In 2013 research was carried out which gave the ratio of unhappy employees and the happy ones worldwide.
This result from the research showed that unhappy employees outnumbered the happy ones by a ratio of two to one.
This work was done by Gallup, based on studies that took place in 142 countries and contains approximately 180 million employees; only 13% of them were happily engaged at work.
Employers will advise employees to be more efficient and productive in the workplace without minding the mental toughness of the workers because productivity is the watchword in the game of business.
But ultimately, our mental health is just as important as the documents we draft and the spreadsheets we email out. So, how do we effectively walk the line between being professionally productive and personally happy?
Here I have listed 17 mind-blowing easy clues that will relax your nerves and equally proven to make you more efficient at work that you never thought about.
1. Wake up at least an hour before you need to leave for work.
Enjoy some “me” time before the rush begins.
Give yourself time to eat breakfast, read a little bit, go for a short jog, meditate about the previous day and see how best you dealt with the previous day’s activities this will help you prepare better for the new day at work, but most importantly do something you enjoy a lot before rushing off to work.
2. Get to work early before resumption time.
This will help you settle in properly and help you plan your day’s schedule which will, in turn, help you to know the pace with which you will work. A rushed and bad start will minimize your chances of having a good day and feeling happy at work.
3. Work fresh; leave personal issues at home(fix personal issues before going to work)
Emotions consume you and stress exhausts you.” When it happens that you have an inordinate amount of stress, it will seem like your work is never-ending, you will watch the clock, and you will be distracted from being more productive.
4. Dress for success because you are addressed the way you are dressed.
This gives people the opportunity to see you in a new light, which means they may interact with you differently but if you wear a uniform, do not add too many personal belongings, and then you are very close in having a happier day.
5. Smile
Something as simple as smiling can improve your happiness at work because it tells your brain to be happier. Smiling is also contagious and will make your co-workers smile as well.
6. Greet your colleagues when you get to work.
When you first walk in the door, make sure to greet as many of your colleagues as warmly as you can before you get to work. You’ll instantly feel more connected to people and will feel your positive energy growing.
7. Help a co-worker.
Research continues to show that altruism—helping others—actually makes us feel happier.
When you prioritize lending a hand to a co-worker in need, you are actually creating a healthy mental reward system for yourself that promotes self-satisfaction.
So, go ahead, take 10 minutes to help with that difficult project, and feel the lasting effects all week.
8. Make friends.
Christine Riordan states in the Harvard Business Review that employees who: ‘’have friends at work, liking and enjoying your coworkers are hallmarks of a positive, happy work experience’’.
Take time to get to know them. You might actually like it and enjoy it. Your network provides support, resources, sharing, and caring.
It’s important to speak up when you think that something in your workplace can be improved. However, it’s equally important to point out when your coworkers or company is doing something right.
9. Say thank you.
Based on experiments from Professor Francesca Gino of the Harvard Business School and Professor Adam Grant of the Wharton School, “receiving expressions of gratitude makes us feel a heightened sense of self-worth, and that in turn triggers other helpful behaviors toward both the person we are helping and other people that are around us, too.”
It gives a lift to the lives of those around us and it appreciates what they do.
10. Shut yourself from Negativity.
Choosing to be happy at work means avoiding negative conversations, gossip, and unhappy people as much as possible. No matter how positively you feel, negative people have a profound impact on your psyche.
Steer clear from cliques and groups that that target co-workers and management: negativity drains you of energy and blocks happiness and positive thoughts. Work on being friendly with everyone
11. Take responsibility for knowing what is happening around you at work.
Seek out the information you need to work effectively. Develop an information network and use it. Assertively request a weekly meeting with your boss and ask questions to learn. You are in charge of the information you receive.
Lack of information in the workplace can lead to frustration at the right because it will slow your work rate and also you might feel left out. You do not want to be the last person to get the latest information.
12. Practice professional courage.
If you are like most people, you don’t like conflict. And the reason why is simple. You’ve never been trained to participate in the meaningful conflict, so you likely think of conflict as scary, harmful, and hurtful. Conflict can be all three; done well, conflict can also help you accomplish your work mission and your vision. Conflict can help you serve customers and create successful products. Happy people accomplish their purpose for working.
13. Avoid multi-tasking as possible as you can.
Despite the myth, multitasking isn’t effective. Clifford Nass, a psychology professor at Stanford University claims that multitasking “wastes more time than it saves.” He also states that it decreases concentration and creativity. Many do well with a simple checklist to accomplish this.
Make a to-do list at the beginning of your workday and to go about checking items off of it. You’ll feel more accomplished, and therefore, happier in the process.
14. Take a breather; move around and clear your head.
If you want to be happier in your workplace, then you have to take breaks from your work from time to time. You don’t want to feel depressed or like you can’t leave your desk or go outside until you’re done with your workday.
Studies show that it’s important to take a break at least every 90 minutes; step away from your computer or whatever task you are doing and take 10 minutes to rest your eyes, stretch, take a short walk, make a brief phone call, or even read a little bit.
If you have the luxury of taking a break from your work, then you should make a habit of it if you want to feel happier.
15. Give yourself some rewards after accomplishing a certain percentage of your workload.
Whether it’s by going out to dinner with your significant other, purchasing a new gadget, enjoying a piece of candy, or giving yourself a pat on the back, (the politician applause), try incentivizing yourself with basic bribery.
Think along the lines of: “If I finish this report, then I can go get a cupcake from the place down the street,” or “I can go to happy hour with my friends tonight, but only if I finish making this presentation.” You could even create a rewards jar to stay motivated for weeks to come!
16. Eat food that boosts your mood and drink water (fluids).
If you haven’t had lunch yet or are looking around for the midday desk snack, make sure that it includes at least one of these 10 nutrients. Instead of hitting the vending machine for lunch, have meals that involve yogurt, asparagus, honey, cherry tomatoes.
Eating foods that keep your blood sugar within a normal range will stop headaches and fatigue, as well as help you concentrate better. They are scientifically proven to help regulate mood on an internal level. Plus, you can find these nutrients in foods that you love, so happy eating!
17. Know when your work is not working and maintain a positive attitude.
Though there are many things you can do to be happier at work, there may come a time when you realize that nothing you do can truly make you happy at work.
Maybe it’s because you’re treated unfairly in your workplace. Maybe you’re doing something you don’t really believe in instead of pursuing your passion.
Maybe you just feel completely worn down and uninspired. You can’t change who people are. Instead of letting their personalities or actions affect you, take a step back.
Conclusion
You could try techniques like counting to 10 before responding to them, avoiding finger-pointing, and maintaining a professional attitude by completing simple tasks as soon as possible, treat clients and customers with respect, reflect on the importance your job how it affects others, pride yourself how effective and efficient you are on your, sooner than later you will find that needed spark that was missing.
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