HOW TO STAY HAPPY DURING A LONG WORK DAY

How many people do you know that work 10 to 12 hours a day or 50-60 hours a week or more?  More and more people seem to be burning the candle at both ends to get their job done.  With companies having to cut jobs the work that has to get done must get delegated to other individuals.  This makes the task of working an 8 hour day almost impossible.  Well the hard reality is that the work has to get done.  The hope is that you and your coworkers can get through the long days with some sense of normalcy.  

This brings up the question of how do we stay happy during a long shift at work?  One of the most important things is a positive attitude.  Everyone at work knows its going to be a long day, but your attitude going into the day sets your day up for how it will go.  Your positive attitude will also rub off on other coworkers.  Keeping it light around the office or shop makes the day seem to go by more quickly.  Stay away from the Debbie downers and the gossips.  If you have to interact with them, try and change the subject to a more positive subject.

Eating well and staying hydrated is very important as well.  It is easy during a long day to go and hit the vending machine.  But plan ahead and pack some heathy snacks.  Keep them located close by to have easy access to them.  Eating small meals throughout the day including fruits and vegetables, nuts, and other energy boosting snacks will help you keep your energy levels up and you will see a significant increase in your attitude and alertness.  Drinking water throughout the day will help as well.  An individual should get half of their weight in ounces of water a day.  Not getting enough water can lead to headaches, irritability and other negative health issues.  Make sure you have a water bottle at your desk or near your work station and set a reminder if you need to, to drink water throughout the day.  

Get enough sleep!!  No one likes a cranky person in the morning, so getting 7-8 hours of sleep is very important.  Try to stay away from portable devices and TV right before bed as the artificial light can disrupt your sleep cycle.

Exercise…now you are thinking to yourself, how am I going to fit in exercise with these long hours?  Taking a 10 minute walk outside if you can during your breaks will help.  Doing some simple exercises during your work day, especially if you are sitting all day, will help keep your neck and back in check.  We can never say it enough, but make sure to get up and move around several times a day if you do have a job that requires you to sit most of the time. 

Lastly, lend a helping hand.  You are all in the same boat!  If you see a coworker having a bad day, ask them if you can help them in some way or cheer them up with a pep talk or good joke.  They will appreciate it and will probably return the favor!  

Long days can be hard but they don’t always have to be miserable.  Keep a positive attitude and hey if you can, turn on Pharrell’s Happy song!  That always gets the crew in a happy mood!!

Vivian Plummer-Benzick, LPTA

Zimmerman Physical Therapy