This Wednesday: 24 Tips for being happy at work

Every Wednesday is Tip Day.
Tips...for being happy at work.

Of course, being happy at work depends mostly on how much you like your job. But there are also smaller steps that can boost your happiness, as well.

Your work space:
 Check for eyestrain: put your hand to your forehead in a salute. If your eyes feel relieved, your space is too bright.
 Get a good desk chair and take the time to adjust it properly. (A friend works at Goldman Sachs, where they have a person who specializes in this, zoikes!)
 Sit up straight—every time I do, I instantly feel more energetic and cheerier.
 Think about how your space could be more pleasant. Could you invest in some desk accessories to help stay organized? Could you replace a hideous lamp with something more attractive?
 Get a phone headset. I resisted for a long time, because it looks so preposterous, but it’s really much more comfortable.
 Don’t keep treats around. A handful of M&Ms each day will mean a weight gain five pounds by year’s end.
 Periodically, take time to deep-clean the loose papers that have piled up. I never do this until I specifically schedule a time, but am always amazed at the wonderful calm it brings.

Your day:
 Never say “yes” on the phone; instead, say, “I’ll get back to you.” When you’re actually speaking to someone, the desire to be accommodating is very strong, and can lead you to say “yes” without enough consideration.
 Take care of difficult calls or emails as quickly as possible. Procrastinating just makes it harder; getting them done gives a big boost of relieved energy.
 When accepting a responsibility, imagine that it’s something that you’ll have to do next week. That way you don’t agree to something just because it seems so far off that it doesn’t seem onerous.
 Be honest about how you’re spending your time. You feel overwhelmed, but are you really working hard? How much time do you spend surfing the internet, chatting on the phone, looking for things you’ve misplaced, or doing a task that’s really someone else’s job?
 Go outside at least once a day, and if possible, take a walk. The sunlight and activity is good for your focus, mood, and retention of information.
 Even if you can’t go outside, take a ten-minute break each hour. Studies show that the break boosts your retention level.
 Don’t let yourself get too hungry.
 Let yourself stay ignorant of things you don’t need to know.
 Try to make a lunch date with someone outside the office at least once a week.

Your colleagues:
 Although some people believe it’s best to keep work life and personal life separate, and therefore avoid making friends with colleagues, for most people, having strong friendships makes work more fun. Science supports this: having close relationships is essential to happiness, strengthens the immune system, and reduces anxiety.
 If you work alone, take time to mix with other people. Socializing boosts the moods of introverts, as well as extroverts.
 Each week, walk around your company and introduce yourself to a few people you don’t know each week. You’ll feel more comfortable socially, plus knowing more people facilitates work flow.
 If a colleague gets under your skin, figure out why. I used to work with a guy who enraged me at every meeting. When I started analyzing his techniques, I became fascinated with the brilliance of his subtle put-downs. (For a list of his strategies, see my book Power Money Fame Sex, chapter 3.)
 A friend took a job where she knew she’d have a difficult boss. From the beginning, she told herself, “There is only love.” She doesn’t allow herself to criticize her boss, even in her own mind, and won’t listen to anyone else’s criticism. She says it’s tough to do, but it has made her job far easier.
 Say “Good morning” to everyone.
 Periodically, have lunch with co-workers. This can be a time to talk about personal life, and so become better friends, or to talk about work, so that everyone has a bigger picture of what’s going on in the office—both good results.
 Lighten up.

*
A reader, and fellow blogger at Thinking Meat, thoughtfully sent me a link to the World Map of Happiness, a very interesting map that shows the happiness levels of the 178 nations of the world. The three happiest countries: Denmark, Switzerland, Austria. Least happy: Burundi. USA was 23, Canada was 10, and UK was 41.

Comments

[lea]

"never say yes:" say, "i'll get back to you." THANK YOU. what a revelation that little piece of advice is. can we blow it out into an entire book? i feel certain that the people who learn the art of yes-ing and no-ing are the people who really succeed. why is the lure to say yes overwhelming. i have finally conquered the social no, which is to say i realize that only 2 percent at best of those things outside of work and love are worth it . . . but the work No, the pro bono No, the (is this one the worst) family No: these are all mired in more subtle political brambles. anyone with a heart struggles with No.

[Cara]

Great tips! NO is such a powerful word and probably the surest road to sanity.

Do you have any thoughts on deciding whether a job or career you hate requires an actual career change rather than simply an attitude change?

[Ariane from NeatLiving.Net]

Wise words...Thank You!!! for the reminder...I've yessing a bit too much lately too. ...Wanting to help everyone can kill you.

And thanks for the happiness map! I'm moving to Sweden to see what's in the water they're drinking! : )

[Gretchen Rubin]

Zoikes, satisfaction with work is one of the thorniest problems in all of happiness. As much value as I've had from re-framing, from my own experience, I think where work is concerned you might need to find something that you automatically enjoy, without any particular effort. It's very hard to switch careers, but worth it. A good book about these issues is Po Bronson's "What Should I Do With My Life?" It's full of interviews with people about their career changes.

[Azila]

Try this one: stop thinking about the time your colleagues spent with their private stuff. This will only annoy yourself and stop you in feeling good while working.
Trust your boss -it is his job to look after them.

[Michael]

"Let yourself stay ignorant of things you don’t need to know."

You do realize that that tip addresses 70% of my lost productivity, right? I'm just SO curious... :)

But hey, ignorance is bliss, right?

[John Hill]

I liked your straight to the point tips on being happy at work, it just goes to show that being at work is what you make it and you can make it positive or negative, it's always your choice.

[muwafak Habis]

i really find your way of writting is so delicate and to the point.with great spirit WISH U ALL THE JOY and success in both professional and personal life.

Regards
Muwafak Habis
saudi Arabia