10 Tips for Staying Happy at Work

This is a reprint of an article by Monster Contributing Writer Beverly West. Thanks to Denise for bringing it to our attention.

If you find yourself longing for greener work pastures, don't immediately go looking for the first exit ramp off of your chosen career path. The Balance Team, which specializes in professional- and personal-growth seminars for administrative and executive assistants in Fortune 1000 companies, suggests these 10 tips for staying content at work:

1. Separate Work from Home. When you're preoccupied with personal issues, it's difficult to concentrate or be happy at work, says Alison Rhodes, a founding partner of The Balance Team. By all means, make sure you have your kids covered in the event of an emergency, but realize that nobody's personal life is ever going to be completely problem-free. Just as you need to let go of work to enjoy your time at home, it's important to leave personal worries at home so you can focus and be productive at work.

2. Create an Office Nest: "You are at your job for at least eight hours a day, which is more time than you probably spend in your bed," says Jennifer Star, a founding partner of The Balance Team. "Make your space your own, decorate your area as much as your company policy permits, and make yourself as comfortable and relaxed as you can be in your office.

3. Develop an Office Support System: "Gathering a circle of colleagues who share similar backgrounds or lifestyles can take a lot of pressure off you at work," says Rhodes. "When you are able to voice your feelings to people who understand, it can really help minimize stress.

4. Eat Healthy and Drink Lots of Water: "Maintaining a good diet and keeping yourself properly hydrated throughout your workday can really make a big difference in your energy level and attitude," says Shirly Weiss, a certified holistic health and nutritional counselor and consulting expert for The Balance Team. "And if you can manage to maintain a diet of whole foods, as opposed to refined foods such as sugar and bread, then you'll really be ahead of the game.

5. Be Organized: Create a manageable schedule to handle your workload, suggests Stacy Raden, a founding partner of The Balance Team. "A sense of empowerment stems from accomplishment," she says. "When you feel overwhelmed, it tends to intensify dissatisfaction. By being proactive and taking control, employees can feel a sense of satisfaction, enhanced confidence and motivation.

6. Move Around: "Working in an office can be a very sedentary job, so it's especially important to your overall sense of health and happiness to take a few minutes during your workday to get up and move a little," says Jason Bergund, founding director of Dancetherapy, a dance class, and a consulting expert for The Balance Team.

7. Don't Try to Change Your Coworkers: "You can't change anyone; you can only change the way you react to them," says Star. "Don't let other people's actions affect you. Just figure out a way to resolve conflicts and avert uncomfortable situations."

8. Reward Yourself: Identify a reward outside of your job, and indulge yourself, says Raden. Whether it be dinner with friends, a movie, exercise or a manicure, treat yourself every once in a while. Just as stress from home can interfere with work, the positive aspects of your life can influence mood at work as well.

9. Take a Breather: "In yoga, we practice the breath of joy, in which we inhale a long breath and then exhale laughter," says Sarah Schain, founding director of Yoga Tales studios for children and a consulting expert for The Balance Team. Stand with your feet together and your arms at your sides. Inhale deeply, then exhale laughter and bend forward. Try to do this movement 10 times.

10. Focus on the Positive: "Identify the things that you like at work, even if they are as simple as your coworkers or the nice view from your office window," says Raden. "You create your own mind-set. If you stress the positives, you will make your job more enjoyable. Worrying about the negatives may cause you to become overwhelmed."

Break Your Foot - See a Doctor

If by some chance you fall down and twist your foot, drop a masonry brick on it , or some other activity that results in some rather intense pain, followed by a week or so of swelling accompanied by multi-colored swelling with no sign whatsoever of it beginning to heal, take the time to visit your doctor. Better yet, visit him or her right away and save yourself considerable physician lecture time while reducing the risk of increased injury. The same advice also applies to just about any other part of the body that gets injured with lots of not-getting-any-better type pain. Trust me, you'll be better off.

Can Walking Save Your Life?

"Walking saved my life."

So say many walking enthusiasts who picked up the habit and as a result either reduced their risk of disease, lost weight, beat depression, or enjoyed countless other major health rewards.

Although you may not be surprised to know that walking is considered a superior health habit, it might surprise you to learn just how much research has confirmed the far-reaching and diverse health benefits that regular walkers experience.

Some doctors and scientists even believe that walking regularly can reverse illness and aging, making the simple act of walking quite possibly the most underrated prescription for good health.

Read on to discover the long list of health wishes that walking can fulfill for you.

1. I wish I had more energy.
A short brisk walk has both a calming and an energizing effect, according to research. And walking may help you feel more alert and well-rested because of its ability to improve the quality of your sleep. Walking at a moderate pace later in the day can help encourage deep, restful sleep. Finally, the mood boost you experience from walking may further enhance your energy levels.

2. I wish I could think more clearly.
Need to sort out some things in your head? Few activities help improve your perspective as quickly as a brisk walk, which will boost circulation in all parts of the body, including your brain.

Some research also has shown that walking is associated with less cognitive decline and a reduced risk of dementia later in life.

In addition to improving cognitive function, walking regularly can help you handle stressful situations and help you remain in control of your emotions, which clears the path for straight thinking.

3. I wish I could protect myself from my parents' diseases.
Your genetics determine only a small part of your health profile. Research shows it's how you live your life that really counts, and walking regularly can prevent and improve many serious chronic diseases.

Here is a short list of ways that walking can reduce the impacts of disease. Moderately intense activities such as walking can:

• Reduce cardiovascular disease by as much as 30-50 percent.
• Decrease osteoarthritis pain, and improve stability, endurance, and agility.
• Reduce the risk of colon cancer and possibly breast cancer.
• Protect against diabetes in high-risk people, and lower blood glucose and improve insulin action in diabetics.
• Lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart attack.

4. I wish I could lose weight
Although you might think that losing weight is the only way to enjoy an improved health profile, the truth is that regular walkers may not have to worry quite as much about what the scale says. Studies show that thin, sedentary people may have more markers of heart disease risk than overweight people who exercise regularly.

Nonetheless, losing weight is a great way to improve your health profile and walking can help you accomplish this goal. Walking will increase the number of calories you burn each day and can boost your muscle mass, which in turn helps your body burn more calories throughout the day, not just while you are exercising.

5. I wish I felt happier in general.
Protecting and nurturing your mental health is an important part of overall wellness, and studies show that walking regularly has the ability to lower your stress levels. Also, studies show that aerobic exercise such as walking may bring long-term benefits to your mental disposition by warding off both depression and anxiety.

Steps toward better health
No other prescription for your health is as free and easy as walking. It can even equal more vigorous forms of exercise in terms of its ability to improve your health profile. And it's easier on your body, especially your joints, than activities such as running. Do you know of any medicine that has greater benefits for your health and well being?

So start where you are and gradually increase the amount of time you spend walking. You'll gradually be granting yourself some very key health wishes in the process.

This article originally appeared on Realage.com.