Working Happier

In the December/January issue of AARP’s magazine, Meghan Bogardus listed eight ways to work happier. Yes, I’m old enough to be a card carrying member of AARP. I’m listing the eight ways she suggested.

 One:   An orderly workplace, according to University of Minnesota researchers encourages safe, conventional thinking. A messy environment, on the other hand, can inspire more creative thinking. 

As you might have guessed, I don't work at this desk.

Since I’m not always into safe conventional thinking  which is why I don’t have my writing income and expenses in order yet for my income tax lady, I can blame it on my messy working environment. However, I have been getting a lot of creative writing done this winter including poetry, essays, blogs, and my latest book in process.

Two:   Exposure to natural daylight improves sleep habits and quality of life. Workers in offices with windows get an average of 46 more minutes of sleep per night than their windowless colleagues do. They also report higher quality of life and get more exercise during the day. 

This is definitely a plus for me. I work at home and all the windows in my house are open to natural daylight. I don’t have blinds or heavy drapes.

Three:  Indoor plants don’t just improve air quality (and look pretty); having live plants in the office has been found to decrease stress and enhance productivity by 12 percent. 

The front window in my living room.

Another plus for me since I not only have extensive gardens outside, every room in my house that has a window – excluding one bathroom – has houseplants in it. The only downside not mentioned is they do take a lot of time keeping watered. But what the heck, if it makes me healthier it’s worth the time spent.

Four:   How about the ol’ liquid lunch? Employers these days typically frown on drinking during working hours, but one small study of young male subjects found that those with a .075 percent blood alcohol level (that’s just shy of the .08 legal limit) bested sober subjects in creative problem solving. 

Well, that lets me out. Except for the occasional glass of wine at my sister-in-law’s home or one of my book clubs I don’t drink any alcoholic beverages. Wine makes me sleepy so I can’t imagine it spiking my creative juices. I’ve never noticed myself being particularly wittier at the book club or my sister-in-law’s home after a glass of wine, either.

Five:   Sitting for more than four hours a day increases the odds of developing cancer, diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure. But standing desks pose their own risks, from varicose veins to carpal tunnel syndrome. A treadmill desk might be best: One study found that those who walked during the workday lost weight and enjoyed productivity gains after one year.  

I have no room in my house a treadmill. I do walk almost every morning and get up after an hour or less on the computer, but I’m afraid most days I spend more than four hours of sitting. If it's not working on my writing, it’s sitting comfortably in my nesting chair reading and listening to music in the evenings or once a week watching the series of mysteries Thursday nights on PBS. Of course, during warmer weather I sit less since I have gardening and mowing to do.

Six:    Pet dogs in the workplace can reduce stress, improve morale, boost collaboration and raise efficiency. 

Maggie Chewing on her stuffed platypus with treats inside.

Well, I not only have my collie, Maggie, I also have two house cats, a canary and two ancient ring-necked African doves that I’m beginning to think will live forever. So my morale and efficiency should be boosted, but since I work alone, the collaboration is not an issue. However, they don’t take into account that dogs, especially, can disturb a writer’s train of thought when they decide they want attention.

Seven:  The sad sandwich-at-your-desk routine is definitely bad for your emotional well-being. Go out for lunch with a friend to promote office harmony and creativity. But if you work with numbers, eating at your desk might cut down on mistakes.  

Where I eat my sad-sandwich-at-lunch with veggies.

Hmmm. I had to think about this. I don’t work in an office with others so I do eat that sad sandwich-at-my desk which is really my library/dining room/office table. And I also fix veggies to go with the sandwich and enjoy reading my daily paper then. I don’t work with anymore numbers than absolutely necessary like paying bills and balancing my checkbook.

Eight:  Most workers who listen to music on the job complete tasks quicker and come up with better ideas than their music free colleagues do.  Plus, tunes reduce stress, especially when you choose the music yourself.  

This is only a few of the many CD's I have.

Okay, I love music, but after I turn off the morning news or unless I’m driving somewhere, I prefer a quiet house when I’m working. Of course, I enjoy hearing Pavarotti, my canary singing or wild bird songs when the windows are open. But, as I mentioned above, most of my evenings are spent listening to music. I have quite an extensive eclectic collection of CD’s and go to at least one or two concerts every month.

What advice will I take from the above list? Maybe get up from the computer more often and exercise or maybe do more cleaning. I’m not going to switch from coffee to wine after lunch. I know how tired it makes me, and I already fight an afternoon slump. I eat lunch with friends at least once a month with one of my book clubs – not the wine drinking one. I may put a CD on in the afternoon, too. Something that makes me want to get up and dance, although I can’t dance and write, too. But overall that’s enough change for me.

Is this you when you  take a brief break from working?

What about you? How happy do you work? Does this list give you an idea for changes you could make?