You have watched a Saturday night show, shopped and dined yourrnheart out on Sunday and here you are with a sinking feeling the
weekend is over and you are back to work on Monday checking
plethora of emails... instead of facing Monday blues, would you
prefer to have some practical tips to love and stay happy in your
job…In fact, coupling with that time of the year where many decide
to fend for new greener pastures!
Have you heard of that saying, “The grass is never greener on the
other side; if you even water your side, you may have far greener
pastures for the year.” If you find yourself longing for greener work
pastures only due to not being happy and content at work, then
here are some powerful tips that can be your ten commandments
to bring high engagement with your workplace.
1. Make a list of what you actually love to do at work
Make a laundry list of all such aspects of the job that you love to
do. No tasks can be too big or too small for this list. Once you
complete this list, visualize your dream job tasks and find the
overlaps. This way you will be more thankful for the list of tasks
that you already do. If you do not see any commonality, then start
figuring out what are the different tasks you will need to here to get
that difference in your job. Apply for a job rotation, enrichment or
lateral hiring to make a difference in your profile. Your dream job
description will also be an eye-opener for you for the competencies
that you aren’t qualified for. This assessment will also open up the
avenues to learning and broadening your mindset.
2. Keep a barrier between personal and professional identities
Personal life issues can suck out the energy out of your day and
can encroach your professional space. When you're preoccupied
with personal issues, it's difficult to concentrate or be happy at
work. There will always be something unsettled at the personal
level; hence, keeping them at bay when you come to work will only
let you focus and be more productive at work. Again, you work for
more than 9 hours and travel for at least 2 hours. With 11-12 hours
utilized at work space, it is imperative to keep balanced mindset at
work.
3. Develop your Support system at Office
Studies have proved that human beings are social animals and
feel connected with like-minded people with similar backgrounds,
culture, and lifestyle preferences. When you have your own circle
of connects to ease your stress or voice your feelings, you start
feeling at home. Working in silos can only create an unsaid
boundary in work relationships. You may not have to expand your
network only on Linked in or such professional platforms. Creating
internal support networks can prove beneficial for organizational
culture as well as high productivity. If you have recently joined,
even the most organized tasks can look mean and unmanageable.
Delegating the tasks as well as seeking necessary help from your
team members does not reduce your credibility.
4. Personalize your Cubicle
Considering that you spend more time at your cubicle than what
you do in your kitchen or bed, it is reasonable and more logical to
manage and personalize your work space. In fact, organisations
today run many initiatives in decorating their cubicles as part of
their cultural or team engagement drives. By bringing your little
knickknacks or keeping your desk organized can bring more
positivity and oneness and makes one certainly more comfortable
too.
5. Take breaks
Practising desktop yoga or quick stretches at the work space itself
can ease the tension of your neck muscles. Taking sufficient
breaks to keep yourself hydrated or a stroll to the water cooler
itself can be quite refreshing. Opting for a healthy diet to combat
stress in a new job or high-demanding job will keep your health
quotient in check. Deep breathing and mindful exercises also keep
you focused and less stressed. Participating in Friday employee
welfare initiatives could build more energy in you and give you that
necessary recharge after a stressful week.
6. Up your Happiness Quotient
Banking, Consulting, Outsourcing, Reporting and more such roles
can be quite sedentary. A few minutes taken to move around the
bay can help you hold real and soulful conversations. It will also
help you to strike a chord with your team members and spread
liveliness around. This also increases your visibility as well as your
intent to connect with people. By creating positive associations,
7. Stay Focused
It is impossible to love your job if you are mindlessly perusing
through social media or shopping sites. Try to be in the present
with the tasks at hand. If you have free time and find yourself
under utilized, one could volunteer for extra projects, dashboard
analysis or engagement initiative drives. It will not only prune your
cognitive abilities but also set the right impressions with your
manager. Setting smaller goals per day will keep you excited and
positively engaged with your job. It also adds to your motivation
and confidence levels in the long run.
8. List down your ‘Gratitude’ list
Identify the things that you like at work, even if they are small or
big or quite mundane. It could be that ‘Hello’ that you share
everyday with your co-workers, or the view from your office window
or for that matter that regular cup of tea that kick starts your day.
Many a times, we have seen employees counting and wasting
their time on negatives. Worrying oneself on the negatives may
cause you unnecessary stress and anxiety. Whereas, focusing on
the positives can be motivating and optimistic of your current
conditions.
9. Don’t wait to be rewarded
I have always believed in the power of reward mechanism
however, in the last 14 years of mentoring leaders, I have noticed
people waiting for their managers to acknowledge their work and
duly reward them. You may not be able to change the perspectives
of your boss but one could create small rewards for your work.
Whether it is a movie ticket, dine out with colleagues or friends, a
salon service, a new bestseller or simply that red blouse that you
always wanted to purchase from a branded store. Such self made
treats keep you going and uplifts your mood at work.
10. Remind yourself of your Purpose
When the going gets tough, one could look back at the primary
purpose of you joining the job. Situations and people do change
however, if you keep in mind the reasons of accepting that job
offer, will help you to sail through the rainy days. Certainly, that
activates your efforts to assess the situation and create a change
plan for yourself.Going by the phrase ‘jumping from oil to fire’
holds true even today. Being complacent to the good things and
constantly worrying on the negatives could drive you to worse or
similar situation in a new job.
Remember the 3 R rule Review your Purpose and Benefits,
Rejuvenate your mind and day at work, and Recharge your goals,
role, and competencies. Seeking a deeper meaning and having a
set of reflective measures will keep you grounded, positive and
balanced.
The writer of this article is a mentor, coach and internationally
certified facilitator. She also leads a Training Solutions brand that
was recently recognized as Top 10 Personality Development
institutions in India by Silicon India. Under her leadership, she has
catalysed transformations of individuals, institutions and
corporates with more than 15000+ manhours of trainings
conducted in the last three years.