Establish realistic expectations.

With increased workloads and cutbacks, many are feeling they can't do their job the way they wish they could. It is necessary to come to terms with cutbacks, to look at what can be done and what can't be done, to do the best with the resources at hand.

Keep in perspective the big picture and establish reasonable objectives. 

Prioritize and make lists.

Do what you can each day, and recognize each accomplishment. Look at what you can achieve, not at what you can't. Sometimes it is necessary to reframe success, to reset your goals and be satisfies with the results.

  Find some time of solitude.

Most of us need to have some period of solitude in our day in order to be really productive. If you face continuous interruptions you may feel as if you are running as fast as you can simply to stay in place. Make a genuine effort to schedule some uninterrupted work time in your day. For some this may mean arriving at work a little earlier or staying a little later. However, you may find that this opportunity to work in solitude or at least quiet is nourishing as well as productive.

  Approach tasks you don't like doing in a new way.

Everyone has aspects of their job that they don't like doing. When faced with an undesirable task, set small, personal goals to get the job done. Divide that big job into smaller tasks and conquer a few at a time. Reward yourself when you have to do something unpleasant and follow-up with a task you do like to do. Set up a pleasant routine around what you're doing. If you don't like paperwork, make yourself a cup of tea, turn on some music that you like in the background. Avoid procrastination and putting off those jobs you don't like to do. Don't handle the same sheet of paper more than once - deal with and be done with it. Either finish it or file it. Otherwise, those tasks build up and seem overwhelming.

Create an environment that has a positive effect on you.

Environment has to suit the individual. It should not be a vast, impersonal space that says nothing of its occupant. Make sure your surroundings reflect you. Include things that you know will have a positive effect on you. There are many inexpensive things you can do to create a nice space for yourself - colour, plants, lighting.

For some, clutter and a messy desk isn't a concern. For those who feel a crowded desk overwhelming, take five minutes at the end of the day to organize your desk. It will be much easier to face the next morning.

Maintain a co-operative attitude.

In hard times, it is difficult to focus on the shared goals of employer and employee. When facing pay cuts, decreased hours, layoffs, the result is hostility and an adversarial we-they attitude. People start to look at what's in it for me versus how can I help out in any situation. Yet, maintaining an attitude of cooperation and a team approach to make your company or service the best it can be, can make your days more positive and rewarding.