How to get happier at work
“There is no path to happiness, happiness is the path,” said Buddha (reportedly). And, whilst it would be foolish to think our working lives should be full of wine and roses – and inspiring quotes – there are things we can do to make our professional world more rewarding.
There are times even in the most fulfilling job where we can feel dissatisfied, disheartened or disappointed. It’s entirely natural. After all, work is where we spend most of our time and often our best years. We all experience a wide range of feelings while there.
These feelings can change over time. Depending on the situation, you can experience anything from miserable acceptance to enthusiastic enjoyment.
Rather than settling for what comes your way, it can help take time to think about your career. Try considering the bigger picture, not just your most recent work experiences. Take time to examine your career journey so far, taking in your challenges, low points, learnings, triumphs and achievements. Doing so will equip you to improve your current situation and enable you to explore possible new directions.
In this article, you will learn to empower yourself in your current working situation, consider if a broader change is needed, and then plan for your ideal job or dream career.
Living through unsettling times and uncertainty can lead to excessive rumination about what is wrong in life. Unchecked, you may fall into unhelpful thinking habits such as 'catastrophising' when thoughts fly to the worst possible scenarios and get stuck there. Or 'mind-reading' when you believe you know what someone is thinking, and you draw potentially wrong conclusions.
You may 'fortune-tell' predicting that things will turn out for the worst and that there is nothing to be done. Thinking traps - and saps - your self-esteem and may result in behaviour that creates a self-fulfilling prophecy of poor outcomes.
Difficulties at work can become disproportionately exaggerated, resulting in self-doubt, loss of confidence and other stress-related outcomes. You might avoid making difficult choices or end up blaming others for the issues you face. Making excuses is a self-preservation mechanism which is understandable when facing harsh situations and difficult decisions. It takes courage to face up to excuse-making. Being self-aware is the first step.
People who enjoy their job are usually good at distinguishing between themselves and the output of their work. Having this perspective creates a healthy detachment that allows for job satisfaction that is independent of circumstances. If you don't maintain this distinction, your happiness will always be dependent on whether things are going 'well'.
You might like to try doing a self-inventory as this will help you understand what you enjoy, and what you don't enjoy in your current job. With the results, you can improve your current level of happiness at work and begin to develop the skills you need for a future role. You will also gain a clearer idea of what to look for and what to avoid in future.
Take your time and consider the following ten prompts. You might like to begin by writing ‘I am the sort of person who …’
- What do you enjoy about work?
- How do you contribute and add value to the workplace?
- Name the values that are important to you at work and in life? (You might like to do the VIA Character Strengths Survey which is free of charge).
- Consider your skills, strengths and capabilities - which ones are transferrable to other jobs or roles in different sectors?
- How do you show up and behave when you are at your best?
- Where, when and with whom do you work well?
- What are you not prepared to do and wish to avoid in any new career or role?
- What derails you and stops you performing at your best?
- What drives you on and makes you feel happy and proud of your work?
- What is your vision for a happy and successful working life in five years from now?
“People who enjoy their job are usually good at distinguishing between themselves and the output of their work. Having this perspective creates a healthy detachment that allows for job satisfaction that is independent of circumstances.”
Considering what you have learned from this exercise. What might you do differently to empower yourself in your current work situation? Think about how what you do today can help you develop the skillset for your dream job.
What practical steps you can take to achieve the change that you would like to see. Consider who can provide you with the support you need to perform these steps. For example:
- How can you help your manager get the best from you?
- What might you do to improve working relationships within your team or unit?
- How can you raise your professional profile at work and outside work?
- Who might you ask for feedback about your strengths, capabilities and developmental areas?
- Who are the people that might mentor, support or assist with your career development plans?
- Which of your hobbies or pastimes could be useful to your search for new work?
Taking control of your destiny can be daunting when so much energy goes on dealing with the present. These questions may not be comfortable, but if you do not ask the awkward questions, how will you change anything? Be kind as you do this.
It also helps to seek out honest critical feedback. If you are open to other people’s views and ideas, they are more likely to share these with you. Welcoming feedback also encourages people to want to help and support your desire to learn and improve. If you get critical feedback, look at it as an opportunity to further your development.
Conclude by writing up your answers together with any feedback received. Make a note of your ideas. On a scale of one to 20, which of your ideas scores seven or above? Those are the ones to focus on as you are more likely to commit to taking action. Now set your intention. This step is vitally important as your intention is a guide to future behaviour.
Sometimes action taken can lead to different and better outcomes in your current workplace, resulting in exciting possibilities that previously seemed beyond your reach. Taking just one small step towards a more positive outcome will motivate and energise you to create a brighter future - whether in your current role or elsewhere.