7 Tiny Habits to Find Daily Happiness
Are you happy in your
career?
If someone asked you this question, what would
first come to your mind? Maybe you’d evaluate your job satisfaction with the
type of work you’re doing — does it fit your skill set and challenge you? Others may
equate career happiness to compensation or the prestige of a particular employer.
Studies show that people who are most satisfied at
their job point to a wide range of features from friendly co-workers, a positive
company culture, good pay, and high-quality management to fringe benefits like
work-life balance and feeling valued in the workplace.
However you define happiness for yourself, one
truth remains: your mental health is as critical — if not more important — to your long-term
success as the hours you log at the office. When people feel happy and valued at work, the generate greater
results. They’re able to focus and succeed at the job at hand, while remaining
resilient in the face of challenges that arise.
Here are some practical ways you can start using
today to increase your career happiness.
Turn Off Facebook
Social media, especially Facebook, can be like a
black hole that sucks you in with its endless updates, wasting your time
and zapping your focus. No matter what web browser you use, you can
quickly and easily install a tool to quiet your newsfeed or remove it all
together, allowing you uninterrupted serenity to think and create — two essential elements
for happiness at work. Even better, consider doing a social media detox for a month to see the impacts it has on
your overall wellbeing and productivity. You’ll be amazed by how much more you
can accomplish and how much better you feel without the deluge of posts
cluttering your desktop (and mind).
Define Your “Why”
Think about what work means to you and why you do
what you do. Is your job a means to earning enough to transition to freelancing
and travel the world within three years? For others, their drive may be rooted
in a broader mission. Does your job allow you to make a positive impact for a
cause you’re passionate about?
What we find personally meaningful and how we go
about achieving it differs from person to person, but research shows that identifying your “why” is key to
staying happy and productive on the job. When you feel overwhelmed or
unmotivated, ask yourself the following: “If I could only share or teach one
message to one group of people, what would my message be?”
Institute a Mandatory
Laughter Policy
It’s often said that laughter is the best
medicine, and it turns out that it’s an effective productivity booster too. A
good belly laugh can have a soothing neurocognitive effect, flooding your brain
with chemicals that reduce your body’s natural stress response. You could try
working a viral BuzzFeed clip into your lunch break or interject a funny quote
to lighten the mood during a presentation.
Do One Good Deed
We’ve all experienced the boost that happens when
we lend a helping hand to someone else, and this pay-it-forward principle holds
true in the workplace. A little altruism goes a long way: studies show that happier workers help their
colleagues 33% more than those who are unhappy. Whether it’s taking on some
simple tasks for an overwhelmed colleague or grabbing an extra coffee to give
away in the morning, giving back to your team is a surefire happiness hack.
Design Your Own 30-Day
Challenges
Setting goals and reaching for objectives
increases satisfaction with our lives, increasing self-esteem and positively
impacting our perception of what we’re capable of. Progressing toward a goal is
the gift the keeps on giving — the further you get
along the path, the more
psyched up and self-disciplined you become, so that there’s almost no stopping
you. At the beginning of each month or quarter, devise a challenge for yourself
that you can get enthusiastic about working toward, such undertaking a 30-day
sprint to complete a big project, learning a new skill like coding, or taking
on a stretch assignment that exposes you to dealing with different people in
the company.
Replace “What’s Wrong?”
with “Tell Me More”
Stuck working with a total pain in the butt? While
this can be a total drag, it’s something we all deal with. To help the
situation, keep in mind “MRI” — most respectful
interpretation; or giving people the
benefit of the doubt and assuming they are coming from a respectful place
rather than one of malicious intent. For example, your cube mate may not even
be aware of their annoying pen-tapping habit and it’s certainly not part of
some grand scheme to drive you nuts. The next time you find yourself getting
frustrated, remind yourself to give your irksome colleague or client the
benefit of the doubt. This change of perspective can do wonders for your mood
by shifting your mind to a positive state, rather than a defensive one.
Establish an Evening
Gratitude Ritual
Before you pack up to leave the office each
evening, review three things that went well during the day or that you feel
grateful about. This little ritual — no matter how tough the
day was — can become something to look forward to and help you end
each day on a positive note. Even better, this steers your brain toward
habitual positive, growth-oriented thinking. As you work to identify three things you’re grateful for (don’t
cheat and settle for two!) you’re training your brain to see opportunity in
challenging circumstances, rather than allowing it to get stuck in a pattern of
negativity. And of course, don’t forget to express your gratitude to colleagues — chances are, your
affability will rub off on them, and the workplace will become a more pleasant
one.
No matter how much your job may make your crazy, there are strategies you can implement — starting today — to make it better. By
working some of these tips into your day, you’ll be able to come home feeling
less drained and frustrated, and more ready to tackle what the next day has in
store.
Kal Loftus
https://medium.com/@melodywilding/7-tiny-habits-to-find-daily-happiness-ac08bd90e455
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