How to Be Happier at Work

Being content at work tends to make you better at what you do, and the hours pass with more actually getting finished. The catch is that happiness on the job rarely shows up on its own. It takes effort, and the effort is heavier when the role you're in isn't the one you dreamed about. Still, almost any job can become a place you want to be, as long as you decide that enjoying it and doing good work are things you're aiming for. A handful of small habits can move your days in that direction.

Start with what you're good at. Your employer brought you on because they looked at your skills and figured you could handle the work. Carry that same judgment about yourself into each shift and pay attention to the parts of the job you handle well. It holds true for every kind of position, including the simple part-time ones that don't ask much of you. Weaknesses are worth improving over time, sure, but while you're on the clock the smarter move is leaning on what you do best so the work gets done cleanly and quickly.

Pay attention to your coworkers too. Most workplaces run on some version of teamwork, so while your own strengths will stay front of mind, it helps to notice what the people around you are good at. That way you know who to ask when a task is outside your wheelhouse, or who to hand something to when your own plate is overloaded. A lot of people never really register what their colleagues excel at. Spend a little time getting to know them and keep a mental note of their strong suits, because it will pay off later.

Appreciation goes both ways. Take a moment to acknowledge the people you work with and you'll usually find they start acknowledging you back. A quick "thanks" after someone bails you out, or a "nice work" when a colleague nails a project, carries more weight than it looks like it should. The office gets friendlier, and a friendlier office is simply a more pleasant place to spend eight hours. When you genuinely get along with the people around you, the job turns into something closer to fun, and fun makes the whole thing lighter.

Show up early. I know how that sounds, but arriving maybe twenty minutes ahead of your shift gives you room to settle and get your head straight before anything starts. Walk in right at the official start time and you end up rushing to get rolling, which sets a frazzled tone for everything after. Come in with a few minutes to spare, put things in order, and the day tends to run smoother. Less stress in those first moments leaves you in a better mood about the job overall.

Set yourself a quiet goal to do better. Tell yourself you'll give the work your best, and heading in starts to feel less like a chore. This doesn't mean grinding at full tilt from open to close. Just pick a few days a week where you push past the bare minimum. Your output climbs, tasks close out faster and with more care, and knocking things off the list feels good even when the task itself is dull.

One more thing worth sitting with: the effort you put toward being happier at work tends to spill over. The same ideas apply to pretty much any corner of your life and bring back similar results. Keep at your current job, do it well, and treat it as something you're building on. Good work now becomes a foundation you can stand on when you go chasing the career you actually want.

Rosemary Kitchen

Resources: Bellows, M. (2015). Finding Happiness at Work. Retrieved on March 19, 2015 from http://www.inc.com/matthew-bellows/finding-happiness-at-work.html