10 PSYCHOLOGICAL TIPS TO HAVE A BEAUTIFUL WORK DAY

1. Think you’re going to have a nice day. Setting the mind that ”a beautiful/interesting/peaceful/pleasant/etc day is ahead” is the most powerful autosuggestion that a person can give to himself. This banishes negative thoughts and causes the brain to think positively, increasing the margin of tolerance, in case of any incidents.

2. Start the working day with a smile. A positive behaviour will lead to a positive thought. Even if at first the smile can be artificial, gradually it can turn into a natural one, perfectly internalized by the whole body. With this moment, the body will start to generate the hormones of pleasure: serotonin (with a role in regulating mood, stimulating memory and cognitive functions, reducing anxiety), dopamine (with a role in cognitive functions and in certain passions), oxytocin (with a role in relationships interpersonal), endorphins (with a role in calming, generating well-being, reducing depression).

3. Salute your colleagues. Greeting is a first form of communication. It can be verbal or behavioural (bowing the head, waving the hand, raising the hat, shaking hands, etc.). If both forms are used, it will be an amplified effect on the interlocutor. If positive words are also used (“Good morning!”, “Have a beautiful day!”, “Wish you a wonderful week!” etc.) together with an exuberant tone, the impact force of the salute on the interlocutor will increase exponentially, even having a role of social contagion, with beneficial effects for the interlocutor and for the whole team.

4. Exchange a few words with the people you meet. Beyond the greeting, a few positive words exchanged with the interlocutor (individual or group) can set both your personal mood and theirs. In this sense, neutral but positive topics can be addressed, such as: the weather (“What beautiful weather is announced today!”, “It’s good that it’s so warm and pleasant in our office, compared to the frost outside!”), a joke (“Did you hear this joke…?”), a compliment (“What a cheerful tie you have!”), a question (“What do the kids do?”), an affirmation (“We cool!”), polite expressions (“Thank you!”, “Please” etc.), words expressing enthusiasm (“Great!”, “Super!”, “Remarkable”), a small story ( from your personal life, from a movie, from an incident on the street that you witnessed) etc. These conversations quickly engage the interlocutor and generate positive emotions, in most cases. Small personal conversations during working place have an important role in achieving collective cohesion and dispersing stress. Use them both in the morning and during the day.

5. Focus on the most important and urgent things at the beginning of the day. Although it seems difficult, studies have shown that solving problems generates satisfaction and triggers pleasure hormones. In addition, the time left in the workday, after solving complicated things, can be much more relaxing.

6. Look on the positive side of everything. By its nature, everything has both a positive and a negative side. If you focus on the positive, your well-being will be maintained and you will be able to find solutions to the most delicate problems, much easier and faster. Even criticism received can be interpreted in a positive light (you can learn from your own mistakes). Focusing the person on the positive side of things generates lasting positive emotions.

7. Don’t lose hope . Some work activities can be difficult, complicated, dangerous, challenging and can put you in borderline situations with seemingly no way out. No matter the situation, don’t lose hope. This positive emotion will help you think clearly and find creative solutions every time.

8. If you get stuck, ask for help . Don’t try to solve all the problems by yourself. Humans are social beings who need interaction to function optimally. Asking for help strengthens interpersonal relationships and closes work teams. There is no shame in asking for help. It is much serious, however, to make a mistake when you could have asked for help and did not. Most people are altruistic and feel good when they can help others. Do you feel good when you can help others?

9. Look at your daily work in connection with your long-term goals. It is possible that, for the moment, the work you perform does not generate an optimal level of satisfaction for you (you are at the bottom of the hierarchy, you perform the most unpleasant activities in the work group, you have a low salary, everyone gives you orders, wait overtime to finish your daily tasks, no one calls you by your name, your boss doesn’t appreciate you, etc.). If you manage, for a few moments, to see yourself in a few years and set medium and long-term goals, the momentary effort seems insignificant compared to the positive future you project (“I will get a job in the office of experts”, “I will become a specialist, with experience”, “I will be able to access a management position”, “With the accumulated experience I will be able to apply to a larger company”, “I will get a place on the training course” , “I will have a higher salary”, “I will be appreciated by bosses and colleagues”, “I will have my own business”, etc.).

10. Work planned. Your work may take up a lot of your time, and the tasks you receive may seem chaotic and overwhelming. To overcome this, you need to work planned: make a plan or at least a list of activities that you have to do daily/weekly/monthly; allocate time for each activity, but don’t forget to keep a spare time daily for possible emergencies; set priorities and focus on them; reschedule if necessary.