10 things to do to be happier at work

Here is a simple list of ten things you should be aware in the workplace. These points are all basic essential work skills to keep your sanity and improve your productivity.

1. Define success at work
People often work hard to gain success without knowing what success really means.You may climb a career ladder only to find out that it has been leaning against the wrong wall. We receive differing messages about success – through the media, our families and our culture but ultimately, success comes from leading a fulfilled and balanced life – whatever your pay packet.
Action: Write down your own definition of success. Programme it into your mobile – as a constant reminder.

2. Avoid hurry-sickness
We are working faster than ever before. Yes, speed is important, but it must not override quality of work. You may enjoy living in the fast lane, but you must realise that there are costs, in terms of your health and well-being. Slow down to make quicker progress.
Action: Take your three most important tasks. Now allocate a realistic amount of time for achieving them. This shouldn’t be just about how fast you can do them – but the time you need to do them well.

3. Don’t be anxious – be happy
How much anxiety does it take to solve a problem? None, because anxiety is not a solution for anything. Instead, anxiety is a sign for you to take action. Identify the cause of your anxiety and write down the possible things you could do to counteract it. Decide on the appropriate action, and begin it now.
Action: Write down the things that are making you anxious. Decide what you can do about each one. If there’s nothing that can be done, drop it. If there is – do it now.

4. Beware of the activity trap
It’s easy to become addicted to constant activity, and to let your idea of your own value become related to the number of things you’ve ticked off on your To Do list. Temper your drive with reflection. This gives you a chance to recognise your real achievements.
Action: Write a list of your recent achievements, and spend a minute appreciating what you’ve done.

5. Don’t burn out
Many heart-attack victims can be categorised as “high fliers, fast fallers”. These are people who live in a fantasy zone believing that they have an inexhaustible capacity for doing more. However, this is a high-risk strategy. Signs that things are starting to go wrong include exhaustion, a short fuse, impaired vision, poor productivity, and crisis in confidence. If you seek escape through alcohol, or are avoid coming in to work, it is time to get help.
Action: Create a health plan. You need to eat well, exercise regularly, rest up and book yourself a massage.

6. Switch off
Clearly designate what is work-time and what is family time, what is “time out” (which is just for loafing) and “me time” (for something purely selfish). If you do this, you will probably find you work fewer hours but produce more focused work. When work time is over, learn to stop thinking about it.
Action: Turn off mobiles, laptops and email when you leave the office each day.

7. Watch out for “false success”
It’s all too easy to confuse success with constant adrenaline, endless activity, all work, no rest and no play – and for that, you can pay a high price. The habit of busy-ness eclipses real business. It gives rise to the “start early, finish late” work ethic that confuses constant effort with real effectiveness. Avoid keeping busy out of a sense of habit, duty or guilt.
Action: Find three things to delegate – and delegate them before the end of the day.

8. Managing urgency
When everything seems so urgent that it’s impossible to prioritise, take a moment to stand back. An urgent task is something that requires immediate attention, whereas something important has to do with the big picture – and what matters most. Have the courage to put what’s important first. Action: Make five minutes before the end of the day to prioritise your tasks according to their importance, not their urgency.

9. Give up struggling
People who battle with stress and work overload often believe that struggle is an inevitable price for success and happiness. It isn’t. They invite struggle, because they refuse to ask for help, make a change, or try to feel relaxed. Whenever you are struggling, ask yourself how you could do things more easily. Use your imagination to find a better way. Action: Get a role model – find someone who has mastered ease – and ask them how they’ve done it.

10. Bring back the fun
Today, you need to be more dynamic, creative and innovative than ever. This is difficult if you haven’t got the capacity for enjoyment. One of the main causes of poor team spirit is everyone waiting for the team spirit to improve. Take the initiative. Be the “cultural architect” that enables fun to flourish.

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[ Tagged In ] anxiety, balanced life, career ladder, health, living in the fast lane, productivity, reflection

Work stress ‘changes your body’

A stressful job has a direct biological impact on the body, raising the risk of heart disease, research has indicated.
The study reported in the European Heart Journal back in 2008 focused on more than 10,000 British civil servants.

Those under 50 who said their work was stressful were nearly 70% more likely to develop heart disease than the stress-free.

The stressed had less time to exercise and eat well – but they also showed signs of important biochemical changes.

The studies of Whitehall employees – from mandarins to messengers – started in the 1960s, but this particular cohort has been followed since 1985.

As well as documenting how workers felt about their job, researchers monitored heart rate variability, blood pressure, and the amount of the stress hormone cortisol in the blood.

They also took notes about diet, exercise, smoking and drinking.

Then they found out how many people had developed coronary heart disease (CHD) or suffered a heart attack and how many had died of it.

Lead researcher Dr Tarani Chandola, of University College London, said: “During 12 years of follow up, we found that chronic work stress was associated with CHD and this association was stronger both among men and women aged under 50.

