Tips to Staying Happy at Work

When it comes to resolutions, a lot of people add ‘Finding a New Job’ to their list. Whatever your reason may be, making this kind of resolution can also make you pretty unhappy at your current job if the search doesn’t pan out the way you’d hoped.  Try not to mope around the office because of it, because the reality is: This is your job and you have to make the most of it.   Here are some simple tips for making yourself happier at work.

1. Help Out a Coworker: The key here is shifting the focus away from yourself and onto something or someone else. Maybe you could help them file or brainstorm together on a project they have coming up.  You’ll go from being a Debbie Downer to Little Mary Sunshine in no time.

2. Improve How You Present Yourself: Are you the person in the office that everyone is happy to see, wants to have lunch with and is smiling all the time?  No? That’s not you?  A good way to start becoming that person is to make people believe that you can be that person. Be generous with the compliments and don’t be afraid to smile if you feel like smiling. Take some time to change the way people perceive you and pretty soon, they'll see you as a happy person and you'll feel like a happy person.

 3. Be Aware of time-based thinking:  Bad days happen, right?  When we’re in the middle of a no good, horrible, very bad day it’s easy to just log onto the internet and look at all the other jobs in the world better than the one we have now.  But let’s step back for a second.  Sometimes a good night’s sleep is all you need to let today’s problems become yesterday’s news.  Rather than fixating on the things that are making you upset- take some time clear your head and do something that makes you happy.  Maybe you’ll go for a walk or do something nice for someone else. Maybe you’ll search for photos sure to give you a giggle. Go on, try it. We can wait.

Unless your unhappiness at work spans weeks and months, chances are you’ll be happy with your job again by the end of the week.

For more tips, check out this article on staying positive and happy at work.