How happy are you at work?

Let’s put it on a scale of 1 to 5.

1 being extremely unhappy and 5 being very happy.

Do you feel down whenever the weekend is over, or you can’t wait to get back to doing what you enjoy doing professionally?

Well, you might love what you do, but are you happy with the environment? Maybe it is the work itself that’s draining you. Whatever the cause, unhappiness at work will not affect just your job but your overall health.

Studies show that unhappiness at work could lead to side effects like weight gain, sickness, insomnia, and isolation, thus damaging your relationships. We definitely do not want this.

The key to success, any success, even achieving your true happiness at work, lies within you. So let’s check the 5 things that you shouldn’t do if you want to experience workplace happiness.

1. Not Taking Charge of Your Personal & Professional Development

This is actually considered career suicide.

The minute you let go of your personal and professional goals, chances are that you will be unhappy, depressed and may eventually derail your career.

So what can you do? It’s time you take charge of your personal and professional progress by developing goals and sound plans to achieve them. With this, you can easily tell where you want to be in a year or two. Then, talk to your bosses to get assignments and job opportunities that challenge you and align you to these goals.

With a clear direction at work and even in life, this will keep you grounded, give you a motivating perspective, and will, most probably, make you enjoy your work more.

2. Not Getting Yourself Away From Work

Do you have a hobby? Or an activity that you enjoy away from work?

It could be traveling, taking walks in the park, or spending time with your loved ones.

For many of us, our jobs do not evoke a lot of passion in us or align with all of our values, but yet we spend the most amount of our time interacting with our bosses, peers, subordinates more than our family and friends.

So if this is already the reality we are facing, we can choose to take an outright break, or even a mental one, at times to recollect our thoughts and re-energise.

There is no point swamping yourself with work from Monday to Monday.

Get yourself something fun to do to get your mind away from work. In that way, whenever you get back to work after indulging in these leisure activities, your mind will be fresh to see your work tasks with newer perspectives and vigour. Moreover, you would also be more at peace, hence making your work enjoyable and you happy. Again.

3. Not Knowing What’s Happening

No, we’re not saying that you should indulge in office gossip. A little banter, yes. However, ensure you know everything that relates to your work by fact-checking of course. Talk to your colleagues and bosses using virtual means if you are working remotely. Try to build a network of reliable sources.

Rather than sitting by and waiting to find out what is happening, especially regarding matters like a new strategic direction or edited HR policies, you will always have important, relevant information that keeps you in the office loop. This, believe it or not, will enable you to cast any rumours aside and not be distracted from your actual work.

4. Not Asking For Feedback

When was the last time you asked for feedback from your boss?

No matter how good we are at our jobs, a little feedback can go a long way. It can help you feel valued or offer encouragement to boost your morale at work.

Don’t succumb to selfish pride and egoistical feelings that prevent you from seeing your blindspots. At times, informal feedback sessions with bosses and peers can give you so much insights to make you better at your job.

Feedback that is well-delivered can be an added boost to workplace motivation.

5. It’s Never That Serious

Yes, your work is important.

How else would you pay bills and feel a sense of belonging and purpose? But at the end of the day, work is never that serious – the be all and end all of your life.

Sometimes, “informality” can make your work days so much more pleasant and yes, you can initiate it.

A smile can make a new team member feel welcomed.

Helping out a colleague with a task that doesn’t contribute to your KPI enables you to make a new friend.

Having light banter with colleagues doesn’t mean they will not take you seriously.

You may not realise this but these lighter moments at the office can lighten not just the mood of others but yours as well.

So ultimately, can you find happiness at work? Absolutely!

You may want to attempt at least one of these recommendations and witness how your workplace may not be a symbol of drudgery but one of meaning and happiness :)

We’re Waiting To Help You

Get in touch with us today and let’s start transforming your business from the ground up.

Send an enquiry