Work, like anything else, can become boring after a while, especially if your job is something repetitive. However, there is always a way to stay excited and happy and while one certain thing doesn’t work for everyone, try out different things and find your own personal key to happiness. These are some of the things that help me and might help you as well. If it doesn’t, at the very least, you can take some inspiration from it and develop your own method:
“Fabulize” your Workplace. It may seem simple but nothing is more satisfying than working in your own personally designed environment. If you work in an office, try and bring stuff from home and decorate the room. Maybe stick some of the drawings your kids made on wall. Hang some paintings. Showcase some picture frames of your family and friends. Fully customize your desk. The possibilities are endless and the only limit is your imagination. The ultimate aim is to make you feel at home and become comfortable.
Take a Walk. This is also a health issue, not just a stay-happy issue. Sitting on your chair the entire day can lead to heart diseases and other problems. Always try and find some time to indulge yourself in a brief period of strolling-through-the-park or maybe just tour the building. There is no harm, only benefits, in a good walk in-between boring sessions of staring at your screen. Try inviting your colleagues as well for company.
Stay Hydrated. Consume lots fluid. You might not get tired because you’re sitting all day but your body still requires a regular intake of water. While it’s false that you need a minimum of 8 glasses a day, you should still drink a few glasses at least, especially on a hot day. Add in a few ice cubes and let your body chill.
Compliment Others. If you’re free and bored, write some compliments on memo pads and then go stick them on your colleagues’ office. It feels good to receive compliments but it also feels good to give compliments and make other people happy. If you prefer being direct, just go straight up to them and compliment their hair or their clothes. Complement how good they look today. Try asking them,” Have you been hitting the gym?”
Get a Plant. Plants aren’t just aesthetically pleasing, it’s also psychologically helpful in a lot of ways. It signifies a healthy, fresh environment. Plus the fact that your workplace not feeling dead is a good bonus. Buy some pretty, colourful flowers; don’t go overboard by turning your office into the Amazon but try and get a couple from the local boutique. Maybe even buy some for your colleagues.
So you have a document due in 2 hours. You’re not feeling well but it’s important you get it done. You feel like giving up. There’s no one to help you. If that’s so, you don’t quit. You go to the bathroom. You lock the door. You look in the mirror. You stare at your reflection’s eye. You point at your reflection’s face and you tell yourself you can do it. You tell yourself that you got this. Giving yourself a pep talk sounds funny and something from a movie, but it is actually a good way to motivate yourself.
Use Proper Dishes. We all love our coffee. You probably drink coffee that’s made in your building. Or maybe it’s tea. Often times, you drink it through a paper or plastic cup and then you throw it away. That’s bad symbolism and it’s environmentally unfriendly. Get yourself some beautiful ceramic cups from home. Not only does that save the environment, but it symbolizes something precious. It symbolizes that you’re not cheap like some plastic cup. You’re more than that. So next time you drink coffee, ask the lady to pour it on your precious china. Just don’t break it ‘cause your wife will murder you.
Cat Photos. Or dog photos. Just, you know, cute stuff on the internet. Actually, tell you what, go to reddit.com and then search for the subreddit “aww”. That’s like the home of all the internet’s best cute stuff. Doesn’t matter if you’re a teenage girl or a manly, 6-peck, bearded dude with a sexy, deep voice – everyone loves cute animal pictures.
Help Someone Else. There’s a weird sense of accomplishment when you help someone. It’s really… a weird feat of evolution to be honest. I mean, you have stuff to do but you go out of your way to take care of someone else. That shows us humans are social animals. So, the next time you see a cute new staff scratching her head while staring at a black screen, go up to her and show her how to turn on the computer and feel proud of 2 million years of evolution and the success of natural selection.
Get a New Job. If all else fails then you’re probably not in the right occupation. Start from scratch and think of what you enjoy. If you liked those cute cat pictures, maybe an animal photographer? If you enjoyed buying and selecting those plants, maybe a botanist? Find what you enjoy and be happy.