17 Ways to Create the Perfect Workday

Call Toll Free: 877-985-2695

SEARCH:

FREE Subscription

The World’s Most Popular Natural Health Newsletter

ARTICLE TOOLS:

Current Newsletter

Share Your Comment

Print this Page

Podcasts

Save as Favorites

Submit My Story

Newsletter Feed

Health Blog Feed

TRANSLATE THIS PAGE:

Aging Allergies Alzheimers Arthritis Artificial Sweeteners Asthma Autism Back Pain Book Reviews Brain/Memory Health Cancer Cardiovascular Health Children’s Health Cholesterol Chronic Fatigue Conflict of Interest Conventional Medicine Corporate Greed Death And Dying Diabetes Digestive Disorders Digestive Health Drug Companies Drugs EFT EMF Emotional Health Energy Support Entertainment Environmental Exercise and Fitness Fats Fibromyalgia Finances Food GMO Government Abuses Health Concerns Health Support Healthy Aging Healthy Recipes Heart Diseases Hormones Immune Support Infectious Disease Internal Special Report Iron Excess/Hemochromatosis Joint Support Looking and Feeling Younger Men’s Health Mental Health Obesity Online Tests Osteoporosis Pain Management Personal Development Personal Improvement Pet Health Pets Raw Food Seizure Disorders Senior Health Sexual Health Sleep/Insomnia Smoking Soy Spiritual Health Substance Abuse Sugar Sunlight Supplements Swine Flu Technology Television Thyroid Disease Toxicity/Detoxification Toxins/Pollution Vaccines Vision Health Water Weight Management Women’s Health

Share this article

17 Ways to Create the Perfect Workday

Posted by: Dr. Mercola
February 21 2008 | 35,798 views

It’s easy to get overwhelmed by your workdays, but it is possible to create an environment where you can allow yourself to be more relaxed and happier. The first step is the realization that you are in control of your day, and the belief that you can create the perfect workday, too.

This Zen Habits article offers a number of great tips to create a peaceful, relaxed workday. Here are 10 of them (click the link below for the full list of 17):

1. Do Less. Learn to reduce the amount you do -- perhaps you could choose three important things to achieve each day, the ones that will have the most impact on your life.

2. Start the day with a relaxing shower or bath. This will get you in a relaxed mood, which is much better than starting the day stressed out.

3. Get in some morning exercise. It will relax you, and gives you a sense of well-being and accomplishment.

4. Create a clutter-free environment. Clutter-free surroundings create a peaceful working environment.

5. Turn off the distractions. This includes phones, email notification, instant messaging, anything that will break into your focus.

6. Take breaks and stretch. Get up, stretch, massage your shoulders, neck and head; it will keep you relaxed throughout the day.

7. Roll with the punches. There will always be things that go wrong. When things get overwhelming, take a step back to get some perspective.

8. Work when it’s quiet. This may be early in the morning, during your office lunch hour, or late at night -- choose whatever works for you so that you can get some solid work in without distractions.

9. Cut back on your commitments. Choose four to five things that are absolutely essential, and then eliminate the rest over time.

10. Focus on the present. Rather than worrying about what you have to do in the future, or reliving things that happened in the past, focus on what you’re doing right now.

Sources:

Zen Habits February 3, 2008

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

Job stress is the number one source of stress for American adults, according to The American Institute of Stress, and it’s been getting progressively worse over the past few decades.

Aside from the stress caused by job insecurity, studies show that Americans are working longer hours, taking fewer vacations and generally have less leisure time to unwind.

Stress, of course, is one of the worst things for your body and mind, so any methods you can use to make your workday more peaceful could have a beneficial impact on your health. Consider, for instance, that feeling stressed about your work can:

Double your risk of dying from heart disease
Make you almost twice as likely to develop type 2 diabetes
Result in a fatal jump in blood pressure levels

And the more you dread going to work, or worry about what you have to get done, the worse your stress will become.

Creating a Calm Workday

Unfortunately, not everyone can change careers to find something that they truly love (although if this is even a remote option for you I suggest you go for it). The good news is that by changing your mindset you can also change your experience, even at work.

I strongly believe, though, that one of your best strategies is to invest in some serious reflection time and seek to identify what you are truly passionate about. If you discover that you are not already doing that at work then seek to change your circumstances as rapidly as possible to allow you to become involved in your passion.

This one simple trick will nearly instantly help lessen the impact of stress because you will love what you are doing.

Further, along with taking the practical measures described above, such as prioritizing your tasks and focusing on just a few that are the most important, you can also work on keeping your outlook about work positive.

I've found that energy psychology tools work extremely well for this. There are many effective ones out there but I regularly use Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT); it’s the tool used in my practice and the one I use in my personal life.

EFT is a form of psychological acupressure based on the same energy meridians used in traditional acupuncture to treat physical and emotional ailments for thousands of years, but without the invasiveness of needles.

It is absolutely amazing how effective and powerful this simple tool can be. I find one of its most useful benefits is to manifest goals in your life.

Another tool you can use to simplify your workday, and your life, is David Allen’s Getting Things Done. I credit his work for helping me achieve so many of my goals. It is one of the finest systems in the world for helping you to get organized by clearing your mind.

So remember, even if you can’t change the circumstances of your job, you can change your reaction to it. By using EFT to release your emotional blocks (such as fear of losing your job) and taking practical measures to organize your day, you will find more enjoyment in life, including while you’re on the job.