Ahhhh, Fridays. The gateway to good times. The fast track to fun. But Fridays are still a workday: You want to be productive, feel good about your accomplishments, and be proud of your work before you close the office door behind you and head out for the weekend (assuming you are lucky enough to leave work behind on Saturdays and Sundays).
Sometimes we are so eager to reach the weekend that every hour of Friday seems to pass with a tick-tock of slow torture. We’ve come up with 10 hacks to make the most of your Friday. Make it productive and fun; collaborative and a little bit relaxing. Leave us your own tips for a happy Friday in the “Comments” section below.
1. Don’t skip breakfast
Eat a healthy meal and follow these 7 other science-backed tips for a happy morning
2. Dress for success
Wear your happy socks.
3. Listen to music
Put on your favorite happy playlist or comedy podcast on the way into work to prime yourself for happiness.
4. Get the tough stuff done first
Tackle your thorniest projects early in the day to get them out of the way. Done and done!
5. Get moving
Go to the gym at lunch or take a walk with your office buddies. Moving our bodies makes us happier.
6. Send a thank-you email to a colleague
It won’t just make the recipient feel better—it will make you feel better, too.
7. Daydream
Spend a few minutes thinking about all the fun things you’re going to do over the weekend. (Research shows that just anticipating fun or a trip is almost as good as having fun. Your brain can hardly tell the difference!)
8. Take a breather
Take a short meditation break with your co-workers. It’s a great team-building exercise, a break from work and a relaxation practice all in one. If you’d prefer to do something at your desk, here are some free guided meditations from the UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center.
9. Clear off your desk
A clean desk can help you think in a more organized way as well, some experts say. When you come in on Monday morning, everything will be sparkling and fresh, just waiting for you to get to work.
10. Start Happy Hour early!
Emily Wise Miller is the web editor for LiveHappy.com.
