Have you had a good day at work?
If this question is answered with a resounding ‘no’ or a more cautious ‘well…’ then you need to know how to have a happy 9-5.
There are a few things you can do before, during, and after work that will mean you sail through the week.
Before Work
1) Get Up in Good Time
Make sure that you give yourself plenty of time to make yourself presentable, have breakfast and a brew, find your socks, and whatever else sets you up for the day.
Rushing around in the morning will only stress you out and will start the day off badly.
2) Make Yourself Presentable
At the very least, have a shower, brush your teeth and wear clean clothes. Come on, we have all worked with people who don’t manage to do this.
Making sure you feel clean, tidy, and presentable will boost your confidence and will leave you feeling like you can handle what comes.
3) Nourish Your Body
Have a big glass of water in the mornings to rehydrate yourself. Your brain needs water to function properly, so really get it going by replenishing your fluid.
Also, eat something that will release energy slowly over the morning.
Breakfast biscuits, cereal bars, or toast and jam are ok every so often, but they are really high in sugar and will give you a spike of glucose, followed by the unfortunate crash.,
Have some porridge, fruit and yoghurt or some ‘grown up’ cereal (not Frosties-sorry). This will give your body the fuel it needs to last until lunch.
4) Record Your Sleep And Mood
Use your Wellspace app to record how you slept and how you feel about the day.
Be mindful about your mood. If you are stressed, worried, or tired try identifying why you feel like that.
That way, you can try to tackle the stressor head on and improve your mood.
At Work
1) Clean Your Desk
Having a clean desk with no clutter will help to focus your mind, ready for the day.
It is hard to concentrate when you are surrounded by piles of things demanding your attention. Clean your desk off and you will feel calmer instantly.
2) Make a To Do List
Don’t have tasks half finished and swimming round into your head. Or worse, jotted on a million post-its.
Instead, spend some time coming up with a definitive list of everything you have to do that day, week, and month.
You can use a tool, like Asana, Google Notes, or Monday. Or, a good old-fashioned pen and paper will do.
List aficionados will already be familiar with the satisfaction of crossing things emphatically of your to do list.
3) Have a Break
Make sure you spend some time away from your desk.
The temptation when busy is to eat lunch at our desks. It is counterproductive. You need some time away from your desk to feel refreshed and invigorated when you return.
Take your lunch breaks. They are yours and you are entitled to them.
4) Keep Moving
They do say sitting is the new smoking, meaning it is bad for your health.
Try not to sit down for too long. Go and refill your water glass, make a brew. Whatever gets you up and moving for a few minutes.
Get the blood flowing back through your limbs by doing some gentle stretches or walking round the office a few times.
Keep an eye on your Wellness Portal to see where you are on the leadership board for the most steps!
5) Watch Your Hours
Most people want to do a good job, and often that requires a little overtime.
But regularly working long hours is bad for our mental and physical health.
So much so, there is a law against it! The working time directive states that, generally, 48 hours is the maximum people should work in a week.
6) Eat a Decent Lunch
A healthy lunch is a must. How often do you feel sleepy around 2pm and start cramming in biscuits just to stay awake?
It is probably down to your lunch.
Try to have a low carb, low sugar lunch. Avoid sugary drinks, or fat laden sandwiches.
If you have a microwave you might be tempted to take left overs in from the dinner last night. If it is carb heavy it is likely to make you sleepy in the afternoon.
After Work
1) Unwind
Try to do something relaxing in the evening. Mental resilience will allow you to cope with whatever work throws at you, and often that requires you to relax when possible.
Exercising, reading, knitting, watching TV, or cooking are all ways you might relax.
Beware of using alcohol or drugs to help you unwind though. In the long run, these can be very damaging to your mental health.
2) Bedtime!
Have a regular bedtime each night. Your body’s natural rhythm benefits from it, enabling you to sleep more deeply and wake feeling ready to take on the day. This blog on How To Get A Better Night’s Sleep goes into more detail.
Have a Happy 9-5
Here at Wellspace we know wellness. We are confident that if you follow these tips, you will have a happier 9-5. But don’t take our word for it. Use your Wellness App to track your mood, sleep and wellbeing and you will see the results for yourself.
