If Blue Monday’s had you tumbling out of bed to face a horrendous commute, the words to 9 to 5 may well be ringing in your ears at this moment.  But by making just a few small adjustments, you can transform the 9-5 from daily grind to feats of greatness. The simple strategies below will help you conquer those daily challenges guaranteed to make you crazy if you let them.

Pour yourself a cup of ambition and let’s get this show on the road.

Mick Farrell Spectators Dolly Parton Show

For service and devotion: From the time the traffic starts jumping, what part of your day makes you most stressed? Take five minutes to mentally run through your working day from the moment you tumble out of bed to the time you shut the door. If it’s close encounters with folks on the Central Line that gets your teeth gnashing, leave them all behind with a simple one minute meditation.  Close your eyes, breathe deeply and imagine relaxing on the warm sands of a Thai beach for an instant positivity booster which will transport you a million miles from the horrors of the rush hour crush.

If it’s the sheer volume of work, force yourself to focus on only one task at a time. Why? because concentrating on only one thing naturally slows the body down and releases the stress and strains associated with multi-tasking.  Contrary to what we’re led to believe, trying to juggle many different tasks at once makes us less efficient and can lead to longterm harmful effects on the brain.

Ben Hussman Office

Watch your ship come in: When facing seemingly insurmountable tasks, do you automatically dwell on the worst possible outcome? It’s ironic how often the thought of something proves to be much worse than the reality.

Mental rehearsal (otherwise known as visualisation) is a tried-and-tested technique employed by top athletes to enhance motivation, increase confidence and prime the brain for success. When you jump in the shower, visualise a productive morning where your presentation leaves your boss speechless with awe.  Enjoy a relaxing lunch break, savouring the flavours of delicious food in the congenial company of colleagues who adore you. Round it off with an afternoon filled with stimulating meetings which leave you brimming with creative solutions to age-old problems. Already choking on your cup of ambition? Even just a minute will boost your outlook and mood for the day. Give it a go and the results may surprise you.

Top tip: If you suffer from sleepless nights before presentations or events, try the same technique just before you drop off.

It’s all taking and no giving: Being thankful for the simple fact of having a job may be a tall order when yet another urgent last-minute task lands on your desk at 5.00pm. Being able to express gratitude at the most challenging times is a powerful way of stopping your mind naturally fixating on everthing that’s wrong. Described as a “psychological immune system for moments of crisis“, veering away from the “boss is out to get me” mindset reduces stress and motivates you to get on with the task in hand. Don’t dwell on the perceived injustice, imagine instead the weekend in Paris which this little task will fund and you’ll be out of there in a jiffy.

cliph Work tasks

Move ahead: Do you often leave work with that sinking feeling of having got nothing done? Are there particular tasks on your to do list that fill you with fear and loathing? Doing the worst things first helps you tackle difficult tasks when you’re fresh and avoids the energy-sapping thoughts that come with putting them off. The satisfaction of having dealt these tasks a hefty blow early on also boosts your mood and productivity for the rest of the day. If you’re prone to procrastination, give the power hour a whirl and challenge yourself to do a full day’s work in sixty minutes. You never know you may just get that fat promotion for all your service and devotion after all.

Do you know any better techniques that make the 9 to 5 work for you?   I would love to hear your thoughts.