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Prevent Fatigue
9. Set your watch or computer alarm to go off every hour. This will be your signal throughout the day to take a break, get up and stretch, walk around the building, etc.10. Sit up straight. One common cause of fatigue, carpal tunnel syndrome, and back pain is our tendency to slump while we're typing or sitting. Every time your alarm beeps or your phone rings, consider it a reminder to straighten that back, throw back those shoulders, and lift up that neck.
11. Loosen your tie (if you're wearing one). Researchers at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary found that tighter ties increased eye pressure, a risk factor for glaucoma.
12. Spend a few moments sparking your creativity. Here's a good way if you have a computer. Each morning, pick a random word or name. It could be "Eduardo," or "shad roe," or "aquamarine." Spend five minutes exploring the word on the Internet. (Is there an "aquamarine.com" Web site? Yes -- it's all about a modern fish farm.) Don't have a computer? Then pick up a dictionary, open it to a random page, and look for interesting words. Creative exercises like these blow the night's cobwebs from your mind and set your brain up to embrace new information -- even in a job you've been doing for years.
13. Record your message for the day. Effective use of voice mail "can eliminate many inefficiencies concerning business communications," says Marilyn Chalupa, a business education and office administration professor at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. Her advice: Change your message each day, and make it specific and useful. For instance, you might leave a message saying that you're in the office, but in meetings most of the day, and so won't be returning calls until the next morning. Or you could leave a message saying that you're in the office, but working on a major project all day, and will only be checking messages at lunch and 4 p.m. You can even leave a voice mail for one person if you know someone is calling for specific information. Some phone mail systems enable you to leave this information in a separate place on your voice mail.
14. Plug in your cell phone as soon as you get to work. That way, it's fully charged and ready to go regardless of what happens the rest of your day.
15. Start your day with a cup of hot cocoa while you tackle your most creative work. Research finds that one cup of cocoa a day for five days can increase blood flow in the brain, hands, and legs, and helps regulate blood pressure. Choose a brand that isn't loaded with sugar or hydrogenated oil, such as Ghirardelli's.
16. Get to work an hour before everyone else. That precious hour of calm -- before the e-mails start pouring in, the phone starts ringing, and the problems start piling up -- is more valuable than diamonds in terms of your overall work performance and accomplishments. An added bonus: You'll get to leave early.
17. Find a compliment you've received from a coworker, boss, or client via e-mail, print it out, and tape it inside your top drawer. Whenever you're feeling overwhelmed, discouraged, or useless, open the drawer and take a peek to remind you of what others think of your abilities.
18. Keep fresh flowers or plants at work. A study from Texas A&M University found that live plants increased creative thinking.
19. Block off 30 minutes on your calendar at the end of the day. This might seem like a strange thing to do when you're ending your day, but this is your time to begin your transition from work to home. During this last half hour of your day, you'll finish answering any e-mail, update your to-do list for the next day, and clean off your desk.
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