“Among people of retirement age – and therefore less likely to be exposed to work stress – the effect on CHD was less strong.”

Biological factors

On the one hand, those who reported stressful jobs appeared less likely to eat sufficient amounts of fruit and vegetables, and were less likely to exercise – although problem drinking did not emerge as a significant problem in this study.

Lifestyle, the researchers concluded, was nonetheless a key factor in the development of the disease.

But the team also say they are now confident they understand the biological mechanisms that link stress and disease, a connection widely held to exist but which has been difficult to prove.

These mechanisms held true regardless of lifestyle.

Stress appeared to upset the part of the nervous system which controls the heart, telling it how to work and controlling the variability of the heart rate.

Those who reported stress were also recorded as having poor “vagal tone” – the impulses which regulate heartbeat.

A major part of the neuroendocrine system – which releases hormones – also seemed to be disturbed by stress, evidenced by the fact that anxious workers had higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the morning.

Worker status

While the younger worker seemed to be more at risk, the findings were the same regardless of the status of the worker.

Previous studies had suggested those of lower employment grades may be more at risk.

“We did not find strong evidence that the effect of work stress on heart disease is worse for those in lower grades – the effect of stress was pretty much the same across different grades,” said Dr Chandola.

“However, later on in the study, some parts of the civil service underwent considerable change in their working environments, including privatisation.

“We are currently exploring whether the effects of these changed work stress levels, partly brought about by privatisation, are particularly deleterious for those in the low grades of the civil service.”

The British Heart Foundation said the research added to our understanding of how stress at work may alter the body’s chemistry.

“The study also reinforces what has been identified by previous research, that stress at work is often associated with unhealthy behaviours such as smoking, lack of exercise and a poor diet – all which can impact on heart health,” said June Davison.

“There are many ways that we can help ourselves by learning how to cope with stressful situations.

“Keeping fit and active also helps to relieve stress and therefore reduce the risk of heart disease.”

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[ Tagged In ] biochemical changes, british civil servants, coronary heart disease, heart rate variability, link stress, retirement age, stress hormone cortisol, stressful job, stressful jobs, work stress

Posture: Perfecting Your Posture at Work

With long hours spent at your desk, it can be difficult to keep good posture. To prevent your spine from taking on a “C” form, it is important to take steps to reduce your spinal pressure by sitting correctly so that your spine falls into its natural “S” position. Good posture can substantially improve the way your back and neck feel at the end of your workday Here are a few suggestions from The Back Store and Spine-health.com to help you improve your posture at work:

Sitting

Use a footrest: Purchase a footrest or use old phone books that are approximately four inches high. This will raise the height of your knees and effectively changes your center of gravity backwards, helping you to improve your posture.

Sit close to your desk: Be as close to the edge as possible. It will prevent you from bending forward over the desk.

Keep your back supported when sitting: When you will be sitting for long periods of time, you should make sure your back is supported from the lumbar region (lower back) to at least the shoulder blades. The chair you sit in should support the whole spine, right up to the neck. To avoid bending your neck to look down, try placing a small lectern on the desk or table top.

Take stretch breaks: If you are sitting for a long period of time, get up and stretch for a few seconds at least once every hour.

Standing

Tilt your pelvis slightly forward (towards your rib cage): Tighten your abdominals and keep your head directly over your shoulders and pelvis. Try not to pull your shoulders back, as this may actually worsen y our posture. If it is hard for you to hold this position, try placing your feet slightly apart with one foot in front of the other and bend your knees a little.
Use a railing or box to prop one foot up: This will take some of the pressure off your back. You can also place a rubber mat on top of a concrete floor to help ease pressure.
Change your feet and positions at least every 20 minutes: This will keep your back from getting “stuck” in the same position.

Your Workstation

For optimum comfort, you should assess your workstation and make changes based on the types of tasks you do on a daily basis, and the amount of time spent sitting or standing. Spine-health.com offers these tips for creating a more comfortable work environment:

Take your task in consideration when choosing a surface height for your desk: For example, an architect will need a higher surface for drawing, but a person who works on a computer all day will more than likely want a desk surface where they can sit or stand, depending on the need to use other tools or references.

Adjust the seat of the office chair:

Your work surface should be elbow-high.
Your fist should be able to pass easily behind your calf and in front of the edge of the seat to keep your legs from being pressed too hard and your feet from swelling.
Two fingers should slip easily under your thigh. If not, place a footrest under your feet to raise your knees to the same level as your hips.
The backrest of your chair should push your lower back forward slightly.

Fix the height of your computer screen: Sit comfortably at your desk and close your eyes. Slowly reopen them. Where you first gaze is the place to put the center of your screen. You can easily raise you screen with books or a stand if need be.

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[ Tagged In ] center of gravity, good posture, posture, shoulder blades, spine health, stretch breaks, workday