MIND�� ........... SHIFT YOU R WOR K V IBE

�� ........................ LIGHTS! PL A N TS! ACTION!

�� .................... YOU R FI V E BIG GEST H A NG �U PS�SOLV ED

�� ............................. MOR E BR E A KS, LESS FOMO

The best place to work in America? It might just be where you are right now, and if it’s not, you can change that. Here’s how to manage your mental health and promote well-being—no overtime required!

OFFICE SPACE �YOUR NEW HAPPY PLACE!�

MEN’S HEALTH / May ���� 63

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72%feel that their

job is pretty

much okay

Our days at the o� ice

seem more positive than

negative, or at least

fairly neutral. That’s a

far cry from being great.

When’s the last time you

settled for doing things

“just okay,” anyway?

Some stress

is natural if

you’re being

challenged and

growing. If you

feel stressed

and unheard?

Time to switch

things up.

feel they have the

power to change the

things they don’t like

���

HOW I MAKE IT WORK:

NAME: SERGEANT RICH WEINER AGE: 49

OCCUPATION: SWAT HOSTAGE NEGOTIATOR, COLUMBUS, OHIO

MANAGING EXTREME CONFLICT

THE MAJORITY OF THE TIME, we bring hope and a calm voice to someone on un-

doubtedly the worst day of their life, decreasing their stress level and reducing the

potential for violence. But sometimes you believe you’re making progress only to have

the subject take their life, kill a victim, or, God forbid, kill a member of your team. What

helps us keep doing it is that we debrief after every incident, identifying what we did

right and what we can do better. The next step is to rely on each other for support. The

third is not to forget what we’ve accomplished.�—As told to Joshua David Stein

W E’RE LIVING in the Golden Age of Work, and even if it feels like our daily lives are a

grind, consider the facts: The average worker spends less time at their desk than they did just � ve years ago. Work shifts have dropped from around ten hours a day to more like eight and a half, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Bonus: America’s low unemploy-ment rate means companies are eager to keep you, and there’s plenty of tech- fueled � exibility for when, where, and how we work. (A recent Gallup poll shows that a record-high number of Americans feel engaged with what they do.)

All of which raises the classic water-cooler question: How is your day going? To � nd the honest answer, Men’s Health surveyed more than 1,000 men about their mental well-being in the workplace. Turns out, more than 70 percent of us feel that our jobs are more good than bad, or at least somewhat neutral. In terms of TV tropes, most people compared their o� ce to either Parks & Recreation or Friends, as opposed to Game of Thrones.

All that sounds pretty good, but only because it’s not so bad. The truth is that just less than 20 percent of guys really love their job . It appears four in � ve of us have simply settled. Roughly three quarters of men say they cur-rently work to live, trading time for the almighty paycheck. And yeah, there’s record-high engagement, but the vast majority of Americans still say they aren’t fully satis� ed.

Obviously, there’s plenty of room for

work-culture improvement. For instance, only 42 percent of MH survey respon-dents feel like they’re recognized when they crush it at their current job. Only 45 percent feel they have the power to change the things they don’t like. While most of us believe it should be okay to

discuss our mental health at work, most also say that the � rst impulse when experiencing stress is to hide it. Here are two stats that clearly highlight a Golden Age blind spot: Most of us would not feel comfortable sharing mental-health issues with our managers, and most of us haven’t ever taken a mental-health day.

All of which should raise another question. You probably don’t compromise in your relationships, your workouts, or even what you eat for dinner. Why should

work be any di� erent? It doesn’t have to be. And changing that doesn’t have to be stressful, either. In the following pages, we share both how to change your literal o� ce space to encourage more happiness and more productivity and how to reframe your interactions with coworkers and un-woke bosses to counter burnout and create your own bonuses. Any job can be a dream job, if you manage it correctly. —BEN PAYNTER

BELIEVE DIS�

CUSSING MENTAL

HEALTH AT WORK

SHOULD BE OKAY

But when stressed

out, most men say

their �irst impulse is

to hide it. Less than

half have ever taken

a mental-health day.

