Often, we think that we need to make huge changes in order to be happier or more successful. We might plan to switch jobs or even switch the field we work in. We might think that moving to a different city or state might help us to achieve our life goals. Or we might plan to give up our corporate positions and become starving artists.
Yet, once we’ve done these things, we might find that we’re back to our original happiness baseline. And the change might not make us more successful either. But there are certain smaller things you can do which might help you to feel better and perform better at work.
- Sleep a Little More: Can you spare an extra half hour or one hour for sleep? If you can sleep one more hour, you might find yourself a lot more rested and ready to do your best every morning.
- Takea Walk: No, you don’t need to start lifting heavy weights or running everyday. Even just taking a walk can help get your blood flowing and you’ll have many ideas for work.
- Clean Up: Sometimes, we don’t realize that we’re stuck because of the mess we’re surrounded by. If you can just take an hour to clean up your desk, you’ll find it makes a huge difference.
- Be Comfortable: Are you wearing clothes in which you feel uncomfortable at work? For example, if your skirt is too tight or the material of your blouse is itchy, you may not be able to concentrate too well. Being comfortable is more productive.
- Meditate: Even five minutes of meditation or mindfulness can help clear your mind and make you more focused on work.
- Get a Plant: Being surrounded by nature, even a little bit of it, relaxes you and makes you more productive.
- Do Something You Love Everyday: Not everyone has a job that they absolutely love. But if you take up a project on the side which is meaningful to you, that will motivate you in your day job as well.
- Follow the 80-20 Rule: According to the Pareto principle, we spend 80 percent of our time doing the things that are 20 percent productive and 20 percent of our time doing things that are 80 percent productive. So sit down and think about what 20 percent of your time is spent most productively. If you can increase the time spent doing more productive things, you’ll be more productive overall.
- Take a Nap: Naps have also been shown to increase concentration and productivity.
- Ask for Help: If you’re not able to do something on your own, it’s ok to ask for help or to say “yes” gracefully and take it when it’s offered to you.