Office Tips

When it comes to Office, we've been there, done that, now serving 328 tips in 17 categories ranging from Career to Telephone.

How can I eat better during the work day?

Trade in That Bran Muffin

Most coffee stand muffins are gigantic and pack a suprising amount of calories and fat. For 1/4 of the calories, choose a cup of bran flakes instead of that bran muffin. If there's no time to eat cereal before you leave for work, put the cereal into a container and take it with you. Mix it with a cup of low- or non-fat yogurt for a healthy breakfast that's not too messy to eat at your desk.

   
How can I beat the blues?

Combat the Winter Blues

The Winter Blues (aka Seasonal Affective Disorder [SAD]) is a syndrome that can reduce our productivity. Combat those winter doldrums by making sure your office is well lit and keeping it as bright as possible. This is especially important for home office workers who may be working in a dark area of their home such as a basement or den with no windows. First thing each morning, turn on the lights and open the curtains.

   
How can I get more done at work?

Zap Procrastination

When you feel overwhelmed by too much to do, it can be debilitating and keep you from doing anything. Of course, this just results in a larger backlog of undone tasks. How to break the cycle? Pick ONE thing that is the most important and just do it. Example: don't shuffle those unpaid bills to the bottom of the in box again. Sit down and pay them. Don't move that complicated research project to a pending file, open it up and get started. Doing one thing improves your esteem as you stop focusing on something negative (the un-done things) and gives you a great sense of accomplishment.

   
How can I be more healthy?

Online Help for Weight Loss

Researchers from Brown Medical School have found that online diet help is very successful. Over six months, those with access to diet and exercise information from the Internet, lost an average of 3 pounds. Further, those who had interactive mentoring (e-mail) lost as much as 9 pounds.

   
How can I handle stress better?

Become More Resilient

Experts believe that personal resilience may in part be a matter of genetics, but even if we`re not "born" resilient, we may be able to improve our resilience. They key lies in strengthening our belief in ourself. Resilient people are able to externalize blame and internalize success. The more healthy our psyche, the better our success in today`s working world.

   
How can I be more organized at work?

Color Coded Document Routing

Use different colored folders for different types of mail or documents that are routed in your office. For example:

  • a yellow folder for new mail that has been received, opened and date stamped;
  • a red folder for items requiring signature;
  • a green folder for financial documents such as bank statements, or check requests;
    etc.

    The color coded folders will help busy office workers know at a glance which items require immediate attention.

       
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    Jennifer Mathes, Ph.D.