FEEL THEY’RE RECOGNIZED

WHEN CRUSHING IT AT THEIR JOB

In fact, more men

�ind that doing

good work just

leads to either

more work or total

crickets.

���42%

1 in 5 surveyed

loves their job

It appears four in �ive of us have just set-

tled. Around three quarters of men say they

currently work to live, not live to work.

ILLUSTRATION BY DOUG CHAYKA

Men at WorkWe asked 1,000-plus men how they feel on the job. The great news? Most of us like our jobs fine. The not-great news: That’s not good enough.

M I N D

64 May ���� / MEN’S HEALTH

YOU SPEND ALL DAY IN YOUR OFFICE, so why not let that work to your advan-tage? By setting up your workspace right, you can actually boost your mood and productivity. To prove it, Men’s Health editor-in-chief Rich Dorment asked the world’s top o� ce-design and productivity experts to remake his drab outpost in the Hearst tower.

The result is sleek but comfortable, playing into what Verda Alexander, a cofounder of Studio O+A who’s worked with both Slack and Nike, calls “pos-itive friction.” The best o� ces keep you feeling motivated and e� cient but don’t trick you into staying any longer than you have to. Skip the shiny foosball table and try these evidence- backed strategies.

S M A R T L I G H T I N G

The Dyson Lightcycle lamp glows

with daylight-like brightness to

cut glare that can cause eye

strain. It syncs with an app so that

you can choose different levels of

illumination based on how calm

or energized you’d like to feel.

($599; dyson.com)

2

A S P I R A T I O N A L A R T

The elements in this wall mosaic

were curated from the Men’s

Health archive. Dorment chose

images from stories that inspired

him and sent them to Framebridge,

an online company that lets you

design your own layout. It then

resizes, frames, and ships the

pictures along with a wall map.

($950; framebridge.com)

1

F U N C T I O N A L F U R N I T U R E

Alexander leans into versatility and

likes to pair a round center table for

meetings with a small side desk for

your computer. Dorment’s of�ice is

surrounded by communal spaces,

so he chose a modular desk ($699;

article.com) with cabinets that can

be shifted as needed ($429 each).

The setup lets him greet visitors and

look out his window without ever

turning his back to either.

3

C A L M C A R P E T

Mohawk Group’s ChillD carpet

looks ultramodern but mimics

Mother Nature’s inherent fractal

patterns, which are repeated in

everything from plant fronds to

seashells and snow�lakes. So

you’ll subconsciously tap into the

emotional bene�its of being in

nature. That’s cush.

(Prices vary;

mohawkgroup.com)

4

1

2

3

Energize

YourO� ice

Shifting your workplace set-

up really can prime you to

succeed. Here’s our blueprint.

BY MAGGIE GINSBERG

PHOTOGRAPHS BY MIKE GARTEN

AFTER !AFTER !

BEFORE !BEFORE !

4

MEN’S HEALTH / May ���� 65

6 Science-Backed Tips for Scene Setting

OFFICE SPACE �YOUR NEW HAPPY PLACE!�

F I N A L T O U C H E S

Dorment’s Bluetooth sound system looks like a

vintage radio ($299; tivoliaudio.com), and the

large candle has an invigorating woodsy scent

($340; diptyqueparis.com). His shelves hold a

bulletin announcing his �irst promotion (he wrote

it himself) and tribute books—one to Muhammad

Ali, another to sneakerhead fandom. “They’re

little things that make me smile,” he says.

8

A R T A N D M U S I C

These sleek noise-

canceling headphones

($595; montblanc.com)

look like an art piece

alongside “Pasta Man,” a

prop from an MH photo

shoot. Dorment doesn’t

put up family photos—he

prefers to leave on time

and see his family IRL.

5

P L A N T P O W E R

The lounge area allows

Dorment both natural light

(go, circadian rhythm!) and

a serene view. This Nearly

Natural Fiddle Leaf Tree

($195; amazon.com) in a

West Elm standing planter

($179; westelm.com) is

fake but has real scienti�ic

bene�its. (See sidebar.)

