You probably started off liking your work, but lately you’re not enjoying it as much as you used to. There a thousands of reasons why, maybe you don’t get along with your co-workers or the management style doesn’t float your boat, or maybe you feel like you’re not getting paid enough to cover the valuable time you spend each day there. Whatever the reason, if you are not looking to leave your job anytime soon, and want to find that spark you once had there, you need to figure out how to be happy in the workplace once more. How can you be happy at work? Here are a few different tips to experiment with:
Maintain a healthy work-life balance
As the saying goes, all work and no play blah blah blah. Working like a mad dog isn’t the key to happiness. Yes all those extra hours might put some money in the bank but what happens to your life outside of work then? Learn to put strong boundaries in place when you are not working. When your life is tied to your job and you find yourself thinking about work on your days off it’s time to take a step back.
How’s your social life going? Your family life? You really don’t want to be ignoring close family and friends because of work commitments. You might think you’re doing it for a good cause, to pay for the things they love maybe, but it in reality I’m sure they would prefer your presence and attention instead. At least they would prefer you in a good mood outside of work hours.
You could be earning extremely good money, but if all the extra hours put your health and your relationships at risk, you need to assess if it’s worth it. If you are working for anyone but yourself remember at the end of the day you’re working for a business, for someone else’s happiness and fortunes. No matter how good you are at work, you’re not irreplaceable. Put strong boundaries in place to control the time and attention you give to your work and then do the same for your friends and family outside of work. A healthy balance creates a healthy and happy life.
Stay away from office drama and office politics
Some say engaging and using office politics to your advantage is a good idea. Of course, not everyone is going to agree. Gossip, office drama and politics are morale killers, they strain relationships and affect everyone’s productivity. Not only that they are constricting to your energy and time. Learn to step back from the negative energy you may encounter in the office. Pay attention to the way people stop coming to you to complain or to bitch once you refrain from engaging in it to start with.
You got hired to perform a certain role. Do your job to the best of your abilities, go home proud at the end of the day. Disengage from backstabbers, gossipers and debbie downers in the office. At the end of the day, you’re getting paid to do your job. There’s no point wasting your time dealing with and listening to negative people, it’s only going to bring down your energy and enhance your unsatisfactory feelings about being at work. Seek out the people that emanate joy and fun. Have lunch at places that lift your mood.
Build meaningful relationships with co-workers
On the other side of avoiding negative chit chat and people that blow is seeking out the people that bring you joy. So much of our time is spent at work or earning money. Make it more enjoyable and exciting and less stressful. Begin to build meaningful relationships with the co-workers you click with, or maybe it’s time to get to know someone new. Invite them to do something outside of the usual work environment, get to know them on a personal level. Once you’ve spent enough time with them, you’ll recognize who the keepers are and who you should stay away from. Choose the right kind of friends in the workplace and you’ll end up enjoying turning up daily just to see your friends. Seek out the jobs that spark your interests
Shift towards what sparks your interests
Everyone has things they enjoy doing and things they’d rather sweep under the rug. I can guarantee there is at least one part of your job you enjoy. Or if you shifted your perspective about the way you have to do something it would be something you enjoy. Maybe its learning, doing research, helping people, teaching, entertaining. Do a bit of self journey work to figure out what are the things you enjoy doing in life then look at your job and work out how you could apply those things in the workplace. Not everyone loves there job, but focusing on the parts that bring you joy will lessen the parts that you don’t enjoy.
Another method is to reward yourself for jobs well done or completing assignments. Not every boss oozes with gratitude so if you feel like you’ve done a great job with something, tell people. Reward yourself. Take yourself out to dinner or however you wish to celebrate your wins. Never underestimate the value of feeling proud and appreciated.
We all need to make a living to survive. Work brings lulls of boredom and joyful moments. It is however a routine where we spend most of our lives so it’s important to figure out what you want to spend your time doing. Implementing these simple steps will help with shifting your perspective about going to work but there can come a time where you need to change. Always put yourself and your happiness first. If you still aren’t enjoying how you make a living then change it! It’s never too late to learn a new skill or start a new job.
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