How do I make February more exciting?

The New Year's buzz has worn off, the sun has disappeared, and your boss keeps talking about 'return to office'. What makes office life more fun?

The key to more fun at work? Plants, people and micro-breaks.

In one study, people who had an office plant performed 30% better on creative association tasks, and reported feeling more calm and confident. (So buy a ficus - but remember to water it.) In another study, employees who engaged in prosocial behavior - like helping a colleague, or contributing a few dollars to the party fund - felt more energized, enjoyed their jobs more and saw a 22% increase in “feelings of personal accomplishment.” (The study included a sanitation plant, where the parties hopefully occur off-site.) Finally, workers who take brief, unplanned micro-breaks throughout the day experience boosts in mental energy, concentration, and higher motivation. (Apps and websites, like this one, will randomly prompt you to get a snack or go outside.)

How can I get closer to my co-workers? Ask a favor, plan an event, and give very specific compliments.

54% of Americans met one of their closest friends, or their spouse, in the office. So how does it happen? Through ‘we-activities’ like reliving shared memories (“remember that time?”), planning a future event (“bowling!”), or choosing a common goal (“we are both getting raises by the end of the year”). Or, you can ask a co-worker for a favor, and take advantage of the Ben Franklin Effect, which causes us to like someone more when they ask for help. (Franklin would borrow rare books from important people - and then use the entrée to become friends.) Lastly, people are more likely to feel close when you compliment something distinctive. Specific complements (“The color of that shirt really brings out your eyes!”) are much better than generic compliments (“nice shirt!”). (However, telling a co-worker with a Aerosmith t-shirt that “my grandparents loved that band!” might not help.)

How do I make meetings better? Serve spicy foods, hand out Vitamin D supplements, and implement ‘return to work’ gradually.

Eating spicy foods - particularly during a meeting - can trigger endorphins, the brain’s ‘feel good’ chemicals that produce mildly euphoric sensations. Or, people might be sluggish due to a lack of sunlight - in which case, Vitamin D supplements (pills, brighter lightbulbs or a lamp that replicates the sun’s rays) can provide an unexpected boost. And if your boss says you must return to the office, remind them that employees are happier and more productive when they have advance notice of schedule changes, and tend to show up for in-person meetings more often when a structured agenda is sent ahead of time.

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How do you keep the workplace feeling sunny during February? Tell us your favorite tactics to make work more exciting in the comments.

And, if the problem is that your manager isn’t the best communicator (“you want me in the office when?”), then let me recommend gifting them a book guaranteed to help.