Be happy at work
Do more of what you love
Re-crafting your work to do more of what you love can be simpler than you might think. Start by identifying what it is you enjoy most about your job. Even if you think there’s nothing you enjoy about your work think carefully and list those work tasks you enjoy the most. Now list the things you dislike about your job. Looking at this list, is there anything you can do differently? Can you do these tasks less frequently, more effectively or is it possible you can avoid these altogether by delegating or making changes to your role?
Reconnect
What attracted you to the job in the beginning? See if you can reconnect with what made the job attractive in the first place. If the reason was purely financial then honour that, think about all the benefits having this job brings such as paying your rent or mortgage, keeping your family fed and clothed, you get the idea. Sure you might see your job as simply a means to an end but that doesn’t mean you have to be unhappy at work. Start to appreciate what you have rather than what you don’t have.
Get involved
Most people who say they hate their job have become disengaged or disconnected with their job, their workplace and their employer. Could you be more active team member making a greater contribution than you do now? Does your workplace have a social group that you can get involved in? Are there things taking place in your workplace that you’ve been avoiding? More often than not, it’s those who are the most proactive and involved in the workplace that are the happiest at work.
Develop
How long has it been since you did something at work that was aimed at developing you as an employee? Is there any training or development you’d like to take part in? Training and development doesn’t have be attending formal training, it might be that you participate in mentoring or coaching for example. Learning new skills, gaining certifications, updating qualifications are just some of the career development activities you could get involved in. Speak to your boss or your HR manager about what activities are available to keep you growing and developing.
Build your network
Depending on the size of your organisation it may be difficult to build a social network Building workplace relationships can take time and a bit of work but your efforts are likely to pay off. Research* shows that the more socially connected you are to your work colleagues the happier you are likely to be at work.
* Diener, E. & Biswas-Diener, R. (2008). Happiness: Unlocking The Mysteries of Psychological Wealth. Oxford: Blackwell.
Lisa LaRue, MCareerDev, RCDP, MAC
Career Coach, EMCC-Accredited Master Practitioner Coach and CDI-Registered Career Development Professional with more than 20 years’ experience helping achieve successful and fulfilling careers.
