If we told you that only 13% of people are happy in their work, would you be surprised? Well, based on a comprehensive study by Gallup, that is the case. Of course, you probably knew this already. Maybe not the exact figure, but the fact people aren’t happy at work has sort of becoming an acceptance, a way of life, something that we just have to put up with.
But why?
To answer this question, we have come up with a list of ways that have been proven to make you feel happier at work. You can thank us later.
Give Your Role A Sense Of Meaning
To put it as simply as possible, anyone that realizes their role has meaning is much more likely to be happier at work, and not just happier, more productive too. It doesn’t matter how grand this sense of meaning is either. It could be that your role has a direct impact on helping refugees in Syria, or it could be that you work in customer services and therefore make people’s days that little bit easier; any form of meaning will help you find more happiness in the workplace.
It’s Time To Become More Organised
The more organized you are the more efficient you become, and the more efficient you are the more likely it is you will be happy in your role. What’s more, there are plenty of ways in which you can be better organized. It could be that you clear your desk of any and all clutter, it could be that you trace the evolution of the org chart to the present day and follow the instructions from there, or it could even be that you make yourself lunch the day before and give yourself that slight head start on the day. Basically, work is stressful enough without you heaping on additional pressures.
Make Your Space More Homely
Most people spend more time at their desk than they do at their home, which is why it is so important that you make your desk your own. This will have an immediate and direct impact on your happiness. Of course, we recommend that you check company policy first, but once you know the rules, put your collection of Star Wars figurines on the shelf above you, and those little postcards of your favorite Banksy artwork on the walls. And if anyone does question it, just say it impacts your happiness which impacts your productivity.
Make Friends At Work
This is one of the most powerful connections you can make between work and happiness. It may sound a little lame, but having friends at work will take you out of the realm of moderately engaged and drop you slap bang in the middle of the highly engaged column. Friends make life better. They make life more enjoyable and fun and super-duper. So why not go for the high-five with that dude in design next time you bump into him in the kitchen? You never know, it could blossom into a bromance more superior than that of Jake Gyllenhaal and Ryan Reynolds.