19 ways to be happy at work. How to maintain mental health and a positive attitude toward life?

Mental health (mental health) is defined by the World Health Organization as a state of well-being in which a person can realize his or her own potential, cope with the normal stresses of life, work productively and fruitfully, and contribute to his or her community.

In this positive sense, mental health is the foundation of well-being and effective functioning for the individual and for the community.

The World Health Organization identifies the following criteria for mental health:

• An awareness and sense of the continuity, permanence and identity of one's physical and mental self.
• a sense of permanence and identity of experiences in the same type of situations.
• criticality to oneself and one's own mental products (activity) and its results.
• correspondence of mental reactions (adequacy) to force and frequency of environmental influences, social circumstances and situations.
• the ability to self-manage behavior in accordance with social norms, rules, and laws.
• the ability to plan your own life activities and implement these plans.
• the ability to change the way we behave in response to changing life situations and circumstances.

Normal mental health is understood as the harmonious development of the psyche, corresponding to age, the age norm of a given person. The favorable functional state is considered as a complex of characteristics and functions providing effective performance by the person of the tasks facing him in various spheres of life activity. One of the leading indicators of mental functional state is mental performance, which integrates the main characteristics of the psyche - perception, attention, memory, etc.

High mental performance is one of the main indicators of mental health and an important indicator of a favorable functional state of the body as a whole.

Highlighting the psychological problems people have in the workplace and informing them how to cope with them helps to increase stress tolerance and improve mental health.

We invite you to get acquainted with doctors' recommendations on how to be happy at your job.

1. Wake up earlier-at least an hour before you leave the house for work, enjoy some time to yourself before the busy day begins. Give yourself time to eat breakfast in peace, go for a run, or do whatever helps you start your day in a positive way. Nothing will help you improve your mood like the thought of doing something nice for yourself personally.
2. Dress well.When you leave the house in a good mood and ready to work, then you are on your way to a successful day. Looking good will make you feel good. Even if you are very tired from work, look in the mirror, pull yourself together and energize yourself by starting the day right.
3. Leave your personal problems at home. It's hard to feel happy at work if you're going through arguments, worried about your health, or bogged down with household chores, so it's important to learn to put your problems aside and try to solve them in your free time. Don't solve your personal problems during the work day. If you try to solve your problems and try to work at the same time, you will have double the stress, as you will worry about how to find time to do both.
4. Get to work early. Hurrying and being late will minimize your chances of having a good day at work. If you come to work late, you will be short of time all the time. That's why we recommend leaving home early.
5. Say hello to your coworkers when you come to work. As soon as you walk in the door, greet as many colleagues as you can before you start your work day. That way you'll feel a rush of energy. You may be nervous, rushed, or just plain annoyed, but isolating yourself from your coworkers will not make you enjoy your work. Instead, be friendly, even if your mood isn't at all.
6. Organize your workplace to your liking. The employer provides the minimum working conditions needed for the employee, and your task is to provide yourself with maximum comfort and convenience. When organizing your workplace, everything matters: colors, ergonomics, details, and even the chair on which you have to sit for several hours a day. And this is where it makes sense to fight for your comfort. Surround yourself with nice little things: bright details, personal items, a photo of a loved one, unless, of course, this is excluded by company rules. A piece of home comfort gives a person a sense of security and psychological comfort.
7. Complete simple tasks as quickly as possible. If possible, complete the tasks required of you at once. Remember that any completed task brings a sense of accomplishment and, as a result, job satisfaction.
8. Be proud of your work. Whatever work you do, be proud of the contribution you make. Even if you think most of your work is monotonous, find something to be proud of.
9. Be physically active at work. Even if you are constantly sitting at your desk or standing in the same position, there are many exercises that can help you increase your physical activity during the work day. This will energize you and make you feel better. You can walk to work instead of transport, take the stairs instead of the elevator, walk into a coworker's office to ask a question instead of making a phone call.
10. Get your workspace in order. All the things on your desk should be neatly stacked so that you don't have to waste your time looking for any particular document. A desk drawer will help you organize your tasks for today, the week, and the rest of the month. Take just 10 minutes a day to organize your workplace, and you will feel how much easier it will be for you to enjoy your work.
11. Take breaks. If you want to be happier in your workplace, you need to take occasional breaks from your work. Studies show that it's important to take small breaks every hour: step away from your computer or any other task you're currently doing, rest your eyes, stretch, take a walk. Getting out into the fresh air once in a while will help you feel happier throughout the workday.
12. Avoid multitasking. If you think that doing several tasks at once will help you finish your work faster, you're wrong. It will only slow you down. If you end your work day by leaving all tasks undone, you will have a greater sense of incompleteness than if you had finished several tasks. It helps to make a to-do list at the beginning of the day and then cross the completed tasks off of it.
13. Stay away from groupings. It is especially important to avoid groups between employees: negativity will reduce your energy and block joy and positive thoughts. At work, be friendly with everyone, instead of joining a group of three or four people and distancing yourself from others. Try to maintain good relationships with everyone, regardless of social status or position on the job ladder, and your joy at work will increase.
14. Don't neglect your meal time. Use your lunch time to rest and eat, not to work. This will give you the energy to keep going. During the day, spoil yourself with light and healthy snacks: fruit, nuts, unsweetened yogurt, etc. They will lift your spirits and increase your work efficiency.
15. Smile!Even if you feel annoyed and frustrated at your workplace, try to smile! It's proven to improve your mood and help you feel happier. If you are dissatisfied with everything, constantly complaining or speaking negatively to your colleagues, you are guaranteed to feel even worse.
16. Find meaning in your work. One important way to feel happier at work is to find meaning in it. If you struggle to find meaning, your work will be filled with boredom and monotony, and that is tiring.
17. Think about the people who need you. When you are frustrated at work, take a short break and think about the people you help or depend on. Think about what happens if you don't show up for work. Someone might get hurt or not know what to do. Remind yourself of how valuable you are every time doubts about your work start to creep into your soul.
18. Reward yourself for a job well done. Not only your productivity is important, but also your psychological health. If you want to be happy at work, give yourself small gifts for successful work days. Find those moments that motivate you to finish your work quickly and efficiently and use them as gifts after completing difficult tasks. Rewards will also provide you with the expectation of something different during a difficult day, and you can work more energetically and efficiently.
19. Make time for your friends and family. No matter how busy you are, it's important to make time for the people closest to you. If you spend all your energy on work, you won't be able to stop and enjoy life. You will feel better at work if your personal life is filled with love, family values, and strong friendships.

The main thing is to persevere toward your goal, and remember that happiness at work, at home, or anywhere else depends only on you! Happiness is the way you think and make conscious decisions. Take care of yourself!