We all have good days and bad days at work. I feel blessed that most days at Firebrand Group are incredibly enjoyable. But what's the key to overall happiness in the workplace? The good news is that creating a positive work environment is actually quite simple, and involves a few small shifts that can make a major difference. Here are five ways to improve your outlook and productivity:

Give yourself something to look forward to.

We've all experienced work weeks that feel endless, counting down the days until Friday. The good news: there's a simple solution to not only make the time fly by, but also to keep your spirits high. Plan something exciting you can anticipate in advance. It can be as small as meeting with your close friends at happy hour every Friday afternoon, to planning small excursions every weekend. In short, find something else to focus on other than the drudgery, and it'll be weekend before you know it.

Personalize your space.

You spend a lot of time at your desk, so you should make it as comfortable as possible. It's important to keep color in mind, as it's proven to impact productivity. For example, blue and green have been shown to improve performance on projects that involve creativity.

Decorating your workspace has scientifically-proven benefits, so add whatever suits you best: a small plant, framed photos, or even action figures if that's what makes you happiest. If your work environment has a problem with your individuality, time to network your way to a job that doesn't.

Help your coworkers.

Regardless of how busy you are, if a colleague asks for assistance on a project, there's a good chance you'll get a jolt of happiness out of agreeing to help. According to a studyby Moynihan and Kohei Enami of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Thomas DeLeire of Georgetown University, going out of your way to help others in the workplace can increase personal happiness.

Make time to socialize.

While it's important not to overshare with your coworkers, it's important to show an interest in their personal life. Even a brief "How was your weekend?" conversation can make a major difference.

"Socializing with your coworkers is essential for your career," says Alexander Kjerulf, the founder of Woohoo Inc and one of the world's leading experts on happiness at work."If you're not able to relate to your coworkers as human beings and build positive relationships, your career will suffer. Socializing and getting to know them as people will help you to communicate better, trust each other more and work better together."

In turn, this will make you happier and more productive in general.

Find meaning in your work.

Research from the University of Warwick suggests that happiness makes people 12% more productive. The key between happiness and productivity is undeniable.

Even if your current job isn't a perfect fit, you can always reframe your perspective to see how you are positively contributing. Keep a log of every day's "greatest hits" at work to find meaning and value in what you're doing.

"When you engage in activities that are meaningful to you, you'll feel more inspired, satisfied, motivated --and happy," according to an infographic from Happify on maximizing happiness in the workplace.