Tips for achieving a 'happier' and 'healthier' day at work or in the office.

For many of us, we're often left feeling overwhelmed with the number of tasks and things to do on a daily basis. We often have more to do than we can fit into the time available. Work, daily chores, exercise or staying connected with friends.

It turns out that despite some pharmaceutical companies would like us to think, there is no magic pill you can take to turn into superman or superwomen. But fortunately, the basic elements of keeping us at our healthy best are pretty straight forward. They include getting enough sleep, good nutrition, integrating movement and exercise throughout the day, maintaining stress levels and working in a healthy environment.

Below are 10 tips to creating a happier and healthier day:

Tip.1 - Get enough sleep

Our bodies need rest, sleep is an important part of your daily routine—you spend about one-third of your time doing it. Quality sleep – and getting enough of it at the right times -- is as essential to survival as food and water. 

"Without sleep you can’t form or maintain the pathways in your brain that let you learn and create new memories, and it’s harder to concentrate and respond quickly."

Sleep is important to a number of brain functions, including how nerve cells (neurons) communicate with each other. In fact, your brain and body stay remarkably active while you sleep. Recent findings suggest that sleep plays a housekeeping role that removes toxins in your brain that build up while you are awake. 

Tip. 2 - Start your day with movement

How you begin your day will affect how you feel for the next eight hours. So take five - ten minutes to enjoy some early morning movement, stretches, meditation or even try listening to your favorite song on the way to your office because music makes us happy.

"All people in a bad mood should go for a walk, and if it does not improve, walk again"

- Hippocrates

Looking after your body looks after your mind, and new research into the brain is showing just how important this can be. It's a great routine towards feeling happier and functioning better - fast.

"Our bodies are our gardens - our wills are our gardeners."

- William Shakespeare

Researchers analyzed the moods and performance of customer service representatives. Those who were in a good mood in the morning were more productive during the day and reported having more positive interactions with customers. We spend nearly half of 24 hours day at your workplace, so don’t waste those hours feeling miserable. 

Tip.3 - Eat a good breakfast

Breakfast provides the body and brain with fuel after an overnight fast - that's where its name originates, breaking the fast! Without breakfast you are effectively running on empty, like trying to start the car with no petrol!

Apart from providing us with energy, breakfast foods are good sources of important nutrients such as calcium, iron and B vitamins as well as protein and fibre. The body needs these essential nutrients and research shows that if these are missed at breakfast, they are less likely to be compensated for later in the day. Fruit and vegetables are good sources of vitamins and minerals so try to include a portion of your daily five at breakfast, whether that be a banana or glass of fruit juice.

Tip. 4 - Organize and plan your day

The first hour of the work day is the best time to assess priorities and to focus on what you absolutely need to accomplish; 

“Too many people get distracted first thing in the morning with unimportant activities such as diving right into their morass of e-mail, when there may be a whole host of more important issues that need dealing with.”

Make a to-do list, or update the one you made the previous day, and try to stick to it. However, if your boss has an urgent need, then it’s OK re-shuffle your priorities within reason, Taylor adds.

Tip. 5 - Stay hydrated

Water makes up at least two-thirds of the human body. It plays a large part in your normal functions, such as lubricating your joints and eyes, keeping your skin healthy by eliminating toxins, and facilitating proper digestion. Once the water in your body is reduced, it needs to be replaced because an imbalance between the salts and sugar in your body can affect the way you will perform.

Lack of water will leave you parched, tired and dizzy. Bring your own cup, and keep it filled with H2O to keep your body happy and your mind focused during your workday.

Tip. 6 - Master team work

On average we need at least six hours a day in which we have social contact with others, including time at home, at working, interacting over the phone, email or social networking.

"Relationships are themselves a crucial part of psychological wealth, without it you cannot be truly rich."

- Ed Diener and Robert Biswas- Diener

Team-building and teamwork skills are essential in the workplace and highly desirable skills to possess when seeking a new job or promotion.

"Teams working at their potential generate more productivity and better solutions than if all the individual members had worked independently."

Even if you generally prefer to work by yourself the reality you are face is that teams in the workplace are here to stay. One way to make the best of the situation is to jump into the team experience with as much enthusiasm as possible. Enthusiasm is contagious so not only will your enthusiasm help you feel better about being a team member it will lead other team members to also become more enthusiastic.

Tip. 7 - Your brain needs healthy food

There's a clear relationship between food and your state of mind. When you combine strategies for eating regularly with foods that may have a positive effect on your well-being. Nutrients for good mood include calcium, chromium, folate, iron, magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin D, and zinc. So try these mood-boosting goodies on, give a week or so to kick in, and find your reason to smile.

"Fill your meals with these kinds of health-promoting foods to keep your brain healthy and happy."

This list will get you started on finding foods that will help keep you healthy and happy.

Tip. 8 - Express gratitude

Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation.

"Feeling appreciated is one of the most important needs that people have."

When you share with someone your appreciation and gratitude, they will not forget you. Appreciation will return to you many times.

Thank you for reading my article, I searched high and low to combined some of the best research, ideas and tips to make your day happier and healthier. Please share this with others to bring change to those area you.

"Be that change you want to see in the world." - Ghandi

Thanks readers,

Nailah Aljasmi - Happiness and Wellbeing Researcher and Ambassador 2018

#happiness #wellbeing #health #nutrition #wellness #positivepsychology #mindfulness #blogger #dubai #uae