The whole essence of working is to make you happy. Unfortunately, only four people in every ten seem to get that all important work reward. Most people are having issues at work.
They lament about the bosses, talk about poor pay, rebuke the mediocre work environment, weep over lack of essential benefits, and so on. Often, employees will cite burnout, unrealistic deadlines, financial troubles, and troublesome bosses as potential sources of stress.
Let’s look at the things that can make you happy at work and suggest ways in which you can change your situation.
- If It Facilitates Self-Discovery
Most employees claim to follow a passion in their careers. Part of doing that relies heavily on finding that passion. Self-discovery is a process of identifying a place that you would want to occupy in life. Once you have it, the journey to another goal starts, doing something about it.
Let us say you want to own a business one day. If you are under employment today, it means you have your work cut out. Are you developing your business model? Are you saving for it? Are you creating the right networks that will help you grow the business?
You will be happy when you can count the number of steps you have made in the right decision. If not, you may be tempted to dwell on the negative aspects of your job.
- If It Nurtures Your Talent
Can you identify a future for you in a company? If not, that job may offer more frustrations than rewards. At least 75 percent of employees lament that human resource departments rarely talk to them. It means issues of training and employee welfare get a raw deal.
Essentially, a company will place you in a job you are qualified for and give you tasks that they have nurtured in you. You can always take it from there. If it is something that you still want to pursue in life, you will improve on it.
You will go further in education or training to support the goal. You will be happy. If the converse is true, do something about the situation such as actively looking for employment elsewhere. You will not be alone; lacking career progression and disillusionment accounts to 22 percent of employee turnover.
- When the Culture Is Right
Good companies focus on several votes when making hires. The company culture leads the pack. Any recruitment process should focus on bringing a complementary team together.
If the company practices such measures, you will always feel at home even during tough times. Unfortunately, unless you are a decision-maker in a company, culture is the hardest to impact.
- When You Strike a Work/Life Balance
It is elusive among workers globally. In America, at least one in every 10 employees quit their jobs because they cannot strike that balance. Long work hours can prevent you from giving your family quality time. A job that involves extended travel can also tear you down.
Whatever it is, you have to find a suitable medium. You can relocate to reduce the daily stressors. After all, the pain of transferring will be one time. Alternatively, you can opt for remote work. More and more companies are allowing digital nomads to work from home.
- If You Are Working On It
Positivity can often move mountains when it is channeled to the right causes. The knowledge that you are looking for ways to improve your happiness levels can be quite rewarding.
For example, people who are taking professional development will feel more hopeful of a better future. If they are unhappy about their salaries or job description, they know that can change once they get that extra qualification.
You can also take advantage of all the resources provided by the company. If there are wellness programs, take full advantage. They may not be what you wanted but can help kick stress away from your workplace. Positive people are not just gracious about things; they also document them, and they get rewards for it.
- If It Pays Your Worth
No matter how good the pay is, it has not reached the levels of satisfaction reported by volunteers and people who help colleagues at work. Joy lies in the giving. However, most employees feel that the company rewards are not commensurate of their talents and efforts.
If you conduct a study of people like you doing similar work and find that you are within an acceptable range, you should try to employ more positivism. You will be happier in life when you set realistic goals.
Let your career objectives be informed by research. For example, only 1% of the American workforce reaches the C-Suite level. To break that barrier, you will need to shatter the glass.
- When You Have Friends around You
About 70 percent of the workforce considers friends to an essential cog in workplace happiness. However, not all of them try to nurture a friendship. People want to compete against each other for the available positions of leadership. Once you learn how to cultivate and nurture friendship, the workplace will be your epitome of strength.
It all starts with the right attitude towards life. If you purpose to have a good day at work, it will take considerable effort for someone to ruin it.