6

T H E O P T I C A L I L L U S I O N

Dorment’s ergonomic chair

features a wooden back and is

made from eco-friendly,

chrome-free leather ($4,300;

humanscale.com). It faces a

framed diptych of palm fronds

that makes it feel like you’re

seeing part of a scene out of

two windows, even when

there aren’t any. ($410 each;

minted.com)

9

E X E R C I S E E Q U I P M E N T

The yoga mat, yellow

sneakers, handgrips, and

kettlebell scattered

around this of�ice are

functional, not just

decoration. Yes, they

really get used.

7

Making work feel easier is an actual job. Here’s what tactics experts like Studio O+A’s Alexander; psychologist Sally Augustin, Ph.D.; and Uyhun Ung, from the nonpro�it design �irm Ideas42, often deploy.

CREATE AN EPIC VIEW

Stanford researchers found that people who viewed pictures of jaw-dropping natural wonders like the Grand Canyon felt time slow and reported more patience. Position your own photos or images so you can zone out for a minute. A 60-second video clip also works.

POWER UP WITH PLANTS

Looking at green foliage (even if it’s fake!) can enhance creativity, increase calmness, lessen irritability, and restore mental energy. Cornell researchers found that indoor plants prevent fatigue during demanding work.

WIN WITH WOOD

Wooden furniture can create a naturally soothing e� ect, say Japanese researchers. Shoot for covering about 45 percent of a room’s surfaces. Too much wood actually increases anxiety.

ADD MORE AMBIENCE

Playing natural noise like a babbling brook is both men-tally refreshing and soothing, according to Brighton and Sussex Medical School researchers. More research says ambient co� ee-shop sounds may boost creativity.

SMELL LIKE SUCCESS

Scents like lemon and cinna-mon may elevate cognitive performance. (One corporate study even showed fewer typ-ing errors.) Try an unlit but still fragrant scented candle.

SHOW YOURSELF

Displaying a few photos of loved ones or trips can improve your mood, provide motivation, and signal your values to coworkers to build what Wharton professor Sigal Barsade, Ph.D., calls a positive “emotional culture.” Curated personal items work, too.

MIND

66 May ���� / MEN’S HEALTH

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GIVE PEOPLE CHOICESSurveys show that most workers do better when they have some control

over their environment. Rolling chairs and tables? Good. Standing desks add even more �lexibility and encourage good blood �low. (Our pick: VariDesk Pro Plus 36, $395)

SHIELD YOUR SPACEToo much eye contact can cause stress or distraction. Add privacy

and clear the air with peace lilies or snake plants. Lab tests show that

each helps �ilter toxins from plastic products and paint, respectively.

(Our pick: Costa Farms 3�Pack, $29)

MAKE YOUR OWN NOISEAmbient sounds can boost creative

cognition, University of Illinois researchers say, but too much is

distracting. Control the volume with noise-canceling headphones. You

can zone out or cue up a playlist. (Our pick: Bose 700, $399)

LIGHTEN UP University College London’s Living Lab raised productivity in its own

workspace by 20 percent in part by installing circadian-stimulating light-ing. Try your own daylight-mimicking

smart-bulb lamp. (Our pick: BenQ LED desk lamp, $189)

PLAN FOR GOOD POSTUREDon’t hunch over your laptop.

Elevating it to eye level will save your back and neck. Then you’ll need a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse. (Our picks: Roost Laptop Stand, $80; Logitech’s K380 keyboard,

$40; M720 Triathlon mouse, $50)

HOW I MAKE IT WORK:

NOM WAH TEA PARLOR is the oldest dim sum restaurant in

New York, and aside from dealing with the challenges of a

century- old building, we have a large menu and a tiny space with

a thousand moving parts and a legacy to uphold. I wish I could

do three things at 90 percent, but I’m doing ten at 30 percent.

It’s exhausting, but seeing the dining room full of people having

a good time, and knowing the opportunities we’ve given team

members, energizes me. I don’t think the day-to-day will ever not

be a headache, but I try to remember to pick my head up, pause

for a moment, and re�lect. —J.�D.�S.

