7 Simple Ways to Find Happiness at Work

The dreaded Monday blues, hump day, and ”Thank God it’s Friday.” These are all sayings we use to describe our work week. Everyone wants less work week and more weekend. Heck, I’m sure all of us would enjoy a weekend that lasted forever. However, most of us aren’t retiring anytime soon. Until then, we have to find ways to make our jobs more enjoyable.

Work can be challenging and stressful. And when you are stressed out, chances are that you will not be very happy while you’re working.

Below are seven methods you can try to stay happy at work:

1. Be friendly with coworkers.
   Being friendly toward your coworkers can help to uplift a dreary atmosphere. It is always nice to have someone to nod along with as you voice your opinion of those dreaded Mondays.

   Humans are social creatures. By getting along with your coworkers, you can build strong connections with them. These connections help to fulfill that social need.

2. Arrive at work with a smile.
   I know. It’s Monday. It’s raining. You just spilled hot coffee in your lap. And to top it all off, you’re late to work. Don’t allow a rough morning ruin your workday. Take a breath and step through the door with a smile on your face. When you smile, it’s hard not to feel happier. Soon, your work week will be off to a great start.
3. Don’t work through lunch.
   There’s a reason why your workplace has lunch breaks, and it’s not just so you can throw some food into your stomach. Take this time to give yourself a mental break. If you don’t, you may find yourself feeling overwhelmed and unable to perform. When you’re unable to perform at your best, you won’t feel happy at work. Your break is a time to step away from what you have to do and relax.
4. Find something to look forward to at work.
   If you find something to look forward to at work, you’ll be more excited to go in. This “something” that you have to look forward to can be a coworker’s birthday cake or a lunch date with a friend. It can be something as simple as a special treat you packed yourself for lunchtime. Having things to look forward to makes any workplace more fun, which will help you stay motivated and focused.
5. Decorate your workspace.
   Depending on where you work, you may have the ability to decorate your workspace on your own. This can help make your space your own and help it feel relaxing. If you surround yourself with things that make you happy, you will feel better every day.
6. Be yourself.
   Let your coworkers see who you really are. It can be hard to be yourself as you are getting to know everyone. You may be nervous that they will not like you for who you are. You may feel as though, in order to fit in, you must change who you are or act differently in front of your coworkers.

   If you hide who you really are, you may end up feeling trapped. This extra stress won’t help you be happy at work. By being confident in who you are and being yourself from the beginning, you will tend to be happier at work and in general.

7. Do something you love.
   If you do something that you love, you’ll never feel like you’re really working. On the other hand, when you do something that you are not in love with, you’ll be miserable at work. Sure, some days at any job can still be stressful. However, if you love what you do, then those stressful days will be outweighed by days in which you feel happy with what you do.

Undeniably, work can be hard, challenging, and stressful. However, there are little ways you can make your workdays more enjoyable. Don’t let the Monday blues get to you. Take your Mondays in stride and enjoy your work week!

Happy Worker image via Shutterstock.

from World of Psychology http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2016/04/04/7-simple-ways-to-find-happiness-at-work/