The workplace can be a hectic, often chaotic jungle that demands you stay on your feet for optimum output.
The continuous upheavals in workplace, coupled with feelings of discontent that may stem from a number of reasons ranging from acrid colleagues to wrong career choice and work pressure often depresses us and makes the workplace an unhappy situation to be in.
The first step towards happiness at work is to take ownership of life and career.
Here are 10 life lessons that may help you stay happy at work.
It is your choice: You are the only person who can make the conscious decision of staying happy at work. Even if the workplace seems negative, at the end of the day, you need to think positively. One can do this by looking for those things that are good and not dwell only on the bad. Stay away from negative people and associate with those who are happy at work; it will rub off on you.
Take charge of your development: Career nowadays is all about juggling roles and gathering multitude of experiences for the portfolio along the way. Lateral moves as you juggle from departments to departments is perhaps more beneficial than a linear path.
Ask for feedback: For many, the annual performance review is the only time they get feedback, and it’s the most anxiety-producing process. However, a better way of assessing development is by asking your seniors for constant feedback. Believing that each of us is responsible for our own development, then getting feedback is a key part of the equation.
Gather a support system: Having a group of people who share similar background, experiences and lifestyles help take some of the pressure off at work, having a ‘team’ to safely voice your feelings to.
Don’t try to change others: Don’t let other people’s actions impact your journey. There will be colleagues who rub you the wrong way at some point, and if you let them get to you, they will have control over your engagement at work.
Avoid negativity: Avoid gossip, negative conversations and the unhappy people you can’t change. No matter how positive you might be personally, negative people can have an impact on how you feel.
Keep personal problems out of office: When you are bogged down by personal issues, they tend to hamper productivity at work. Do not bring your sorrows to your workplace, while your colleagues may offer to listen, it hampers the workplace equation.
Focus on positives: You may not love your job, but there must be something in it that you like. Find that and focus on it. Go along with it till you find something better.
Make friends: While a lot of people laugh at the notion of having a “work best friend,” but truthfully it is important. Given the number of hours we spend on the job, it is important to have a small group of people you can really count on.
Have resources ready so you may leave at will: Sometimes all you can do for the sake of happiness is to just leave a job. There is nothing worse than realizing this and not having the ability to do so because of money worries. You need to put aside resources to give you the freedom to walk away on your own terms.
