We all know that dreary Monday morning feeling on a Sunday night, where we have to drag ourselves back into bed after an all-too-quick weekend. In fact, a survey by Gallup found that 85% of people hate their job – and when you spend a huge chunk of your life at work, it can really take a toll on your mental health, leaving you feeling drained and depressed all the time, and not just at work. There are things you can do, however, that can make work a better place to be in, and even enjoyable – and they aren’t hard to do, either. Do you realize how will generally be happy at work? Read on to find the best steps to take to put happiness back into work, and help you feel more relaxed and positive for the rest of your life, too.
Treat Yourself
Even if your job is fun, when deadlines start to appear, it can become stressful. But even though it feels like it’s going terribly, you’re trying your best and you’re doing a good job! It’s important to remind yourself that you’re doing the best you can and also to reward yourself, particularly if you find yourself surrounded with, or under people who aren’t very generous with positive feedback. Use rewards to encourage yourself to do things, too – positive reinforcement is one of the easiest ways to stir up some motivation, so try telling yourself you can buy yourself a little bit of chocolate, but only if you finish filing the reports, or if you keep working on this project, you can treat yourself to a bubble bath later.
There are plenty of different ways to motivate yourself, so think about what kind of things you love and make you passionate, and they’ll encourage you to find the good side to work. Plus, rewarding yourself will make you feel proud of your efforts and help you acknowledge your worth. If you struggle with this, try to look at it as if a colleague had done the equivalent, and what you would say to them. Mirror it onto yourself – you deserve to reward every once in a while!
Rediscover Your Love for Your Job
Most people didn’t just pick the first job they could find – often, people have a reason as to why they work in a specific field. Perhaps it’s that you wanted to help people, or that you enjoy the flexibility, or that you get to use your imagination. There are plenty of reasons, and most likely, there’s something that drove you to that vocation in the first place, but it can get lost when we get drowned by deadlines, pressure, and stress. Think back and make a list, and remind yourself.
If you wanted to go one further, put yourself in situations that are helpful in reminding you of the good side – taking a course that goes with your career can be a great way to put yourself back in the student’s seat, learning and taking in the great aspects of your job. For example, if you’re a graphic designer, take a course related to typography or other aspects, or perhaps if you’re a nurse, you might opt to do one of these online DNP nurse executive programs. These courses really help to bring you back to the core of your job and help you rediscover what drove your passion for it in the first place.
Pull Up Some Tunes
Music isn’t just something for playing in the background. In fact, studies have shown that music has a hugely positive effect on your mood, and is even being used in therapy – it’s that good! Whether you only listen to it during breaks or keep some headphones on during the day, music can be exactly what you need to get yourself motivated and feeling calmer and more relaxed. Create a playlist of feel-good songs, and fill it with your favorites, as well as any songs that bound to boost your mood. If you’re looking for some inspiration, click here for the 10 most uplifting songs. Try to use them to give a little bit of light on a bad day, and to celebrate the good ones – good days are just as important, so make sure you make them count!
Peruse the Internet
The internet gets a lot of stick, but truth be told, it has a lot of good sides to it. If you’re feeling bad, what’s better for you than a photo or video of a cute puppy or kitten? Or if that’s not your thing, a funny article or video can be just what you need to give you a smile. There are plenty of places you can go on the internet to cheer yourself up, so taking a five-minute break to scroll through Buzzfeed and pick yourself back up after a really rubbish day is sometimes the perfect cure.
You can also find lots of places for support on the internet if you’re struggling more than you should be – sites like 7 Cups can offer emotional support and someone to talk to in times of distress, meaning if you think a cute animal won’t cut it, you can talk to someone and get some confidential support. Don’t be afraid to reach out if you need it – work can be stressful for anyone, so talking to someone over the internet can help give you some support if you’re uncomfortable talking to people in person. Just make sure you go to the right place for help.
Talk to Your Boss
If something really isn’t right about your work and you can pinpoint what’s wrong – for example, if your shifts make it harder to see your family – talk to someone who can help. Things like this are controllable, and if it can change, you should try to do what you can to turn it around for you and make work easier. Tell your boss how you’re feeling and explain the problem to them – in most cases, no matter whether they seem awful or lovely, they’re likely to listen to you and try to help you, even if it’s just because it helps their business run more efficiently at the very least, although most will want to do what’s best for you, too.
Solving problems like this will help reduce any stress you’re feeling, and also help you feel more control over the situation as well as more supported in the workplace since your boss knows how you’re feeling. Hopefully, getting rid of problems like this will make work a lot nicer and easier to be in, and will help you feel better in yourself, too.
Take Up Some Positive Mindset Activities
There are a few things you can do to start building a positive mindset both at work and at home. One of these is making sure you have something good to look forward to for each day – this makes it easier to work through any bad things, as you know something good is coming. Smiling is another thing that’s great to do – even if you don’t feel good, your brain automatically associates smiling with positive emotions, meaning you should feel better in yourself, even if it’s only a little. Leave positive notes for yourself, too, or arrange with your partner or work colleague to do it for each other.
Reminding yourself of your worth and your skills is a great way to keep you positive and confident in yourself, and although it’s better for it to come from yourself and for you to fully believe in those positive things, it can be a nice surprise from someone else, and likewise, you get to return the compliments.
One final thing that can be great at bringing yourself back to the present moment is thinking back over the day, and finding three good things. Even if it seemed like the worst day in the world, try and find three things that you enjoyed or appreciated – Maybe you liked the sound of the rain on the window, or that you had a nice conversation at the break, or that your lunch today was really delicious. Whatever it is, big or small, learn to notice and appreciate things more and you’ll see it more in your everyday life, too.
Keep on Top of Your Physical Health
Your physical health is just as important as your mental health, and the two go hand in hand. Taking steps to ensure you look after your body also helps in looking after your mind. This means taking time to exercise, eating three meals a day, and getting a full eight hours of sleep instead of four. Although they may seem like tiny things, they all add up, and you’ll find once you get these things in order, they do wonders for your mental health too. It’ll be easier to feel rested, confident and ready for the day, as well as maintain a steady flow of energy rather than hitting random spikes. Keep yourself healthy and your mind will be healthy, too.
These tips should help you feel happy at work – remember, your happiness is the most important thing, so stay positive and keep trying!
