and phone demand immediate attention. Whereas your goals and work for the day can easily be brushed to the side. If you can avoid the urgent and uninportant until 10 or 10:30, you’ve got a fighting chance at getting all of the important tasks done.
5. Think positive thoughts not negative - Seems simple, but many people never do it. Instead of looking on the worst side, try to see the bright side. Ask yourself “what is the advantage of this situation?” “how am I benefitting from this? What am I learning?” These are all good questions that you can ask in all negative situations to turn them to the positive.
6. Take breaks - If you push on one task for too long you your work starts to suffer. It’s easy to become tired and frustrated. So every 30 - 45 minutes, take 5. Get up from your desk, stop what you are doing and get your mind off your work for awhile. You’ll find you’ll return with more ideas and renewed energy.
7. Go for a mid-day walk - again, I’m harping on the excercise. Getting a brisk walk in over lunch (even if for only 10 minutes) will get you to feeling better about your afternoon. Where most others are sitting around digesting, you can be energizing.
8. Avoid gossip - One drain on your day is gossip. It may seem fun and exciting to learn some juicy tidbit about your officemate or boss. But good gossip is always negative talk. Negative talk starts the pendulum swinging toward negativity.
9. List your top 5-7 objectives for the day and break the list down to 3 - It’s good to get in the habit of making lists, it’s bad to make long lists. If you’ve got more than 5 items on your list, break it down to the top 3 things (you can always go back and edit in another task or two). But with a list of 20 things, how can you not be overwhelmed? 3 is a managable, magical number. Break your list down to 3. Anybody can do just three things right?
10. Be slow to react to other people’s “urgent” requests. When someone else asks you for help, to do a project or to meet some other urgent need, practice saying “what’s your deadline on this? or when do you need this done?” THen schedule that day. Most people when asked one of those questions realize it’s not as urgent and will set a future date. That way, you can go back to working on one of your top 3 activities.
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Comments
You are right about avoiding gossips. No matter how exciting it is, it will only stain our minds. I have seen a lot of friends and even families fight because of gossip.
These are all great tips that I definitely agree with. I find that morning walk to really wake me up much better than a latte’!
[...] 10 Ways to Have a Happy Workday - [AchieveIT] If work’s getting you down, or you just can’t handle Mondays, the ‘hump day’ or waiting for for the weekend to start on Friday, try Brad Isaac’s 10 ways to a happy workday. [...]
Nice collection of tips you wrote here! I will put some of them to use. If they give results, I will visit your blog again.
Joking. You have a subscriber here.
Welcome Terra, Titus and Helen.
If you have any questions for me or something you’d like covered in a blog post, please let me know.
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As a list person, I will try and cut them down. It’s a good idea.
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Great article, Brad. I’m going to have to try out #4 tomorrow
Carlie, cutting down the list definitely works for me. Otherwise I tend to spin my wheels.
Hi,
i also agree for exercise in the morning.
Especially a little bit of treadmill in the morning does wonders !
Also lemon juice is very good and having a bath with oils (aromatherapy) helps you to start the day relaxed.
Top priority though is and will always be plenty of sleep.
As matter gossip the problem is when people gossip about you and try to hurt your feelings.
[...] 10 Ways to Have a Happy Workday » Achieve IT! - Goal Setting Blog [...]
These are great tips. As much as possible, I stay out of people who often gossip. Some gossips will certainly ruin even the most wonderful day.
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[...] July 9th, 2007 10 Ways to Have a Happy Workday » Achieve IT! - Goal Setting Blog [...]
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Hey great blog,
i really enjoyed your post, i think this can benefit alot of people. I also think that one should focus on the positives throughout the day, to realise that there is meaning behind every circumastance.
Brad,
I just recently found you blog. Great work! This post is my favorite (so far).
As a GTDer, sometimes I get lost in the day to day and forget to look at the bigger picture. Your work helps bring balance to that.
I look forward to your future posts.
Craig
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I would also add “Avoid meetings”.
It’s crucial point if you want to have a great day
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[...] Here are 5 quick tips you can use to disarm the grumpy boss and get on with a happy workday. [...]
[...] 5 Ways to Disarm A Grumpy Boss October 22nd, 2007 by syndicated It is Monday Morning. You walk into work and your boss is grumpy. What do you do? Do you skulk off to your cubicle? Do you turn around and go home - to later call in sick? A grumpy boss can suck all the air out of a room. He or she can cause worry among the staff and lead to an overall negative work environment if something isn’t done. Here are 5 quick tips you can use to disarm the grumpy boss and get on with a happy workday. 1. Directly address the situation - Ask your boss what is troubling her. This takes some guts but can pay off royally. Asking simple questions like “You seem a bit stressed, what’s wrong? Can I do anything to help?” Will deflate some of the most volatile situations. However your boss responds (or reacts), remain calm. Breathe and pay attention. There is an old saying “people aren’t mad at you, they are mad at the person who came before you.” So there is a chance there is nothing you can do except be a sounding board. This can pay dividends as far as becoming a trusted part of the boss’s inner circle. Now if the problem is YOU, then be prepared to take your medicine. But as a success oriented person, you should want to know when you make a mistake. Listen and acknowledge the mistake. If you feel it’s unfair, save that for a calmer time. But try to see the situation from your boss’s perspective. Overall, winners take responsibility - even if it seems like it’s not their fault. 2. Divert with good news - Sometimes all a boss needs to get rid of a bad mood is some good news. Good business news can turn his bad attitude inside out. So the time to drop the good news that you landed the new account or finally finished the major hurdle that stood in the way of a major project will divert Mr. Grouch into thinking more positive. Think of diversion as a change of subject. It is a way to put the mind into another state. A simple example is if you are stressed, turn off the lights, close your eyes and think of sitting on a warm beach for 5-10 minutes. Don’t you feel more relaxed, calm and positive? Therefore, don’t think of diverting your boss’s bad attitude as something bad. You are doing everyone at your office a favor. 3. A small gift - Warning: I am not talking about a bribe. Remember that your boss is completely human. Sometimes their spouse ticked them off on the way to work. Other times a friend may have let them down. A small gift like a piece of candy, a funny and pertinent cartoon clipping or an article cut out of a magazine you think she’ll like. Heck, you can even print up some of the articles you’ll find on this site. That’s sure to improve anyone’s day. 4. Ask if there is something you can do - Find out if there is something you can do to alleviate the situation. I am not suggesting you be the boss’s “whipping boy” by any means. Just get in there and solve some problems. If you can pick up some slack or take care of some small problem then your boss will be thankful. 5. Stay away - If you have tried prior 4 tips, and your boss is still flying off the handle, it is time for some distance. If he’s an absolute tyrant, now may be the time for you to do some work off-site. You might consider retreating to another part of the building - or your car - until the storm passes. Now is definitely not the time to ask for any favors. When your boss is in a crabby mood, that is not the time to ask for a raise. It’s not time to ask for a leave of absence. Save your request for a calmer time. Final thoughts: Realize that you can play a powerful role in how your office dynamics play out. You can help not only your boss, but your entire office, have a better day. It can be intimidating and a challenge, but I think you are up to the task. I am sure some of you have some creative ways of disarming your bosses that I haven’t mentioned. Please share your strategies in the comments below. bad attitude, boss, Goals and Goal Setting, good business, guts, monday morning, negative work, relationships, volatile situations [...]
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