Have you ever felt like you wanted to quit your job because you weren’t getting paid enough for the service that you offer to your organisation or that you weren’t appreciated?
Some people want a friendly environment at work while others want to make sure that there is a good work-life balance to be happy at work.
Recent research done by the University of Warwick showed that happy employees are up to 12% more productive than their unhappy counterparts. Happy employees have better mental health, have good relationships both professionally and personally and are more productive in the workplace.
Here are some ways that you can be happier at work.
Have a walk around the block
Did you know that walking is not just a good physical activity but also boosts your mood? If you have a tea or lunch break, you can either go for a walk with a colleague or on your own. Also, instead of having a meeting indoors, you can have a walk and talk meeting. This way you’ll get some exercise and work done at the same time.
Meditate
It’s not just a buzzword! Practising meditation has been known to help people gain stronger control of their emotions and improved their mental wellbeing. All you need is a quiet space, set the timer for five or ten minutes, close your eyes and just breathe.
Eat food that boosts your mood
This goes down to meal planning and taking your own snacks from home as it can get expensive to keep buying from your workplace. Make sure that you eat one of these nutrients. This will help you regulate your mood.
Drink water
Keep yourself hydrated as this will help you keep focused and fend any headaches. Ensure that you either have a tall glass of water or get a water bottle.
Help out a colleague
By lending a hand to a colleague can help you feel satisfied from within yourself. It doesn’t mean that you take over your colleague’s work but even if it’s just dedicating 10 minutes to help with something difficult can go a long way. If you see them really busy, offer to get them a drink or get them something to eat.
Remember your value
When you feel burnt out, it’s hard to remember why you do what you do. Reflect on what you’ve done previously in terms of projects and accomplishments and make a note of them. Here is a self-worth checklist that can help:
1. What are the five achievements that I’m proud of?
2. What are my biggest strengths? (list at least five of them)
3. what are my biggest weaknesses? (list at least three of them)
4. Here are five compliments that I would like to give myself.
(Source: Positive Psychology)
You should then plan out some more goals of what you are hoping to achieve so that you have something to look forward to. This will keep you motivated on how you can add value to your employer and yourself (plus your CV).
Communicate
If you have a lot of work that is going on and you need help, you can always ask someone to help. You can also speak to your manager so that they can help you find solutions to ease your workload.
If you are feeling demotivated, speak to a colleague or someone at yoru workplace who understands – a problem shared is a problem halved.
Start your day positively
Either during your commute or when you wake up in the morning, plan your day ahead and think of three things that you want to achieve that day. This way, you will be more productive and get what you were hoping for. Also, smile!! It will make you feel happier almost immediately and will have a positive effect on whatever task you are doing.
Prioritise your tasks to be more productive
TO avoid burnout, make a list of everything that you need to do and see what is a priority. This way, you will avoid multitasking, which actually wastes more time, and you will be able to focus on the main task at hand. If you don’t know what’s the priority at the time, speak to your manager to see what’s the most urgent and make your way down the list. Be realistic with what you can achieve in the amount of time that you have.
Talk about flexible working with your manager
With hybrid working on the rise, you can speak to your manager about working more flexibly to ensure that you have a good work-life balance especially if you have others who depend on you at home.
Help your financial wellbeing
By putting some money aside every month, you will be able to improve your financial wellbeing. You can do this by setting up a payroll deduction with our scheme. It’s simple to set up and it’s automated so you don’t have to worry about physically saving the money as it’s already done for you. You can find out more about the M for Money Payroll Deduction Scheme here.