Do you look forward to going to work every morning, or you've got to drag yourself out of bed and into the shower? If you feel all set to start the day, it's a sign that you're satisfied and happy with your job. But if your answer is the latter, you aren't in a very good position. It means that either your job isn't something you want to continue doing for the rest of your life, or your workplace environment is too stressful. Whatever the reason you dread another day at work is, you need to take charge and work towards staying happy and active at work!
If you're certain that it isn't your job that's making you unhappy (if it's your job, you need to start looking for a new job right away!), yo've got to start taking small steps and make small changes in your life and at work that'll make you happier and more active at work.
This blog post will make you understand why is it so important to stay happy and active at work and how you can become a happier employee!
How Does Staying Happy and Active at Work Help You?
Not everyone has the option to quit jobs for obvious reasons – they've got bills to pay! The only option for some people is to make themselves happier and more active at work. Knowing the benefits of staying happy and active at work will motivate you to buckle up if you're struggling at work and feel unhappy, lazy, and unproductive.
Improvement in Overall Health
One of the biggest benefits of staying active and happy at work is the overall improvement in health, both physical and mental. When you move around during the day and make a conscious effort to stay in a good mood, you won't feel the consequences of the lack of physical activity, such as a stiff body, and you'll also be able to steer clear of the effects of work stress. This way, you will not only stay more fit physically, but your mental health will also flourish.
Enhanced Productivity
If you feel lazy and dull, you'll be distracted and fail to focus on your work. The result will be poor efficiency and productivity. However, when you're active and happy during the day, you'll feel great, and you'll be able to put your heart into work, and the result will be higher-quality, timely deliveries of tasks.
Healthier Relationships
You'll naturally be in a foul mood if you spend the day feeling unhappy, unfulfilled, and imprisoned at work. You won't feel like working at all. The bad mood will come in the way of your relationships with your coworkers. However, when you're active and happy and work and go about the workplace having pleasant chitchat with your colleagues, you'll build stronger and healthier relationships with your fellows.
Staying Happy and Active at Work – Pro Tips
You can't deny that staying happy and active at work will only make the time you spend at work pleasant and productive. The question is – how to stay happy and active at work? Well, it's not as difficult as you think it is. We've listed some pro tips that'll help you turn things around in your favor at work!
Walk to Work
One of the best ways to start the day on a good note is to walk to work instead of taking public transport or driving yourself. If your workplace is at a great distance from work and you can't walk all the way, take a bus or train to the nearest stop to work and walk from there. The idea is to walk. Walking is a form of exercise that promotes the release of endorphins, more commonly known as the feel-good hormones. When you walk to work, not only will you reach your workplace in a good mood, but you'll also do your body a favor by exercising. Walking to work boosts your physical and mental health both.
Listen to Music
You don't need to disconnect from the rest of the world when you're at work. You can (and you should) do things that make you feel good. Listening to fast, upbeat music makes some people feel more active at work, while some feel relaxed listening to soft music. Listening to music helps some people focus on work better. So, one way to stay happy and highly productive at work is to listen to the type of music that you enjoy.
Take Breaks Between Work
Working non-stop is never a good practice. If you don't take breaks between work, you'll get exhausted physically and mentally, affecting your mood and productivity. It's good to take short breaks every few hours. Stop working, leave your workstation, and walk around a bit. You can go to the canteen to grab a cup of coffee, take a quick stroll on the terrace and breathe in some fresh air, or have a quick chat with your colleagues about anything other than work. You'll instantly feel better. Taking breaks and walking around helps you de-stress and get rid of the muscle fatigue that builds up due to prolonged sitting, which will uplift your mood and help you replenish your energy stores.
Improve the Ergonomics of Your Workstation
Improving the ergonomics of your workstation will have the longest-lasting benefits. Not only will working in ergonomic conditions improve your physical health, but it'll also boost your mood, make you more productive, and protect you from serious health risks. One of the biggest reasons why people feel unhappy and lazy at work is the lack of discomfort due to poor workplace ergonomics. They work in uncomfortable conditions for several hours at a stretch every day, which exhausts them and affects their mood.
You can start by replacing your work desk. Instead of working on a regular office desk, invest in a standing desk like the Standard Standing Desk (E2). A standing desk, as you can tell by the name, requires one to work while standing. As much as it sounds uncomfortable, it's not. A standing desk allows you to adjust the height of the desk according to your comfort so that you don't have to work in an incorrect posture (back curved or shoulders slouched). When you're working in the correct posture, the discomfort from continuous sitting is eliminated, which improves your mood and productivity. Also, muscle fatigue due to lack of mobility is also reduced, and you’re naturally more active at work.
If standing at work isn't something you're willing to do, you should consider investing in an ergonomic office chair. An ergonomic office chair offers greater comfort by providing your body adequate support at all the right spots (lower back, elbows, shoulders). Enhanced comfort means a better mood at work. It also means lesser fatigue which makes you more active at work.
Get Good Sleep
If you don't get good sleep at night, you won't feel the best at work. Not only will you feel irritable and edgy, but you'll also feel lazy and unwilling to move around. You should rework your schedule and start going to bed early. The earlier you go to bed, the longer you'll get to sleep. When you sleep well, you'll wake up fresh and all ready to start your day. Investing in an adjustable bed base will also help you get great-quality sleep at night as it'll help you achieve the perfect, most comfortable sleeping posture. The better you sleep at night, the happier and more active you'll remain throughout the day.
Avoid Working Overtime
A lot of people work extra hours to get things off their table without realizing that they're only preparing themselves for the worst in the long term. Working overtime means you don't have any time left to spend with your family or do things you enjoy. You'll go straight to bed when you go home and return to work the next morning. This will affect your personal life, your mood, and even your productivity at work. One way to stay happy and active at work is to avoid working overtime. Manage your work such that you stay on the right track. When there's no work pending, you can leave work on time without any stress of having to complete pending work, and you get to enjoy some time with your family after work. You'll sleep better and wake up stress-free. This will result in a better mood and a happier and more active overall outlook!
Closing Word
Making yourself feel happy and active at work isn't so difficult, after all. You just need to identify what factors are causing discomfort and unhappiness and then work towards mitigating them. When you're in a good mood and active at work, not only will your productivity skyrocket, you'll see a visible improvement in your persona and relationships with your coworkers. You'll start looking forward to going to work every day, which is something most people struggle with!
