Being happier isn’t necessarily a
matter of making massive changes in your life. In fact, it’s often more
about minor adjustments. Here are eight small things you can do so that
you feel better about yourself at the end of the day.
1.
Cut the Fat
Where you can, eliminate parties
from your work who don’t really need to be involved. The more cooks, the
less likelihood there is that anything delicious will be made in the kitchen,
and this inevitably leads to frustration. Instead of spending every day
in consensus-building meetings, strive to gain greater control over your work
responsibilities – consulting managers or mentors when YOU feel it will
be helpful.
2.
Set an Aggressive Deadline
Most people work more efficiently
under pressure, and short-term deadlines ensure that you will actually have
something tangible accomplished at the end of each day. It’s better than
spending chunks of time surfing the web, which may feel good in the moment but
won’t put a smile on your face on the train ride home.
3.
Jot Down Your Accomplishments
Meeting several tough deadlines in a
row, and achieving quantifiable results while you’re at it, is something of
which to be proud. Don’t sweep it under the rug. Keep a running
list of what you’ve achieved this week and look at it frequently, especially
every time your thinking turns dark (e.g. “I’m wasting my life”, “I’ll never
get promoted”).
4.
Have a Focused Conversation
No matter how busy you are, make an
effort to stop multi-tasking so that you can spend a few quality minutes with
the people who matter.
This means actively listening, contributing as appropriate, and ignoring
potential interruptions. When all of your attention is on the discussion
at hand, it’s much easier to build relationships, collaborate effectively and
resolve conflicts.
5.
Help a Colleague
One of the most attractive aspects
of volunteerism is that it helps the giver feel good about herself in addition
to providing a service to society. A non-profit related activity will
obviously fit the bill in terms of increasing your positivity each day, but you
can achieve the same effect by going out of your way to assist a colleague who
is struggling. You might take a project off his plate, show him how to
use a new application, or offer to run his broken smartphone to the repair shop
while out to lunch.
6.
Walk Outside
Our energy peaks and flags at different times of the day depending on our natural body rhythms. When you feel
like you need a boost, take a walk in/around the building or on the road
outside. Not only will the fresh air perk up your mood, but it will also
remind you that you live in a world that extends beyond the sterile office
environment. And getting exercise, even when it’s of the light variety,
will improve your overall health and well-being.
7.
Eat a Colorful Plate
Many of us make the mistake of
thinking that we’ll be more productive if we forego lunch. Skipping meals
regularly leads to increased fatigue and depression, and decreased mental
acuity.
Eat a hearty lunch comprised of at
least two-thirds fruits and vegetables. As a general rule, the more
colorful your plate is, the more nutritious.
8.
Don’t Compromise Your Values
Don’t let anyone, senior executives
or otherwise, talk you into doing something you feel is morally wrong.
You may get caught or you may not, but committing ethical violations is a fast
way to destroy your sense of self-worth. Tell the person asking that you don’t
feel comfortable in an assertive but non-judgmental tone.
Alexandra Levit 120524
http://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/8-ways-to-feel-good-at-the-end-of-the-work-day.html
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