Today is the International Day of Happiness and we thought it was about time to put the spotlight on finding fulfilment and happiness in the workplace – where we spend an average of almost 1,800 hours a year.
According to a survey by human resource firm Investors in People, one in four employees felt unhappy at work in 2018, compared to one in three who said they did at the same point the previous year.
Happy workers are productive workers – making sure employees are happy at work as possible is at least partially the responsibility of the employer, but there’s only so much they can do. Ultimately, you have to take responsibility for your own wellbeing, That’s why we’ve decided to instead focus on the five steps everyone could be taking to help themselves find at least a semblance of workplace happiness.
Your mood is something that is workable and changeable, often you can overhaul your mood with some simple techniques. Whether you loathe your employer or your colleagues or you simply don’t feel challenged or valued at work, there are bound to be positive aspects of the job, otherwise you wouldn’t have gravitated towards it in the first place. Focus on these aspects and avoid the aspects that bring your grief. Spend as much time as possible with the colleagues you actually like and avoid those you don’t. Simple, but effective.
However, sometimes it’s not so easy to snap out of a down mood, if you feel like you may be something from depression, try to find someone you can open up to and consider visiting your GP. Depression is a common experience and there is lots of support out there. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is one of the best treatments for depression and a great therapy to look into.
Most people avoid conflict wherever possible, but sometimes you won’t get anywhere in life unless you sink your teeth in a little. A workplace conflict might be intimidating (particularly with our bosses and our peers), but it can also lead to a resolution that benefits everyone – yourself included! Conflict at work doesn’t have to be aggressive behaviour, keep it professional, make sure you’ve thought it through properly first and voice your issues articulately and calmly.
It is tempting to view our employers as the masters of our destiny because that sheds us of a little personal responsibility, which can feel liberating. But those who take charge of their own growth are the ones who are more likely to get the most out of their job.
Whilst the company will undoubtedly benefit from your professional development, you are ultimately the person with the most to gain from it. So take the reins – focus on your personal goals, ask for help from your bosses and keep moving forward at all costs.
Remember, in life, not just your job, you are responsible for your own actions, no one else, so think about where you want to go and take positive steps to get there.
Change is good and should be viewed as a positive, not a negative; it’s exciting, a new chapter and a time to evolve. No one else can make the changes that you want apart from you.
If you’re still struggling to feel happy and satisfied at work, sink more time into the things you love and you’ll find your workplace mood improve immeasurably. Take a little time every day to do something that you truly love doing – whether that’s playing music or sports, going to the gym or something as simple as relaxing with your significant other and binging a Netflix show.
Many people feel bad about spending time on themselves, but self-priority is essential to have a good head space. If you set some time aside to do a little of something you love every day then your job won’t seem as bad.
Of course, if all else fails then it might be time to start looking for a new job. But you don’t need to leave your current job in order to do that. Instead of listlessly scrolling through the job sites and refreshing LinkedIn every 10 minutes, work with a specialist recruitment agency like Leighton Taylor Consulting – you’ll be in capable, discreet hands with us, and we’ll have you focused on new opportunities that’ll bring about good change.