Evidence suggests that we are more likely to form good workplace habits when they connect with our sense of identity.
Although stress is a part of our modern lives, not dealing with it properly can wreck your physical and mental health. It is important to find ways to reduce stress and calm, especially at your workplace, to keep this proverbial monkey off your back.
The ability to deal with stress is not something that can be learned in a day or a month. Your mental well-being is the summation of the positive effects of several good habits that you inculcate in your life.
We are creatures of habit, and good or bad, your habits will have a lot of say in your overall well-being. Inculcating good workplace habits takes a lot of hard work, patience, and discipline. But if you are successful in inculcating good habits in your routine at work, it can have an immensely positive change on your mental well-being.
Good habits vs. bad habits
It is important to distinguish between good habits vs. bad habits. Knowing good from bad is the first step toward starting good workplace habits that will make you more productive and efficient. While good habits have a positive physical and emotional impact, bad habits can disturb your mental well-being.
Quitting bad habits in the workplace is as difficult as adopting good ones. There is a constant war between good habits vs. bad habits in your daily life. It is crucial to cultivate good habits and shun the bad ones for a productive life.
Top five good workplace habits
1. Avoid multitasking
It is important to realize that you are not a multi-tasker; no one is. Relying on multitasking is a bad habit in the workplace. Several studies have shown that multitasking is bad for your productivity; it is also not good for your mental well-being. Rather than relying on multitasking, use time blocking to focus on one task at a time. Concentrating on one task can enhance your productivity and reduce stress and improve mental well-being.
2. Learn to say no
Always saying yes to responsibilities is a particularly bad habit in the workplace. It is okay to decline an additional burden if your plate is already full. Many people think that saying no would make them less of a team player and make them sound arrogant and boorish. On the contrary, saying no will help your colleagues and managers understand your boundaries and help you extract the most from your efforts.
3. Pat yourself on the back every so often
It is important to celebrate small victories as well. Your superiors might not be able to congratulate you for accomplishing a smaller milestone, but you can. Patting yourself for a job well done relieves the stress and gives you positive reinforcement that helps you propel ahead.
4. Improve time management
Time management is one of the challenges of the workplace for many. With so much going around you, it is easy to lose track of time and have a ton of backlog. Managing your time well will keep the stress away, allowing you to be more productive. For some people, time management does not come easy, and you might have to work hard on it, but it pays handsomely if done right.
5. Declutter your workplace
Having a lot of clutter on your workstation is as bad as having it in your mind. Your physical work environment greatly impacts your productivity, mental health, and efficiency. People working in a cluttered environment find it difficult to feel in control and report having higher anxiety levels.
To conclude
Many good workplace habits will help you be more productive and efficient; however, it takes time to build them. Consistency is the name of the game. If you keep working at it, success is inevitable. It is okay to lose track for a while, but the goal should be to get back on track quickly.