Introduction
It is a subject that raises its head all the time. Why are still so many people unhappy at work? As somebody who has
been in contact frequently with an HR advisor, both as a manager and as staff, I know that it is important to ensure that employees go to work happily. What about your (work) happiness? Are you doing something that suits you and are you happy with your work? If not, you better read on.
And check out your ultimate escape route at the end of this article!
What is the issue?
Millions of people feel unhappy at work for a variety of reasons. But instead of trying to find the source of their misfortune, they surrender to their misery. For many people, the first thing they give in to when they feel unhappy at work is to stop working suddenly. Even worse, some leave their jobs without a solid backup plan. And you don’t really want to do that.
In this article, I will give you tips on how to deal with your happiness at work and how to work on it or rediscover it. There is nothing to be ashamed about when you get up for a new working day and think: I really don’t feel like doing this. You are not the only one and it is a sign that some action is necessary.
What is happiness at work?
As it is a fully subjective feeling, happiness at work can have a different meaning for everyone. Some of the characteristics at work here are enthusiasm, energy, and commitment, which can all have an impact. Many different definitions are used in the literature, but in studies of happiness at work, attention is always paid to the following.
Enthusiasm (the energy that an employee puts into his/her work), involvement (the energy that someone is willing to put into the organization), job satisfaction, (does the position match the competencies, confidence of the manager, and the connection you have with the rest of the team).
Reason to invest in happiness at work
There are plenty of reasons why you should work on your happiness at work. The most important reason being, in addition to pleasure in your work, is to prevent dropout. Because absenteeism is often related to (limited) happiness at work. If you invest in your happiness, you will work better together, you will feel more involved in the organization and you will be less absent.
Dropping out because things aren’t going well at work is a shame. After all, absenteeism could have been prevented by sincere attention to what makes you (un)happy. That sincere attention lies partly with yourself, but also with the organization. They must also pay attention to what drives employees, what makes them happy, and whether adjustments are needed to increase happiness.
Responsibility with you
Yet the responsibility for a happy career lies mainly with the employee himself. That is why I think it is important that every employee thinks about what makes them happy and how that fits into the organization. What is your added value for the company and what does that mean for you?
Here are 5 tips for increasing your happiness at work
1. The right balance between pleasure and salary
Find the right balance between money and happiness. Some people have well-paid jobs, but they work so many hours that they can never enjoy the money. Very few can say “no” to a big, fat salary, but remember there is a lot of truth in the old saying, “money doesn’t buy happiness.” Of course, you have to eat and pay the rent, but you also have to be able to enjoy your work. And enjoy life in general.
2. A job that suits you
Find a job that truly reflects your values. If you keep asking yourself, “Why am I doing this, and is it really benefiting everyone?” Then you are probably in the wrong place. So don’t do things because you have to, do them because you really want to. This seems so simple, yet few people act like this.
3. Stay humble in what you can do
Don’t get overwhelmed by all the work. Do things one by one and prioritize your tasks. This means focusing on your organizational skills and setting deadlines. Recognize that you are human, not a robot and that you cannot complete all tasks at once. Again, how many of us really do this?
4. Discuss your personal wishes
If your work schedule offers little flexibility, check with your supervisor whether you can make a compromise. Suppose your work hours don’t allow you to do things that are important to you, such as dropping your kids off at school in the morning. Check with the supervisor whether you can come to work later, but also leave at a later time or come to work for a few hours on a Saturday in order to compensate for lost time.
5. Work on your social connections
Build a good relationship with colleagues. Suppose you come to work every day and work with colleagues you don’t really know (yet). As a result, you can feel lonely and unhappy at work. You don’t necessarily have to become best friends with all of your co-workers and in fact, some may even annoy you. But try to develop a friendship with at least some of them.
Unhappy at work: Become a self-employed person?
If you have followed all of the above advice and are still unhappy at work, setting up your own business may be an option. Being self-employed has also been shown to offer many benefits. Research has shown that entrepreneurs have significantly lower incidences of physical and mental illness, fewer hospital visits, and higher levels of life satisfaction.
That latest finding of life satisfaction raises an interesting question: If entrepreneurs are healthier on average, are they happier too? A quick search shows that, despite the uncertainty about starting their own business, entrepreneurs generally report higher mental well-being than people who are comfortable in permanent employment.
Being entrepreneurial makes you happier
A survey of 11,000 graduates found that those who run their own businesses were the happiest, regardless of how much money they made. Why are the self-employed and entrepreneurs so much happier than those who bank or finance, even though they generally earn less? Researchers feel that control and autonomy have a lot to do with it. Entrepreneurs work very hard, but there is a sense that they are in control of their own time, even if they put in a large number of hours.
The feelings of empowerment and self-confidence that come from entrepreneurship find their way into almost every area of their lives. Fortunately, for those who prefer to work for a boss, there is good news: By keeping their time and destination under control as much as possible, employees can enjoy some of the same benefits as entrepreneurs. So you don’t have to be an entrepreneur to think like an entrepreneur. Whether you’re in a steady job or starting your own business, the most important thing is to discover the powerful mindset that entrepreneurs so often display.
Your escape route
The internet offers a wealth of opportunities to start your own business, you just need to find the right one. I am a member of the best internet support business program since late 2014. They teach you how to set up a successful business by having your own website and promoting the products of merchants all around.
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I felt this was a good read for me. One of the important points here, in my book, is to stay humble concerning what we can do. Humility is in fact, one of the most powerful and important attributes of growth. Being humble helps to build trust and facilitates learning, which are key aspects for achieving any goal!
Many people can then please themselves by just being humble, however, for those with big ego’s it will be a bit more trying. In the end, these five tips are all personal and everybody needs to find the right ones for themselves. I guess being humble might work for a lot of situations in life.