Statistics show that 65% of American workers feel happy with their jobs, while 20% are passionate about what they do. Happiness is one thing people prioritize when establishing their career trajectories. Indeed, happy and satisfied workers can increase their productivity while prioritizing personal well-being. To increase your happiness at work, prioritize these five keys to achieve the desired outcome.
1. Identify your purpose
Jobs may differ, but they all have their purposes. Every employee has a reason that binds them to their current job. In most cases, employees may hang on to a job because it puts food on the table. Others also love their careers because they can address a pressing need. Identifying the purpose of your career can inspire you to stay positive despite setbacks, so keep this in mind.
2. Prioritize work-life balance and mindfulness
With time, work-life balance may change due to household responsibilities and other factors. Fortunately, juggling family, work, and life is achievable with the right steps. If you feel stressed, get the needed support to prevent burnout and unhappiness. For instance, you can hire a professional to clean your home, take care of grocery shopping, and do other household chores. As a tip, avoid bringing work home, and spend more time with your family. While at it, consider practicing mindfulness to ease your stress when you become overwhelmed by your responsibilities. Mindfulness has been shown to help unhappy workers feel calm and less reactive in their job environment, so feel free to consider this.
3. Build resilience
Irrespective of how much you cherish your job, lack of motivation and burnout can eventually crop in. And overcoming them requires effort. Indeed, resilience isn’t about stopping every setback; it involves your determination to sail through tough times and emerges stronger. Recalling your past success is beneficial whenever you feel like giving up. This can re-energize you to rise to the challenge, boost your confidence, and trigger happiness. No matter how small your past victories may be, recording them can remind you to persevere and stay happy.
4. Consider career guidance
Seeking career guidance and counseling is a good way to find happiness at work. Experienced counselors can prescribe appropriate problem-solving techniques to help you reignite your passion. They can also work with you to determine if your job suits you. Alternatively, assessment tests are beneficial if you are yet to get a counselor, so keep this in mind. Options like the Strong Interest Inventory test can match you with various careers aligned to your personality, educational background, and skills.
5. Try new challenges
Pursuing new challenges can be helpful if you are dissatisfied with your current role. For instance, you can volunteer to help your colleagues in different departments to test your abilities while acquiring new knowledge and skills. You can also speak to your employer or manager about your lack of motivation, so keep this in mind. This way, they can assign tasks that would challenge you and restore your passion for your job.
