The average person spends over 84,000 hours at work over a lifetime. That is an astonishing amount of time, so we may as well try to be as happy as possible while we’re there! To cultivate more contentment in your job, here are five habits for a happier work life:
1. Collaborate
Collaboration helps you share skills and information, innovate, and develop strong professional relationships. It also allows you to be more productive and engaged within your job. Whether you look for inspiration from your colleagues, your mentors, or online, there are plenty of great examples of collaboration in the workplace for you to draw from.
By seeking out these examples and learning from them, you can discover new ways to forge strong work bonds. You should soon start to see improvements in your happiness at work and a rise in the performance of the business you work for as a whole.
2. Change-Career
Many people sought to change their careers following the COVID-19 pandemic, realizing that life is too short to suffer through a job they don’t love. If you’re desperately unhappy in your workplace, consider moving to a company that will suit you better.
If it’s the job type that’s bothering you, it might be time to learn some new skills and completely change careers. If this all sounds like too much, keep in mind that it’s far better to be brave now than regretful years later.
3. Avoid Gossip
Gossip is expected in the workplace, but it’s super toxic and never solves a problem or increases positivity. In terms of your professionalism, it’s worth avoiding on a purely selfish basis as it can get you in trouble and tarnish your reputation. Morally, it’s also pretty nasty to be involved in spreading rumors about others.
To keep yourself on the straight-and-narrow gossip-wise, remind yourself of how rubbish it is to be the subject of rumors. Also, note that gossip is terrible for your mental health and can cause you massive amounts of stress and other negative emotions. So, for your own happiness, steer clear of it.
4. Nail Work/Life Balance
Americans are known to work far more hours than people in Europe and other parts of the world. If you lean into this trend of excessive work, you’ll likely be rewarded with stress, a miserable social life, sleep issues, and eventual burnout.
To protect your happiness, consider cutting down your hours, asking for flexible working, or simply avoiding work tasks out of hours. You’ll quickly find you’re more relaxed and refreshed during working hours and more able to feel happy and content at work and home.
5. Create A Sense Of Purpose
Around 60% of people say they are emotionally detached regarding their job, and nearly 20% feel downright miserable in their career. If you have to keep going to work every day and can’t make a change right now, how can you make it less of a drain?
What many people do is to create a sense of purpose. This can be as simple as making a customer smile within the hour or trying to stack a shelf in record time. These small goals can help you feel like you’re accomplishing plenty, even if the job itself feels meaningless at the time.
“It is only possible to live happily ever after on a daily basis.” – Margaret Bonanno.
You put so many hours into making money, and you deserve to feel happy during that time. Follow the tips above, and make it your mission to cultivate a cheerful and meaningful work life. After all, life’s too short to dread the things you do every day.