Love your Job
Feeling stuck in a job you don’t love at all in this tough economy? Good news: There are tricks you can use to make your day go better and easier ̶ ̶ so much so that before you know it, you’ll actually enjoy going to work (or at the very least, mind it lots less)! The keys? Just:

Say “hi” to more co-workers!
A recent study found that liking and getting along with your co-workers is even more vital job satisfaction than liking what you do! And in one Gallup poll, people who said they have a good friend at work reported being an impressive seven times happier with their jobs! How to expand your workplace social circle? “Just start by saying ‘hi’ to more people each day at work,” advises Micha R. Sadigh, Ph.D., an associate professor of psychology at Cedar Crest College in Allentown Pennsylvania. “You’ll signal that you’re friendly, someone whom others would enjoy chatting with.”

Rub your “brain buttons”!
For thousands of years, practitioners of Eastern acupressure have been massaging twin energy points right under the collarbone to promote calmer, clearer thinking. Scientists have confirmed it works, “probably because it engages both sides of the brain, a factor linked to enhanced energy and problem-solving,” says Dorothea Hover-Kramer, E.D., R.N., author of Second Chance at Your Dream. In one study, kids diagnosed with ADD did significantly better in school after rubbing what they called their “brain buttons.”

How to find yours!
With a thumb and forefinger, look for the twin knobs on each side of the indentation below your neck, then keep moving until you locate the hollows just below and to the outside of each them. Rub there 30 seconds whenever you feel tense or angry, and you’ll feel cooler and more collected!

Get a cactus!
You’ve probably heard that keeping a plant near your workspace brightens your mood by increasing the oxygen around you. And Swiss research finds that a cactus has the added benefit of counteracting any harmful electromagnetic effects emitted by devices like computers and copy machines. In one study, worn-out employees reported more energy and fewer headaches after a cactus was placed by their computer screens. Scientists think that because cacti are native to harsh desert conditions, they evolved to counteract threats like solar radiation. ̶ ̶ Barbara Hustedt Crook

Ask yourself why you like your job!
You know how helpful affirmations like “I love my job” can be. But it can’t work if you don’t believe what you’re saying! So try this, suggests Noah St. John, Ph. D., author of The Secret Code of Success: Instead of repeating a statement you may have trouble accepting, ask yourself, “What are some good things about my job?” Automatically, your subconscious will search for reasons— anything from the income to the fact that it gets you out of the house! And because they’re your reasons, they’ll more effectively reshape your brain and outlook.

Change your password
Most of us type in password about half a dozen times during workday, says Noelle Nelson, Ph.D., author of The Power of Appreciation in Business. “The message a password sends is constantly in your face. If that message is an upbeat one that reflects positive feelings, like ‘greatjob’ or ‘workisgood’, your subconscious will get a little every time you turn on your computer, and so will you!”

Fidget a bit!
Is boredom making it hard to concentrate on the task at hand ̶ ̶ or you’re so overloaded you’re not sure where to begin? If you can’t take a break to regroup, simply tap your foot or fiddle with a desk toy, suggest organization coach Ali Kaufman (findspaceofmind.com). Even small, nonaerobic motions like these have been found to boost levels of the brain hormone norepinephrine, associated with improved concentration, she says. And the better your focus, the faster and easier your day will breeze by!