NAME: WILSON TANG AGE: 41

OCCUPATION: RESTAURANT OWNER, NEW YORK CITY

RUNNING A HISTORIC BUSINESS

The Ultimate Workplace Hack

PLAN FOR GOOD POSTURE

5 Ways toOptimize theOpen O� iceMORE PEOPLE IN LESS SPACE!

Saved costs! More connections! Wo

r

k

p

la

c

e

s

y

n

e

r

g

y

!

These were the promises of the open

o� ice, but the reality is di� erent. Harvard

Business School researchers reported that

some �irms faced a 70 percent drop in face-

to-face interactions after switching to an

open �loor plan. Hot desking (a phrase mean-

ing “just sit anywhere”) also stresses people

out, according to a New Zealand study, and

they feel less supported by management.

When University of Sydney researchers

surveyed 300 open o� ices around the globe,

nearly half of the employees wanted more

privacy. The good news: All that is totally

�ixable without putting up walls again. Here’s

what open-o� ice thriver Alex George, editor-

in-chief of Po

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, suggests.

Sometimes you can’t change anythingabout where you work except yourown behavior. If so, it’s best to utilizeyour right to exercise before work, oreven on a short break. Bristol Universityresearchers found that employees whoexercised every other day reportedhaving better workdays on the daysthey worked out. They scored higherfor concentration, motivation, and,most important, clocking out on time.You don’t have to go hard—just go.

MEN’S HEALTH / May ���� 67

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OFFICE SPACE �YOUR NEW HAPPY PLACE!�

Make O� ice HellYour Heaven�.�.�.

S TAY W IT H T HE FLOW

Made the ask? Got the

new task? Then silence

all noti�ications, make

a pit stop, and grab cof-

fee (in that order only!).

Then pop on your head-

phones (the universal

“do not disturb” signal)

and set Slack to “in a

meeting” (if you can).

Five days on, two days off: The typical workweek sounds a lot like a devil’s bargain. Even at the best places, there are always points of stress between bosses and coworkers, long hours, and differ-ent expectations that have to be met. That endless cycle of tiny burns can feel more than a little hellish. In fact, we’ve identified five very specific circles of office hell—they’re a lot like Dante’s nine, except, you know, restructuring—and worked with experts to create a cheat sheet for rising above them. —Anna Maltby

DON’T BE THE FIRST

ONE TO SLACK

Being “always on” sounds

great, until someone decides

to one-up you. Then everyone’s

workday just keeps starting

earlier. Same with after-hours

emails. If you are working late,

schedule them for the A.M.

TAKE A REAL MENTAL�

HEALTH DAY

Plan ahead. Look forward to

that plan. Then tell your boss

you’re taking the day o� for all

those extra hours. (See page 68

for how.) Don’t have that kind

of boss? “Family emergency”

works, too. Just write down

which relatives you’re using.

TRY LUNCH EXPEDITIONS,

NOT DESK SAMMIES

If you buy lunch, you have no

excuse not to head outside,

because you have to leave the

o� ice. If you packed one, con-

grats: You’ve got even more free

time! Walking in the sunshine

will make you feel happier.

DON’T WORK SO MUCH ON

VACATION! SERIOUSLY.

You can check your email or

make a quick call, but try to only

redirect things. Make the most

of your o� time to come back re-

freshed. Just remember: You’re

teaching your colleagues to

remain productive without you!

SP O T T HE T RUE S T R E S S

In moments of irrita-

tion, ask yourself what

you wish were true in

the absence of that

annoyance. Would

your coworker’s ham-

handed typing bother

you if you already felt

productive? Not likely,

so time to refocus.

GE T IN THE ZONE

Allen says people

are happiest and do

their best work in the

“�low state”—a hyper-

focused time during

which you’re engaged

enough that hard work

feels easier. First, you

need a challenging

task—ask for one.

YOU’RE DISTR ACTED or just totally bored.

