Want to be happy at work? Become a professional cuddler, luxury bed tester, or Netflix watcher—seriously those are all REAL JOBS (**looks around the office…quits**).
If you’re anything like the rest of us, you’re stuck working a real job. If sifting through inspirational quotes on Instagram isn’t helping you find fulfillment in your daily 9 to 5 grind, you’ve got to get a little creative.
Science has shown that taking little steps every day, changing your frame of mind, and living healthier will help make you happy at work. Basically, what they’re saying is “it’s not your job, it’s you”.
We don’t believe them. You’re awesome.
(Insert inspirational meme here):
1) Define Success in Realistic Terms
Do you have career anxiety? Join the club.
When you’re bombarded 24/7 with images of greatness, it’s hard to keep things in perspective. You can’t CHANGE THE WORLD after 6 months working at Barnes & Noble. Chances are your idea of success isn’t realistic. Ask yourself what success really means to you. Is it being financially independent? Is it using your personal skill set to improve your life or someone else’s?
You may find that you’ve already found success and just didn’t know it (now get back to work and stop complaining).
2) Praise Your Coworkers
Research has shown that sending one positive email or giving a tidbit of positive feedback every day can boost your mood. Choose something one of your coworkers did that you liked and don’t be bashful about it. Make it your mission to find it no matter how hard it is (with Sheila in HR it might be REALLY difficult). Pretty soon, you’ll find yourself scanning the office for positive things.
3) Keep “Mind Wandering” to a Minimum
Studies suggest that a scattered brain leads to dissatisfaction at work. There’s a time and place for mind wandering or daydreaming, and there’s always a few minutes each day for watching cat videos on YouTube (**this cat looks like a potato…CLICK!**). But the more focused you are on the task at hand, the more satisfied you will be.
Also, winning the battle against your mind for a few hours a day and finishing a task will give you a sense of accomplishment (welcome to 2018).
4) Keep Your Job in Perspective
Your job is pretty important. Chances are you like food and your job is a way to keep food going into your mouth.
But it’s just a job. If you don’t design your life, someone will design it for you. What we’re trying to say is that if you don’t rule your job, your job will rule you. Make sure to take time off, disconnect from work, and just keep reminding yourself that your job isn’t everything.
It’s easier to be happy at work when you’re not overwhelmed by it.
5) Look Toward the Future
You should never rush time, but keeping your eyes to the future will help you get through all of today’s endlessly annoying microtasks. Sure, that 11:00 meeting accomplished NOTHING and you aren’t getting paid nearly enough for all of the problems that trickle down to you, but one day you’ll be the one running that meeting and getting paid more than you deserve.
Here’s what to do—visualize the next logical step in your career. For example:
- A promotion
- A raise
- An extra year of experience on your resume
- Moving into a nicer apartment
- Saving money for that vacation to Thailand all of your friends did last year
Every day is a small step in a big journey. Remember, you can’t change the world in just 6 months. Things take time.
6) Acknowledge Your Own Progress
Happy, motivated, productive employees normally have one thing in common: they make progress every day. Motivational studies have shown that positive employee morale is linked to making progress and moving forward. In an age where we get everything we want at any time we want, it’s hard to look at the big picture.
If you can point to something concrete that you’ve accomplished, you’ll feel healthier and happier. Before you start your work day, write down at least 1 thing you want to get done. When the day is done, cross it off your list. If it’s a massive project, break it up into small steps. For example, if you have to make a big presentation, at least get your first PowerPoint slide done. The following day, you’ll feel WAY better when you see you’ve made progress.
7) Start the Day Off Right
We know it’s cliché, but it’s so important that it has to go here. Take your time in the morning and try to have some fun. Worrying about work won’t help make your day better.
Try these proven activities:
- Savour your morning coffee
- Read funny articles
- Take pointless online quizzes
- Look at cute animals online
- Put your phone in airplane mode and watch the world go by
- Make your own breakfast and enjoy the art of cooking (aka frying an egg and salting it)
- Talk to family and friends
Being happy is a choice. If you learn how to be happy at work, then it’s within your grasp! These 7 tips have proven time and again to make workers happier, healthier, and more productive in the workplace. Of course, you could just skip all of this and be a dog groomer or professional cuddler. The choice is yours.
To make sure that you stay happy at work, download Soda PDF to ensure your workflow is efficient and stress-free!