At a conference I attended recently, one of the speakers spoke on wellness at work. She spoke about how people get stressed up at work and this affects their entire well-being. When it was time for questions, answers and comments, a lady from the audience observed that the moment her employer made the workplace enjoyable providing a tennis court, room for recreation and other incentives, the workers who were at some point leaving, were happy and motivated to work more. While the employer has a role to make the workplace interesting, the employees also have their own role to play. Even if there is a recreation centre and other incentives, if the worker has a bad attitude and behaviour, he/she would never be happy at work. Here are 5 ways to be happy in the workplace:
1. Take charge of your own professional and personal development
Take charge of your own growth by investing in your personal and professional development. Develop a plan and goals for your career, then pursue them. Ask for specific and meaningful help from your boss. Look for assignments that will help you achieve career milestones or learn specific skills. Pursue opportunities and connections that you find valuable, even if your current employer isn’t creating those opportunities for you.
2. Practise professional courage
Many people are afraid of conflict, especially in a work setting when it feels like conflict can impact your professional future and financial security. If you’ve never learned how to engage in meaningful conflict, you likely think of it as scary, harmful, and hurtful. Conflict can be negative, but if it’s done well, conflict can also help you accomplish your work mission and your personal vision. When addressed openly, with positive communication, clear goals, and respect for your coworkers and supervisors, conflict can be a positive thing at work. Standing up for principles or ideas that you believe in can help you serve customers, create meaningful change, and be more successful at your job.
3. Make friends
“Do you have a best friend at work?” Employees who reported having strong friendships at work, whether or not those friendships carried over into their outside lives, were more likely to be happy and motivated at work. Employees spend a lot of time at work; enjoying the coworkers that you spend time with there is one of the hallmarks of a positive work experience. Feeling understood and valued by even one coworker, especially if that’s someone you interact with regularly, can significantly increase your daily happiness at work.
4. Ask for feedback frequently
Receiving feedback about your work can either provide positive reinforcement that makes you feel valued, or it can fill in key skills and understanding gaps that will help you do your job and fit into your work environment more successfully. But employees who don’t receive this feedback from their managers often feel undervalued, unable to do their jobs, and unhappy at work. If you aren’t receiving regular feedback from your supervisor, start being proactive about requesting it. Ask your boss for feedback at the end of major projects, or talk to the management team about implementing regular employee assessments to help everyone succeed at their jobs.
5. Avoid negativity
Participating in a toxic work environment will increase your unhappiness, no matter how much you enjoy your job. Choosing to be happy at work means avoiding negative conversations, gossip, and unhealthy work relationships as much as possible. No matter how positively you feel, negative people have a profound impact on your psyche. If you find that certain groups at work are more likely to engage in negative behaviors such as gossip or complaining, try to distance yourself from those people. If that’s not possible, do your best to redirect conversations onto more positive topics.