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How to make your working day more enjoyable

Written by: Charlotte Rogers
Published on: 20 Aug 2021
Category:

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Work, although you may enjoy it, takes up a lot of our time. Working 5 days a week, 8 hours a day throughout our careers takes up approximately a third of our lives, so you should probably spend your time enjoying it, rather than dreading it! Sometimes, day-to-day tasks can be routine and a little bit boring after a while, you may forget the good in your job and why you wanted it in the first place. So, it’s important to try and make the most of our jobs and make the most of the working day. We have some tips and ideas you can use to make sure you are enjoying your work and feeling more fulfilled and happier at the end of your workday.

Sometimes physical changes make a huge difference

When you’re sat at the same desk every day, trying to plough through work, it can become a messy environment to work in. If you have some spare time, it will be worth giving your desk a quick clean and a freshen up. Maybe even try to come into work / your work office 5 minutes early one morning to have a little spring clean. You’ll probably be surprised by the number of things you find that you just don’t need anymore.

Try and make your space a little more personal to you. Get a photo of friends and family, a plant you love or even a personalised calendar. (I know mine makes me smile everyday) You should feel comfortable at your desk / workspace, you spend a lot of time there. I always find that when I’m having a day where I struggle to concentrate or just a bad day in general, having those small personal items can take away from reality for a moment.

Also, if you’re like me and prefer working in a darker space, try and open the blinds for a few minutes. Take some time to look outside and have a break from your screen. Bringing a little light into the room can change your mood instantly, try it.

Have some time to socialise

Okay, so this one might be a little bit more difficult at the moment, but this year has taught us new ways to communicate, so use them to your advantage. Whether you are in your workplace or still working from home, make an effort to talk to someone in your team every single day. Working can feel a little bit lonely when you don’t have to collaborate with a team all the time, so talk to someone, about literally anything. You might feel better afterwards.

During your breaks, you should try to talk to some friends and family as well. You don’t have to do this every day, considering most people have different working schedules, I’d say it’s pretty much impossible to do all the time. But maybe once a week, set up a call with friends on your lunch, go for a walk with them or even a lunch trip to a café if you’re feeling up to it. It’s likely that you’ll see a huge difference in your mood when you talk and socialise with others, something we may forget to do when work gets in the way.

You don’t have to sit inside all day

If you stay inside at your desk all day, you’re not going to always feel fulfilled. People need a change of environment and fresh air will only do you good. Not only should you take some time to get away from your screen, something much more of us need to actually do, but some exercise can make us feel refreshed and ready to get working once we’re back. You can go for a walk, go to the gym on your break or after work, even something as simple as having your lunch in your garden or a local park, it all goes a long way. We all need to make a commitment to ourselves to go outside more, you might realise how much of a positive effect is has on you and your productivity, especially when it starts to get warmer and sunnier outside.

Also, maybe make it a priority to mix up your workspace every now and again. Once everything is back to normal maybe work in a café, work in your garden or anywhere you see fit. (As long as you have a good WIFI connection) If there’s a training opportunity or a networking event, try and go along. A change in scenery, can really help motivate you.


Have something to look forward to

Sometimes, I find it works to plan the week ahead on a Monday morning. For some people it can be better to get all of the admin work out of the way and then lead way to the more creative work towards the end of the week. It can’t work for everyone but is worth a shot if this relates to you.

Another thing you can look forward to is any projects you may have on the horizon. Unfortunately, you’re probably not going to enjoy every single aspect of your job, so enjoy the projects you love working on. Keep something ahead of you that’s going to keep you motivated, whether that be in your job or outside of work.

I also find that it’s a good idea to have plans outside of work. Whether it be a holiday or a weekend trip with your friends, when you’re finding work a little bit tough, exciting events in the near future can put it all into perspective and make it seem worth it. We’re all going to have negative parts of our jobs, but it won’t always stay negative.

Be realistic

As much as you want to enjoy your job, there’s always going to be the things you have to do, and you may not find too exciting. Plan what you want to achieve in the day or week and make sure you try and stick to it as much as possible. Be realistic and set your expectations. Try and beat them if you can – then you’ll feel a lot better about your working day and what you’ve managed to accomplish! Make a list of tasks you want to accomplish before you leave work for the day. That way, you can switch off the minute you leave work, knowing what you need to get working on when you return.

There are some very simple things you can do and change in your everyday workday that can make it more enjoyable and help you feel better about work overall. However, there are some things that cannot be fixed with these simple tasks, so you might want to think harder about your work situation and think about whether it’s still right for you. Things change and the most important thing is that you feel happy in your job, so maybe it’s time to move on and find that somewhere else?