Working in an office building from 9 to 5, tied to your desk and chair with only small breaks for lunch and coffee can be exhausting, even if you love your job. Being in a cubicle for 8 hours or more, can be especially draining if you are not satisfied with your position or overwhelmed with a huge list of projects on your agenda. The good news is that with a few easy tweaks to your job and health routines you can feel happier at work, become more productive during the day, and leave home energized.
1. Organize Your Desk to Feel at Home
Take stock of your office environment. Do you have piles of boxes or paper around you? Old broken cabinets and chairs? Pens that don’t work? And the most important thing: is your chair comfortable enough? Do you have too many post-it notes hanging around, so you can hardly find any important stuff? Time to arrange your desk for your success and productivity. To feel at ease at work, treat your desk as you would your coziest place at home.
Bring in pictures of loved ones, a green plant, beautiful stationery, cute storage boxes, your favorite daily planner and coffee mug. There are many studies that show how our environment affect our productivity and mood. For example, greenery in the office can help reduce stress and make you feel happier at work.
An inspiring quote above your desk can be a motivation booster or an uplifting note when you are feeling low.
2. Nurture Your Body with the Right Foods and Enough Water
Drink a glass of warm lemon water before you start your day to help regulate your stomach acid and balance your metabolism. Avoid high-carb foods for breakfast, such as fruit or waffles: they will keep you full for only an hour and then a sugar crash with drag your feet to the kitchen to snack. Instead, eat some protein with vegetables or berries to keep your blood sugar level stable for a super-productive day. Try eggs with avocado, a thick plain yoghurt or cottage cheese with strawberries. This way you will get more vitamins that will boost your productivity and mood.
Stay away from too much caffeine in the morning. With coffee, you experience a spike of energy which suddenly drops within an hour leaving you tired and giving you headaches in the afternoon. You can substitute coffee with decaffeinated teas or matcha green tea. Even though matcha contains caffeine, its amount in a serving of matcha will be twice smaller (depending on the brand) than in a coffee cup. Besides, our body processes caffeine in matcha differently: we don't experience jitteriness, anxiety or crashes after having this drink.
Make sure all day long you drink a lot of clean water. The benefits of hydration are numerous: sharper thinking, better concentration, enhanced mood, improved memory, as well as less fatigue and anxiety.
3. Find a Routine That Helps You Concentrate Faster
When you need to finish a project quickly whether it’s a conference presentation or a product launch documentation, you need a quick routine that will put you into your most productive state. Find a routine that works for you. Here are a few examples.
- Go for a short fast 10-minute walk breathing deeply to help bring your body into the state of alertness while reducing anxiety from the project you are working on. Try to concentrate on your breathing and the nature around taking your mind off the task. When you get back to your desk, you will be full of energy and ideas to finish that project in minutes.
- Drink a cup of matcha latte with a handful of nuts. Matcha contains L-theanine, an amino acid that helps promote the state of calm alertness when you can focus on the things that matter for a long time without any anxiety or jitteriness. Omega-3 fatty acids and zinc in nuts, especially walnuts and almonds, will improve your brain cells communication and your concentration on the project.
- Listen to your favorite uplifting song to bring you in the most positive state. It will give you a boost of confidence and you will accomplish your task easily.
If you don’t have too much time, you can improve your concentration by breathing in a smell of your favorite essential oil to quickly awaken and set yourself for success.
4. Pack the Right Snacks
Grazing snacks in the office all the time might not be healthy, but if you need an afternoon pick-me-up, pack the right healthy snacks with you. If your granola bar is loaded with sugar, you productivity level will drop in about an hour when you will feel hungry again. Some of the best snacks are fresh berries and a handful of raw nuts.
Looking for something delicious to graze? Try to make these keto-friendly carrot muffins or this chia pudding: they are packed with nutrients and will give you stable energy for your workday. And if you share them with your work teammates, they will be more than willing to help you with a challenging work project.
5. Use a Diffuser with Calming Essential Oils in a Busy Office
Trying to concentrate in a high-traffic office or generating a new idea after lunch might be challenging. To help you feel better at your desk, diffuse a blend of your favorite essential oils: just make sure the smell is not disturbing for others around you.
Breathing in essential oils with calming and soothing notes, such as myrtle, lavender or bergamot, will help you create a natural sanctuary at your desk where you can feel comfortable and focused. It will also help you brain and memory function at their best, while you will be relaxed and alert.