5 Ways to Be Happier at Work
Always get off to a good start to your day.
No one wants to feel grumpy, sad or stressed out at the office. But what can people do about it when they are? There are a number of things that you can do on a day to day basis which will make you happier at work. Here are five of them, in no particular order.
Help People
Helping others is a sure way to make yourself feel better. People always feel better about themselves after doing something for others. And studies prove this.
One such study from the University of Wisconsin showed that altruism is beneficial to the workplace in many ways. The beneficiaries of help feel better about the workplace. And the people who help others are less likely to leave a given company.
“More and more research illustrates the power of altruism,” said La Follette professor Donald Moynihan, “but people debate whether we behave altruistically because of hidden self-interest, such as the desire to improve how others see us.
“Helping others makes us happier. Altruism is not a form of martyrdom, but operates for many as part of a healthy psychological reward system,” Moynihan said.
So if you have the time and want to see others succeed then offer assistance to other people. You will not only feel better about yourself and better about your workplace, but you will also help to raise the atmosphere around you.
Don’t Be Bored
If you are really bored with your job then you should consider a change. But this does not mean that you must quit or find a new career entirely. There are many reasons why you might feel stuck in a loop of sorts.
And if you feel this way then you are not alone. A 2015 Gallup poll found that only 32% of people were truly engaged with their jobs. So what can a person do about this?
First, take the initiative. Try to be more engaged. Look for additional jobs around the office that you can do. See the above about helping people. You might be bored because what you do is easy and you get it done quickly. So go and help others get their work done too. This will help keep you more occupied and boost overall productivity.
And if you truly feel like you are stagnating in your position then don’t be afraid to speak to your manager about it. There could always be a chance that you could change your job within the company.
But remember, don’t ever be seen as bored or disengaged at work. This can bother other people, cause bitterness and may make you unpopular.
Get Out of the Office From Time to Time
We all know the feeling. After a while you begin to feel a bit claustrophobic. You just don’t like being cooped up all day. Well there are many ways to overcome this.
First, there might be errands that you can run for your job from time to time. Or maybe you can work remotely from a different part of the building part of the day.
Or just take a lunchbreak out of the office, even if this means punching in and out and going home later in the day. People who go out to lunch, especially when they meet with friends. This always helps people get through the rest of the day with a brighter attitude. And a good attitude is contagious. So managers should be aware of this and encourage their people to do things like this.
At the very least, try a simple walk around the block a couple of times a day. Or take a short break to go outside and read somewhere. This is so you can get some time by yourself if you work in a cramped office space with lots of people.
Get a Positive Start to Your Day
We all have bad moos sometimes. Maybe there neighbors made a racket, or a car alarm kept going off in the street and so you got little or no sleep. Maybe you just got into a fight with your spouse or your kid wrecked the kitchen during breakfast. Whatever you do, don’t bring that negative energy with you to work.
Psychology Today released a study on how “waking up on the right or wrong side of the desk” could follow employees throughout the day and influence their work performance. It talked about the “affective prime.” This is something which helps you respond to daily events in a more popular way.
It is no surprise that when people are in a good mood they are more productive at work. So what can you do? Take some time between leaving the house and starting your work day to try and calm down and do something uplifting. If something negative just happened during your commute, try and take a walk around the block, or duck into a flower store and smell some roses before going to your office building.
You don’t have to do yoga or anything like that to overcome daily annoyances.
Eat a Good Breakfast
It’s not just a cliché to say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Drinking a lot of coffee might get you going, but it won’t keep you going through the day. Eat healthy morning foods like fruits. Don’t pig out on sugars.
Take more time for yourself in the morning. Some people get up as late as possible and spend little time before leaving for work. Try the opposite. Spending more time at home in the morning will make for a better day. Resist the temptation to hit the snooze button on the alarm clock. Those extra minutes of sleep after first waking up will only make you groggy.
Also, be sure to get plenty of sunlight in the morning. Sunlight helps the body feel refreshed and get moving. If it’s dark and overcast outside turn on the lights inside.