That’s not eternal torture, but it makes it pretty

hard to get good work done. Productivity ex-

pert David Allen, author of Getting Things

Done, says the real problem is “ambient anxi-

ety,” a low-level dread that comes from feeling

stuck and unful�illed. “You have this sense that

things just ought to be better,” he explains.

HOW I MAKE IT WORK:

NAME: J.T. CAMP AGE: 23

OCCUPATION: GRAVEDIGGER, ROCKMART, GEORGIA

DOING AN EXTREMELY EMOTIONAL JOB

MY DAD, David Camp, started Camp’s Grave Service, and I’ve been digging graves

my whole life. There ain’t a gravedigger or a funeral director out there who is used to

death. The job is emotional all the way around. But it makes me pay attention to what’s

important. All that materialistic stu� , you can lose that. But death is more powerful

than anything, and it’s an honor for us to be able to help put grieving families at ease.

We’re the last ones they’re going to see. We can’t wear suits, but we wear a nice pair of

jeans and a shirt with our slogan: “Treating each family like our own.” —J.�D.�S.

HOW I MAKE IT WORK:

NAME:

OCCUPATION:

LIMBO

GREED

Of�ice heaven this way

You work; they pay. Fair deal? Not when your employer asks for more than you’re able to give—or lets you take on too much. Beat burnout with these tips endorsed by Josh Cohen, Ph.D., the author of Not Work-ing: Why We Have to Stop.

MIND

68 May ���� / MEN’S HEALTH

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You’ve had it. You’re sick of being micromanaged, tired of all the criticism, done staying late, and mad at yourself for let-ting it happen. To avoid being misunderstood and actually change things, think about how to rephrase your asks, says Justin Hale, who teaches communication techniques through the corporate- training company VitalSmarts.

You want to say: “I need �lex-

ibility. Can I work from home

once a week?”

They could hear: “I want to

binge-watch Mr. Robot in my

sweats.”

Say instead: “It’s really import-

ant to me to ensure I’m doing

my best work and contributing

as much as I can to the team.

I’ve noticed that on days when

[insert semi-regular event

here], things get a little chaotic.

I’m curious whether I’d be able

to contribute more if I worked

remotely those days.”

You want to say: “I’m at the end

of my rope. I need a mental-

health day.”

They could hear: “I stayed out

way too late last night and need

to go nurse my hangover with-

out using a vacation day.”

Say instead: “You know [insert

company goal or e� ort here]

has been a lot trickier than any

of us expected, and I’ve been

here late every night for the

past week. I’m worried that if

I don’t step away for a day, I’m

not going to be able to keep

doing a great job and may

get sick.”

You want to say: “I never hear

about the good things I’ve

done, only when I’ve screwed

something up. Motivate me!”

They could hear: “I’m a

millennial snow�lake and

need a gold star.”

Say instead: “I love working

on this team, but I’ve realized

I should have been honest

about something that helps

me feel motivated. I’m not

looking for a party, but when I

do something that stands out

to you as a great contribution,

could you take 30 seconds

and just let me know?”

HOW I MAKE IT WORK:

THERE’S NOT A LOT to love about packing boxes in an Amazon ful�illment center.

Our scan rates were displayed over our lane. If your name was in red, you weren’t

fast enough. People were constantly competing against each other, so I tried to

subvert the idea of competition. I’d load bigger boxes or help someone with plastic

wrapping, which takes time but o� ers no extra credit. If I saw someone crying, I’d

talk to them. Since you’re treated like a robot, showing humanity was tremendously

helpful. No longer with the company, I’m now writing a dissertation on dehumanizing

jobs and mental health. —J.�D.�S.

NAME: SPENCER COX AGE: 33 OCCUPATION: FORMER AMAZON

WAREHOUSE WORKER, SHAKOPEE, MINNESOTA

DEALING WITH DEHUMANIZATION

MANAGE MANAGERS

Make sure your supervisor

is aware of all your to-dos

with something like: “I

just want to be clear about

my understanding of

what you’re asking of me.”

Follow up with emails that

list projects and con� rm

priorities. If your boss can

see how scattershot the list

is, it’ll be a starting point

to ask for more support.

