This post was most recently updated on August 13th, 2023
[A collaboration post with Day Translations – all thoughts are my own.]
Cherishing your career and be happy at work is important for fostering creativity, highlighting your strengths, and nurturing connections with colleagues. Moreover, being happy at work significantly impacts your mental well-being.
Nurturing workplace happiness is influenced by the actions you choose and the authority you wield over your mindset and surroundings. Allow me to share with you a collection of tried-and-true strategies that can guide you towards a happier work experience.
Find a career you enjoy
A career that you enjoy may mean finding a job that uses skills you are proud of. In other words, a career that you are passionate about or find personally fulfilling. In this case, I enjoy working as a freelance translator for more than 7 years and am now also really passionate about being a blogger.
The truth is, as much as I enjoy working as an Indonesian translator, sometimes it can be frustrating too. But if your career is something you enjoy and feel proud of, you are more likely to feel happy at work. Take a look at yourself, your skills, and interests, and find something that you can enjoy doing every day.
Find a job that gives you time outside work
Personally, a job is something that allows me to create a lifestyle I value outside the office. I mean, even working two jobs, I also need evenings and weekends off to spend with friends or family.
Even if you don’t find a career you love, if that job allows you to have time outside work, you are more likely to be happy at work. So, consider what you want your life to look like and find a job that allows you to pursue your hobbies or to be home with your kids every night.
Only make commitments you can keep
One of the most common and serious causes of work stress is failing to keep your commitments. In many cases, employees spend more time worrying about the consequences of failing to keep a commitment (complete the task) than they spend completing their work.
I’m so grateful that I could still offer my translation service and also manage my blogs at the same time. They both give me a lot of life experiences and a chance to improve my creativity. I also can work from anywhere, finish my task on time, and able to spend the rest evening watching Netflix or reading books.
To be happy at work and minimize the stress level, create a tracking system for your tasks and manage your schedule. Stay organized enough that you can judge quickly whether you are actually able to commit to a new assignment or a request. Don’t volunteer for additional tasks if you don’t have time.
Avoid negativity
I love to have positive people surround me because it also affects my mindset. But, no matter how positively you feel, negative people have an impact on your psyche. If you find that certain people or groups at work are more likely to engage in negative behaviors such as gossip or complaining, try to distance yourself from them.
If you can’t say no, try your best to redirect conversations onto more positive topics. A toxic work environment will increase your unhappiness, no matter how much you enjoy your career. Choosing to be happy at work means avoiding negative conversations as much as possible.
Decorate your office space
I like to decorate my home office because it makes me feel happy and motivated to complete the tasks. An office space that reflects your personality can make you feel happy too. Place small decorations, bring in pictures, or things that motivated you on your office desk.
An organized space can help you work more efficiently and improve your happiness at work. Other than that, try to organize your email, papers, and desk drawers, so you don’t experience stress in wasting valuable time searching for something.
Take small breaks
It’s important to take small breaks to keep you from stressing out too much. Take a 10-15 minute break between each task to give yourself the space to refresh before working again. It can be walking around the office, stretching at your desk, or making a cup of coffee.
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I, too, am a big proponent of decorating my office space! I feel that adding little touches to make it seem more warm and welcoming helps me to not only be more productive but feel more comfortable at work. That and developing a healthy work/life balance are often times key to happiness in one’s position. Thank you for sharing!
xoxo,
Sydney
http://www.thelotuslist.com
I used to over-commit myself all the time and it was horrible for my mental health! I’ve since learned to tone it down and only commit to things I can keep. Love this post!
Being happy at work is so important, as for most people it makes up the majority of their day! Thank you for sharing these tips, I’m currently working from home which I love, but this post still applies x
Love and agree with all of this. I feel like my mindset towards work has changed massively since becoming a mum. I’m less motivated by money and more by having time and a better work life balance, which is thankfully something I have now.
Claire. X
Great post! I really connect with your comment to avoid negativity. This rings so true and I feel that if you are negative, you always seem to find more negativity in the office. On the flip side, if you are positive, you a more likely to find positive people. If there are none, be the first one that is positive