How to make the best of every workday

The majority of us work 9 to 5 and spend most of our time, well… at work! We don’t get to spend a lot of time to traveling, with our loved ones, or even to enjoy our favorite pastimes.

The average work schedule is, at least, 40-hours a week. So let’s do the math! If we want to look at the bigger picture, that brings us to 2080 hours a year, or 86 straight days of work!

While I know I didn’t include vacation or time off, you probably know where I’m getting at: we spend most of our waking hours on the job! But don’t let the numbers stress you out… If done correctly, the time spent at the office can be turned into a positive part of your life.

Below, I will share with you Tips and Tricks I use to make sure every second I spend at my job is the best it can be.

1. Take Breaks!

As a cloud solutions Consultant, I work in an environment that requires me to sit in front of the computer for most of the day.

• Studies show it is important for your mental and physical health to take regular breaks from the computer.
• Spending long stretches in front of a computer can be detrimental to your health by deteriorating your eyes and posture.
• Whenever you have a moment, take that walk to the kitchen for a quick coffee break to give your legs a stretch and your mind a rest.

If you’re working in an environment that doesn’t let you walk around regularly (we are lucky to have a treadmill desk at our disposal), there are still many small exercises you can do while at your desk: My favorite exercises to do is the stomach vacuum: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vacuum_exercise)

• It works the internal abdominal muscles, keeping your spine healthy and leading to improved posture.
• Help protect your lumbar spine, and narrow your waist.
• Not to mention, it’s pretty discreet so you won’t have to worry about distracting any coworkers!

2. Laugh Attacks!

It is important to make connections with the coworkers around you! You spend most of your time with your coworkers, and they can become your greatest comfort at work. I encourage you to strengthen these relationships in every way possible. There are a number of things you can do, such as:

• Eating lunch together
• Taking small coffee breaks together
• Planning activities outside of work such as dinner or hitting the gym together  
• Commuting to work together in a carpool

My coworkers are hilarious! We find ourselves making crazy jokes through Slack (our internal communication platform) and laughing uncontrollably. I’m pretty sure everyone can hear us from across the office. Laughing has many benefits:

• It reduces stress
• It improves your focus
• And it just puts you in an all around better mood

Take every opportunity you have and crack that joke with your coworkers to boost those endorphin levels!

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3. Keep Motivated

If you love where you work and the work you do, keeping motivated is easy. Here is how I stay motivated at work:

• Try decorating your desk to make you feel more comfortable at work. Put up that picture of your loved one, your dog, or whatever else makes you happy. The goal is to make your desk feel more like home and surround yourself with the things you love.
• Keep a to-do list of all your tasks throughout the day. This is an easy way to challenge yourself and give yourself satisfaction with every line you cross off your paper. This way, I am able to start by accomplishing small attainable goals, which gives me the feeling of encouragement that will motivate me to keep working on my list.

I hope that after reading this post, you have some ideas on how you could improve your life at work. Please don’t forget to take those breaks to move, laugh and rest your mind, I guarantee you will be able to be more productive and insightful when you do.