FIX FRUSTRATIONS

“Frustration comes from

expectations minus real-

ity,” Gruttadaro says. So if

your ideal is to work your

way from A to B to C but

your manager serves al-

phabet soup, you may have

to just eat it. The truth is

that some people really

refuse to change. But you

can still change how you

react to them.

CREATE YOUR ORDER

Making lists helps you

stay strategic amid chaos.

“If you’re trying to keep

more than four things

in your head at one time,

you’re screwed. You’ll be

driven by what’s latest and

loudest,” Allen says. Try

managing lists with an

app like Evernote, he says,

which can sync to your

Gmail calendar.

YOUR COMPANY has laid out an all-you-can-eat bu� et of tasks for you, and there appears to be no limit to the overwhelming variety of things that it wants you to do. To survive the heartburn, you’re forced to react instead of plan ahead—and it’s exhausting. But you can still digest all this in a healthier way if you just rethink how you load your plate. Try these two tips from Darcy Gruttadaro, director of the Cen-ter for Workplace Mental Health.

ANGER

GLUTTONY

MEN’S HEALTH / May ���� 69

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Your Guide to Insta-Therapy

LEVEL OF SCREWUP!

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THE APOLOGY MATRIX

NOT ALL SCREWUPS ARE EQUAL. As the classic managerial logic goes, there are big mistakes and there are bad mistakes. You can make a big mistake and you can make a bad mistake, but you cannot make a big, bad mistake. “The person who says they’ve never made a mistake is probably not taking enough risks,” Gruttadaro says. “And taking risks is how we get ahead.” Here’s Hale’s guide to maintaining your dignity amid the mea culpas.

“I’m sorry for the part I played in [X costly mistake]. I messed

up when I suggested [Y dumb idea]. I

know this must be causing you a lot of

stress. I’m sorry I contributed to that.”

“This was completely my fault, and I want to

take ownership of that. I should have done [X

obvious thing], but instead I did [Y dumb

thing]. And I’m so sorry that the huge

fallout caused you a lot of pain and frustration. What can I do to make

this right?”

HOW I MAKE IT WORK:

NAME: ROLANDO ”RALLY” CAPARAS AGE: 58

OCCUPATION: AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL MANAGER, ATLANTA

FOCUSING INTENSELY EVERY MINUTE

EVERY DAY, WE NEED to move 2,700 �lights in and out safely, securely, and e� iciently.

A delay a� ects people, cargo, and millions of dollars. Generally, stress builds through-

out the day because we don’t have the luxury to step away, just like a �ire�ighter can’t just

walk away from a �ire, but you remind yourself that you can decompress when you’re

done. Even when e� iciency can’t be maintained, I know we operate in a way that is safe

and makes sense [given the circumstances]—I have a huge sense of accomplishment.

Then I go to the gym and spend two hours burning o� all that extra energy. —J.�D.�S.

Even a short midday social- media break can �ill you with FOMO and bad feels. Why not follow licensed therapists for free counseling and a� irma-tion? Here are three mental- health in�luencers with great perspective. —Spencer Duko�

“I wanted to talk about what hap-pened. My role in the situation was

[X honest answer]. I’m not clear on the impact. I’d

like to know what happened from

your perspective and how it

a� ected you.”

Elizabeth Earnshaw, L.M.F.T., C.G.T. @lizlistensLearn to express your wants and needs with calming im-ages and quotes.

The Sad Ghost Club@o� icialsadghostclubA whimsical cartoon ghost goes through some deep stu� in a way that isn’t scary.

Paul B. Williams, L.C.S.W.-C, L.I.C.S.W. @basheawilliamsAdvice on being a better father, partner, and person, especially for black men.

“This was my fault. I should have done [X

easy task] before [Y bigger

problem]. I apologize.”

“I’m sorry for the part I played in [X silly mistake]. We messed up. I apol-

ogize for that.”

FRAUD

OFFICE SPACE �YOUR NEW HAPPY PLACE!�

“I’m sorry for the part

“This was completely

“I’m sorry for the