No-Fluff Fixes to Finding Happiness at Work
Being happy at work is critical to your overall quality of life. However, sometimes it can seem unattainable. The good news is that you can bump up your happiness factor greatly with a few simple steps. Put these everyday strategies to work and find more joy on the job.
How to Find Happiness at Work
Enhance your skillset
If you’re growing unhappy because you feel stagnant on the job, start looking for ways to enhance your professional development. Whether it’s taking a class, volunteering for an opportunity at work, or joining a business association, these will allow you to meet new people, gain different skills, and freshen up your work life so it doesn’t feel stale.
Talk to your boss about feedback
If you’re not sure where you stand at work, this can lead to stress and unhappiness. You don’t have to wait for that year-end evaluation. Instead, talk to your boss now about your performance, your frustrations and ways you can increase your on-the-job satisfaction.
Perhaps there’s a challenging assignment your boss can give you. Or maybe you just need some positive reinforcement so you feel more appreciated. Whatever the case, asking for regular feedback can not only help you improve your performance, but build a stronger relationship with your boss, which can further contribute to your overall job satisfaction.
Learn to say “no.”
If your unhappiness is being caused by an overwhelming number of tasks or new responsibilities you agreed to take on, then it’s time to learn how to say “no.” It’s important to create boundaries in the workplace so that you don’t get overworked or burned out. While it can feel difficult and awkward at first, it’s a must if you want to maintain happiness at work.
Stay away from toxic people
If you have co-workers who regularly gossip or are negative in general, steer clear of them. Only engage with them when you absolutely have to. Otherwise, try to avoid them as much as possible, so their bad attitude doesn’t infect you.
Make more friends at work
When you enjoy going to work each day, it can have a big impact on your overall career happiness. One way to do that is to make more friends at work. Connect with those people who have similar interests to you. Say “yes” to happy hour or lunches with your co-workers more often. And work to develop office friendships that not only make your job happier, but your life better.
Move on to a different job
If everything else fails and you’re still miserable at work, then perhaps it’s time to make a move to a new opportunity. Before you do, take stock of what you don’t like about your current job, so you can target the right positions in the future. Just the thought of a new job and a different opportunity is enough to boost your happiness.
Need help finding a new role that’s a fit for you?
Turn Gill Staffing, one of West Michigan’s leading employment agencies. We can learn about your background, career goals, and the kinds of opportunities that will make you happy. We’ll then connect you to openings that are an ideal fit for your vision. Search our jobs now.
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