Dislike Your Job? Some Proven Ways to be Happier at Work

DO YOU dislike your job? There are some proven ways to be happier at work.

Well, there is an old saying that ‘your attitude determines your altitude’.

This also applies to happiness – and no more so than when you are at work.

Research has shown happiness is a mindset, and thinking positively is something we can all do as a matter of choice.

Of course, when you are in a job you dislike, this can be difficult.

However, it is possible to put yourself on the path to happiness simply by taking the first step: which is basically realising you are unhappy and doing something to make your job more enjoyable and meaningful.

In a recent thebalance.com article, leadership expert Susan M. Heathfield outlines some of the best ways to shake the office blues:

1. Take charge of your professional life

If you want to progress in your career, don’t sit around waiting for others to do it for you. Your main impetus should come from within, by putting together a personally and professionally developed plan that clearly outlines your own career aims and goals. Of course, you will also need to approach your boss and let them know what you need. However, taking charge of your own future is paramount

2. Develop your own communications network

If you want to know what is going on at work, don’t wait for the boss or your co-workers to provide the information. Be proactive and make the effort yourself. This could involve finding out more about the projects you are working on, the organisation itself, or what your own co-workers are doing. Reach out to others, develop a comprehensive information network, and use it 

3. Ask for feedback regularly

Many workers are afraid to ask others for feedback for fear it might be negative or derogatory. However, it is one of the best ways to improve your own understanding of how you are doing your job - and how best you can improve your performance. Of course, one of the best people to ask is your boss, and if you are being positive and showing it, you should also get positive feedback

4. Make the effort to be happy – do things you enjoy

One of the best ways to be happier at work is to identify the things you enjoy most - and incorporate some of them into your job. If you are into fitness or running for example, you could (with your boss’s permission, of course), use part of your lunch hour to go for a jog or to the gym. Other options may include yoga, walking or playing squash. Indeed, whatever activity you most enjoy, try to find the time to do it at work

5. Don’t be a ‘doormat’ - learn to say ‘no’

Overwork, or being overwhelmed by your workload, can be a real problem for some workers. Thus, learning to say ‘no’ is imperative, especially if you want to enjoy your job. Taking on too much can both be bad for you, and for those requiring the work. Build up a system whereby you only take manageable work, or ask for more help and resources where necessary

6. Avoid the negativity and the office gossips

There is always at least one negative person who sees everything in a bad light, no matter how good things are going. The secret to your own happiness is to avoid such people. Similarly, stay out of the office ‘tittle-tattle’ and keep your distance from the ‘gossipers’, and those people who just love to spread rumours and innuendo.