Re-prioritize Your Work Day For Less Stress and Higher Satisfaction
You spend many of your waking hours at your job. Shouldn’t you be able to feel happy at it? That is the conundrum many Americans face these days. They are unhappy at their jobs, yet they don’t know what to do to rectify that situation. But feeling good about your job is important. Here are some career coach expert tips to find more happiness in your workplace:
1. Try to put yourself in a more positive—and accepting—frame of mind
We don’t want to say that if you clap your hands and believe in fairies or sing a little “Kumbaya” that everything will be coming up roses; that is unrealistic. But, there is something to be said about making the best of your situation, the way your mother may have told you when you had a tough time at something when you were a kid.
Whether it takes listening to music you like before going in to work, reading a magazine or book at your lunch break that makes you smile, having a fun run after work, or simply reminding yourself that every day you live is a gift and that your job helps support that life, try to put yourself in a better frame of mind each work day. And try to accept that there will always be things that annoy you, no matter what job you are in.
2. Eat that frog
Brian Tracy’s efficiency book, Eat That Frog, gives that advice (fortunately, it is not to eat a real frog!). The idea is to get your toughest task of the day out of the way first. Tracy says, “If the first thing you do each morning is to eat a live frog, you can go through the day with the satisfaction of knowing that that is probably the worst thing that is going to happen to you all day long!” Not only that, but you can alleviate that feeling of dread you may have about looming tasks.
3. Find something new to do that will put a smile on your face
This idea could potentially serve two purposes – making you potentially more happy at work, and making your manager happier with you as well. Is there some undone project at your job that you think you could do a great job with? For example, is your company procrastinating on implementing social media for the business while you spend your free time at home Facebooking or Tweeting? Perhaps you could take this responsibility over for your office and give yourself something that makes you and your boss happier at work.
4. Figure out a way to get along better with your boss
According to career coach Meredith Haberfeld, “The biggest factor for people loving their jobs is having a great relationship with their boss.” Haberfeld goes on to ask what you can do to make things better with your manager, if that is an issue. Ask for a meeting to clear the air if there is a problem and be proactive on finding out what you can do to rectify things on your end.
If you ultimately feel your workplace situation is untenable, you may need to find employment elsewhere. It is okay to realize that a job is not right for you, and that no matter what you do, or how proactive you are, you will never be happy at it. But in the meantime, try to make the most of the situation, until you find a job that is more your style. Good luck.
Image: iStockphoto
