The key to a good life is being happy and the key to a good job is being happy at work. So many people go through their workday as if it is slowly killing them. This negativity soon spills into their personal life, it affects their work performance, their relationships, and their overall well being. If you want to be happier at work try some of our simple steps.
See the purpose
Not everyone can be a doctor who performs life-saving operations every day but that does not mean your job is pointless. If your job offered no benefit then you would not be employed. Try to find the purpose in your position so that you can find more fulfillment in your work. Whether you are someone who works at a grocery store or someone who flies airplanes you have purpose. If the grocery store is not stocked correctly food may need to be thrown out, people may get sick, and it would be bad for the environment. Of course, we have also seen during the coronavirus pandemic that frontline workers are incredibly important.
Change your perspective
Studies have shown that people who technically do the same job often do it in completely different ways as if they are doing a different job and they, therefore, have very different levels of satisfaction. Take for example the role of an analyst. You could spend your head in an excel sheet all day crunching numbers. This may allow you to meet your deadlines and complete your projects but we have found that analysts who do this report low job satisfaction. However, we spoke to analysts in the same position who love their job. They go out to the market and talk to lots of people every day, they then come back to the office and write up their reports and crunch their numbers. This enables them to provide an in-depth analysis of their market but also makes them feel more fulfilled.
Be resilient
There are hard days in every job. Days when your boss takes out her personal problems on you, days when nothing seems to go right. One step towards being happier at work is not to let these tough moments impact well being. Many people think that to be happy they need to get rid of the tough moments, to have an easy life. However the opposite is true, the stressful moments are key challenges but if you can take these stressful moments and manage them without impacting your own emotions you will come out happier.
Where is the flow
Have you ever had a day at work just fly by? The nine or so hours went incredibly quickly because you were stuck in a project. In many circles, this is called finding your flow. The idea is that you found a level of such a clear focus on a task that time felt like it was going by faster. Try to create situations in your work that will allow this flow to take over. The best way to do this is to avoid multitasking. Focus on one project at a time and don’t let distractions in. Turn off your emails, put your headphones on, and dive into a project. The feeling of flow is incredibly satisfying.
It is worth trying all of these things to see if you can be happy in your work. If after following all of these tips your workday is still incredibly tough to put up with, then it may be time to accept that it is not the job for you. It is incredibly important to find happiness in your work environment so don’t settle for anything less.
