Not always so bright and beautiful inside the office?
Studies floating around suggest as high as 80% of people are not happy with their current job. That’s a lot of people doing something for eight to ten hours a day that they don’t enjoy. In fact the working age population in 2010 of the OECD countries was ~815 million. That means about 652 million people are unhappy every day for an approximately accumulated 5.87 billion hours. Every single day!
There are many reasons to take the brave leap to leave your job and follow a career you have passion in or start your own business. But if you are not comfortable with this yet or are building up your passions alongside your day job the below list stipulates 15 ways you can make the days trapped in the office a bit more fun!
Remember that what you do every day is far more important than what you do every once in a while.
1. Bake for the office (try a chili chocolate cake, fluffy buttermilk cupcakes or scrumptious muesli bars). Read Baked
2. Talk to people you walk past who you don’t know. Instead of using email and instant chat, walk to everyone (this also has the benefit of incidental exercise)! If you require the conversation in writing, simply send a confirmation email afterwards beginning with ‘As discussed…’ and very briefly outline the dot points/actions.
3. Make a game of usual problems that occur during your work weeks. Write a list of things you expect to happen that week (your boss will hand you a huge assignment with a deadline of tomorrow, Accounts Payable will frustrate you, IT Support will tell you to restart your computer) and tick them off when they occur. If more than 75% happen treat yourself with something positive!
4. Plug in your headphones and bop to your favourite music whilst working. Ask your colleagues what their favourite songs/bands/eras are and either have a giggle about their choices, revel in your similar interests or be brave and listen to their favourite tracks! Try The 99 Must-Have Chillout Classics
5. Join the social club and go to the events they hold. This is usually a fun way to meet people and get to know a side of people other than their office facade! That IT technician may have travelled the world on a motorbike, have an obsession with chick flicks and know Bono. You’ll never find out if you don’t get to know somebody!
6. Make an effort to get up 30-60 minutes earlier and bike or walk to and from work. The exercise will invigorate you, the refreshing breeze whipping around your body will energize you and watching the world wake up will awaken your senses. Take your partner or meet a friend along the way to add a social aspect. You can also take away a feel good factor for caring for the Earth!
7. Schedule a fun, peaceful or nice event immediately after work. You will have to leave work on time and you’ll be well distracted from any negative thoughts! Try meeting your partner at a café, sitting in the park chatting with a friend, jumping into a yoga class, going for a run, working on your ideas over a sparkling water or simply going home early to prepare a fresh dinner so you’re free to enjoy the rest of the evening!
8. Decorate your desk with bright colours and photos that make you happy.
9. Have a lunch date with a friend or new colleague during the day. This will pep up your mood so you can get through the last few hours effectively.
10. Keep herbal tea on your desk ready to brew throughout the day.
11. Bring a plant or flowers for your desk. Having living organics in your environment will create a circle of natural peace around you.
12. Get a group together and have an exercise break during lunch. You will find that many people want to do this but are too shy or self-conscious to arrange this. Circulate an email or post an informal ad in the kitchen or bathroom. Get into the park and enjoy the outdoor vitamins as well, join a dance class or hit the gym. A group will motivate you to be consistent and accountable. Read You are Your Own Gym. This great book was written by a military physical training specialist and is constructed of body weight exercises only that you can perform in the park or hotel! There are 4 levels of maximum 36 minute workouts so anybody at any fitness can begin!
13. Have a theme on dress down Friday or during the week if you work in a more relaxed environment! It could be as simple as a specific colour, a required article of clothing (top hat, wellingtons, tie with no collared shirt), up to formal wear or a costume for the daring!
14. Give yourself a hand massage every couple of hours with a good hand cream concentrating on your inner palm and moving the pressure outwards up your fingers. Spend some time on the outside of your hands down from the pinky finger. You will be surprised how much your hands do during the day and we rarely give them a rest! Make it feel good and have a 5-minute break away from the screen. Read Teach Yourself Hand Reflexology
15. Don’t wear any underwear – knowing only you know will make you giggle (inwardly hopefully!) during the most serious of meetings!