Feel good Friday

Today is 'Feel Good Friday'! Organised by the Samaritans the aim is to fundraise while having fun with your co-workers. While it may be too late to organise a big event, it is certainly still possible to do something fun with your colleagues.

Studies have shown that workplace friendships generally improve productivity and office morale. While it is important to remain professional, knowing you have emotional support from someone going through the same struggles can help you cope with the stresses of work. Additionally, office friendships provide practical support by sharing knowledge and helping one another with the workload.

It is clearly important to establish and maintain healthy relationships at work, both for personal and professional support. Inspired by 'Feel Good Friday' here are our top tips to boost office morale:

• Organise a 'dress down Friday'. This can make co-workers more relaxed and give an insight into their personality. You could even make it sponsored and donate to charity providing an extra 'feel good boost'. 
• Do a group exercise class during your lunch break or after work. Exercise promotes interaction in a focused manner as there are few distractions during the workout. Something like Zumba or Salsa dancing is fun, which will create a bond between you and your colleagues and is a great way to stick to any new year’s weight loss resolutions! 
• Start group lunches. Each of you could bring a small contribution or you could take it in turns to bring lunch for everyone. Food has the capacity to bring people together and may also be a great way to save money. 
• Talk to your boss about bringing in your, or another colleague’s, dog. It is long established that pets can reduce stress among individuals or groups. 
• Laugh together. Whether it's visiting a comedy club after work or sponsoring your boss to dress as something silly, laughter is the best way to bring people together and will make you feel fantastic. 

Enjoying your job is important both for your mental health and your productivity and good relationships with coworkers is a key factor in this. If you would like to donate to Samaritans or take part in feel good Friday you can follow this link: http://www.samaritans.org/.