10 Ways to Make Your Day Good at work

1. Prepare Your Stuff the Night Before, if Possible.

In the morning, when you’re still half-asleep, it takes longer to get ready than it does the night before, when you’re sleepy but not yet a zombie.

Is it difficult for you to pick out an outfit? If so, prepare your outfit for the next day as part of your nightly routine.

If so, what time of the day are you going to the gym? Begin packing your gym bag as soon as you get out of bed in the morning (you could even lay your gym shoes and socks next to your bed if you want to make your life super easy).

Lunchtime is a great time to make good food choices. For lasting energy, pack a lunch that includes a variety of fruits, vegetables, protein, and healthy fats. To improve your mental sharpness, consider including some of these brain-boosting foods in your diet.

2. You should do is get up 15–30 minutes earlier than usual.

After following the first step, your mornings should be 15–30 minutes longer than they were before, but let’s go ahead and double it. Let’s give ourselves plenty of time to get off to a positive start in the morning.

3. Begin Your Day With Sunlight and Deep Breaths.

Do you have the munchies? The good times are over. Make your way outside, no matter how cold it is, and enjoy a little vitamin D. You’ll feel happier, be more alert, have better immunity, and be able to sleep better at night if you’re exposed to the sun’s rays. Taking ten slow, deep breaths in and out will help you start your day on a peaceful note.

4. Seek Out Positive Feedback.

As wonderful as inspiration can be, it can also be brief. Because you can’t expect to become inspired and stay that way indefinitely, take about 10 or 15 minutes to read a book, watch a video, or listen to a podcast that moves you. You’ll have a better day if you think positive thoughts before you get out of bed in the morning.

5. Get Psyched During Your Commute.

Don’t be one of the many people who throw away the valuable asset of the drive (or ride) to work. A bad mood can’t be shaken if you’ve been listening to the news (a terrible thing with no good to say) all day. Avoid listening to sour or depressing music in favor of upbeat tunes (if it makes you belt out a tune or shake your butt, this is a good sign). Don’t depend on the radio, unless you like listening to the same thing over and over and over again. Make your own “Get Psyched” playlist, save it to your iPod or burn it to a CD, and update it every few months to keep things fresh.

6. Take a Step into the Shoes of Your Customer.

Be patient with all customers, no matter how obnoxious their behavior may be (as evidenced by the examples above). If you’re going out to eat, shopping, or calling a customer service hotline, think about what you expect from the experience. Now look in the mirror and ask yourself, “Am I meeting the expectations of my customers?” If not, it’s time to get into shape. Because you’re tired or grumpy doesn’t mean that a customer who has paid you for your services should be treated poorly.

“We often miss opportunity because it’s dressed in overalls and looks like work.” — Thomas Edison

7. Start with the most important step.

Pick one of the following options and complete it first thing in the morning:

The project with the tightest timeframe (if its importance trumps all else, act accordingly)

The most stressful task (if you’re going to be dreading it all day, do it now)

Tasks requiring a significant amount of time and effort (because then the rest will seem easy in comparison)

Avoid checking your email more frequently than every few hours. If they need you, they’ll get in touch with you via phone or email. To avoid feeling overwhelmed and wasting time, focus on the most important tasks first and avoid starting and stopping them.

8. Keep Your “Why” at the forefront of your mind.

It doesn’t matter how much time and effort you put into your work, there is no escaping the fact that it can be stressful at times. If you’re feeling tense to the point where you want to rip out your hair and run screaming from the room:

Get the hell out of here (preferably outside but anywhere you can be alone in a quiet place works)

Close your eyes now.

I bet your forehead is in a lot of pain.

Inhale and exhale five times each.

After you’ve completed all of this, take a moment to remember why you’re at work. In the grand scheme of things, where does your job fit? Remind yourself why you’re at work, whether it’s to support your family, help your customers, gain experience, or whatever; the stress of this day is a temporary setback that you’ll soon forget about.

9. Maintain an attitude of positivity.

Understandably, you’d be stressed and unhappy if you spent the majority of your workday spreading rumors and obsessing over the worst possible outcomes. Give yourself this goal: for every negative thought, feeling, or statement, there should be three positive ones to counterbalance it.

10. Smiling is the best medicine.

Even if you fake it, it will help you feel better.