3 ways to feel happier at work

Are you unhappy at work? Lots of people are.

Some folk have the luxury of leaving jobs that don’t suit them but others [for whatever reason] aren’t able to. I get that.

What I don’t get is being unhappy in a job and not doing everything humanly possible to make it better.

So if you find yourself dreading Sunday evenings and your daily highlights are Coffee Break, Lunch and Home Time, why not try these ideas:

+ Stop Complaining 

Whoa! Maybe you weren’t expecting that one.

Let me clarify: I am on your side. Definitely. And that’s why I’m telling you this: you think you’re keeping your work-hate a secret? You’re not. Everybody knows! The snail-pace drag to your desk each morning + the constant eye-rolls = dead giveaway. And that bad energy is making everyone avoid you. Which in turn, is making your work-life worse.

I suggest returning to what you really value. [I bet it isn’t: being the office grump. But maybe it is: kindness, creativity, being bold]. And commit to living those values out, even within the constraints of this job.

+ Think Bigger

Ok so you’re stuck here but that doesn’t mean you can’t expand your world, outside of the office:

• go to a talk;
• visit the School of Life;
• try a short course; or maybe even
• consider some online learning [like the free Open Yale Courses].

Feeding your brain and broadening your vision will connect you to something bigger than you. It will give you a greater sense of meaning and that will enhance your sense of well-being.

+ Take Responsibility

You have two options here: you can sit and whinge about how everything isn’t the way you want it to be. Or you can do something about it. Which do you choose?

[Let me give you a clue: feeling like you have some sort of say over your lived-experience is critical to an ongoing sense of well-being.]

Make a list of 10 things that could be improved and find ways to actually do them. Better still: align yourself with like-minded people and do it together. That way you’ll be forging positive connections and making positive change.

Feeling stuck in a miserable job feels rotten but doing everything you can to transform your experience will deliver better days [and might even turn out to be life altering].

Tags: career, choices, happiness, well being