So many people sees work as something that you need to get through in order to enjoy the rest of your life. If you make a goal of improving your happiness at work, then your entire life will reap the benefits of your positive perspective.
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WAKE UP AT LEAST AN HOUR BEFORE YOU NEED TO LEAVE FOR WORK
Wake up at least an hour before you need to leave the house. Enjoy some time before the rush begins. Though your sleep is precious, so is your need for some time to be by yourself without feeling overwhelmed. Give yourself time to eat breakfast, read a little bit, go for a short jog, or to do whatever you need to do to get the day started off the right way. Nothing will make you feel better than knowing you already did something for yourself before walking through the front door of your workplace.
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BE WELL DRESSED
When you leave the house looking good and ready for work, then you are well on your way to having a good day. If you work in a casual environment or in a place with a uniform, then you don’t need to add too many personal touches to your look, but you should shower, wash your face and hair, and look generally well-groomed. Not only will looking nice make other people treat you with more respect, but it may leave you feeling more excited about being at work.
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LEAVE YOUR PERSONAL PROBLEMS AT HOME
Though it can be hard to feel happy when you’re too busy worrying about the fight with your boyfriend, your mother’s health, or scrambling to do some last-minute planning for your wedding. Learning to push your personal problems aside is the only way you can feel happy in the workplace. Tell yourself that whatever problems you’re having will have to wait until work is over, unless they are really important, and go about your work day.
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GET TO WORK AT LEAST 10 MINUTES EARLY
Getting to work late and in a rush will minimise your chances of having a good day and feeling happy at work. If you get to work late, you’ll feel like you’re behind all day, and like you never have time to catch up. Instead, leave the house at least 15 minutes earlier than you have been, or even earlier, depending on when you normally get to work. You may think that you’re winning by rolling in a few minutes late every day, when in reality, you’ll be lowering your chances of being happy at work.
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EXCHANGE PLEASANTRIES WITH YOUR COLLEAGUE AT WORK
Greet your colleagues when you get to work. When you first walk in the door, make sure to greet as many of your colleagues as you can before you get to work. You’ll instantly feel more connected to people and will feel your positive energy growing. You may feel stressed out, rushed, or just plain cranky, but isolating yourself is not the way to make yourself more excited about work. Instead, be friendly when you get to work, even if you don’t feel very friendly.
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CREATE A WELCOMING WORKSPACE FOR YOURSELF
Make sure to keep your desk or work area organized and tidy so that you know where everything is and don’t waste time looking for lost items. You can have a filing system, or trays on your desk, that help you organize your tasks in terms of what has to be done today, next week, or by the end of the month. Taking just 10 minutes a day to keep your workspace organized can make a big impact on how happy you are at work. You want to feel comforted, not stressed out, when you enter your workspace.
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COMPLETE SIMPLE TASKS AS FAST AS POSSIBLE
Every job completed and not deferred brings a sense of accomplishment which leads to a sense of happiness at work. Instead of dreading completing a task like making a quick phone call or sending an email, just get right to it when you have the time. You’ll feel better about it because you’ll be able to move on about your day without it nagging at you.
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TAKE SHORT BREAKS
If you want to be happier in your workplace, then you have to take breaks from your work from time to time. Studies show that it’s important to take a break at least every 90 minutes; step away from your computer or whatever task you are doing and take 10 minutes to rest your eyes, stretch, take a short walk, make a brief phone call, or even read a little bit. If you have the luxury of taking a break from your work, then you should make a habit of it if you want to feel happier.
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AVOID MULTITASKING
You may think that multitasking can help you get your work done faster, it has been shown to actually slow you down, not allowing you to fully immerse yourself in one task. You should check your email, respond to any emails you need to read, and then move on to project A, and then move on to report B, etc. Prepare a To-Do list and arrange your task according to the importance. If you end up doing five tasks halfway, then you’ll feel less sense of accomplishment than if you fully completed one or two tasks.
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AVOID CLIQUES
It is especially important to avoid groups which target co-workers and management: negativity drains you of energy and blocks happiness and positive thoughts. Work on being friendly with everyone instead of joining a group of just three or four people and alienating everyone else. You don’t want to join a clique and then find that the people in it turn on you. Instead, try to be on good terms with everyone without becoming stuck in one social circle; your happiness will grow as a result.
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OFFER PRAISE AS WELL AS CRITICISM
It’s important to speak up when you think that something in your workplace can be improved. However, it’s equally important to point out when your coworkers or company is doing something right. If you thought everything at your workplace was done incorrectly, then you wouldn’t be working there, would you? Make sure to speak up to give praise when it’s needed so that you stay upbeat and make yourself aware of all the good things your job has to offer.
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BE FRIENDS WITH YOUR COWORKERS
Studies show that one of the best ways to be almost as happy at work as you are away from work is to be friends with your coworkers. Though you may feel like you have enough friends, you should get to know your coworkers so that you’re excited to see them every day and that you feel more connected in the workplace. You should give your coworkers your time, make small talk with them, and work on building closer relationships. Though you can’t be best friends with everyone, you should seek friendships with the people who really matter to you.
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AVOID NEGATIVE PEOPLE AT ALL COSTS
Colleagues who moan and whine about personal or work issues, will drag you down and prevent the workplace from being a happy one. Instead, focus on people who are positive, upbeat, and who have an optimistic attitude about their work. If one of your coworkers is complaining about work too much, then you will start to find a million things wrong with your job. Of course, it’s important to be observant, but you shouldn’t let other coworkers lower your happiness.
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MAKE THE MOST OF EVERY WORK DAY
