But even without an employer providing fancy benefits, it’s possible for employees to create their own sense of happiness at work. Whether your job is one you feel passionate about or one that you simply know you can do well, you can increase your happiness at work with a variety of everyday strategies. No employee is happy at work every single day, and even jobs you are passionate about can sometimes be frustrating or tedious. But if your career is something you generally enjoy and feel proud of, you are more likely to feel happy at work. Take a look at yourself, your skills, and interests, and find something that you can enjoy doing every day. Consider what you want your life to look like. Do you want evenings and weekends off to spend with friends? Plenty of vacation time to pursue your hobbies? A predictable schedule that allows you to be home with your kids every night? Even if you don’t find a job you love your job, if you love the life it allows you to create, you are more likely to be happy at work. Ask for specific and meaningful help from your boss. Look for assignments that will help you achieve career milestones or learn specific skills. Pursue opportunities and connections that you find valuable, even if your current employer isn’t creating those opportunities for you. When you feel in control of your career and can see yourself improving and growing, you are more likely to feel satisfied in your current position. Instead of waiting to find out what’s happening with your company, department projects, or coworkers, proactively seek out information that you need to do your job and make important decisions. Develop an information network and use it. Assertively request a weekly meeting with your boss and ask meaningful questions. You may find that your coworkers or supervisor didn’t realize there was a communication breakdown, or you may discover that your current office simply doesn’t have a strong work culture of open communication. Either way, if you take charge of finding the information you need, you’ll be better able to do your job and will feel a greater sense of control over the trajectory of your career. If you aren’t receiving regular feedback from your supervisor, start being proactive about requesting it. Ask your boss for feedback at the end of major projects, or talk to the management team about implementing regular employee assessments to help everyone succeed at their jobs. Talk to your customers, too; if you’re serving them well, their feedback will be affirming. The more feedback you receive, the more likely you are to be successful at your job. This will lead to more positive reinforcement that increases your sense of happiness at work. To manage stress levels and minimize unhappiness at work, create a system for tracking your commitments and managing your schedule. Stay organized enough that you can judge quickly and accurately whether you are actually able to commit to a request or a new assignment. Don’t volunteer for additional work or office tasks if you don’t have time. If your workload is regularly exceeding your available time and energy, don’t accept the unhappy status quo. Talk to your coworkers to see if anyone else is feeling the same way, then talk to your boss about how the company can provide the additional time, help, or resources that employees need. No matter how positively you feel, negative people have a profound impact on your psyche. If you find that certain groups at work are more likely to engage in negative behaviors such as gossip or complaining, try to distance yourself from those people. If that’s not possible, do your best to redirect conversations onto more positive topics. You can also choose to talk to your employer about creating a company culture that values positivity and cooperation, rather than competitiveness, to create a happier work environment for all employees. Conflict can be negative, but if it’s done well, conflict can also help you accomplish your work mission and your personal vision. When addressed openly, with positive communication, clear goals, and respect for your coworkers and supervisors, conflict can be a positive thing at work. Standing up for principles or ideas that you believe in can help you serve customers, create meaningful change, and be more successful at your job. Practicing professional courage can also create new opportunities for you, either in your current position or further in your career. And when you stand up for your ideas, goals, and dreams, you are more likely to feel proud of yourself and happy with your choices. Employees spend a lot of time at work; enjoying the coworkers that you spend time with there is one of the hallmarks of a positive work experience. Feeling understood and valued by even one coworker, especially if that’s someone you interact with regularly, can significantly increase your daily happiness at work. In that case, it may be time to reevaluate your employer, your job, or your entire career. Even if you have to remain in your current position for a while longer, actively searching for a new job that is more in line with your professional interests and personal values may be the best thing you can do to gain a sense of control and put a smile on your face once more.
