7 Habits for Happiness at Work

Feb. 15, 2012 - PRLog -- 1. Say “Good Morning” and mean it! This requires you to look people in the eye.  Eye contact is so important in building good connections with people you work with – colleagues and customers.  It sets the mood for the rest of the day, or at least the morning.  Even if you feel a little down, say “Good morning” with a big smile and you will find yourself feeling happier instantly.
  2. Write down a “to do” list – it acts as a commitment to yourself to be focussed and you’ll get most, if not all, of it done.  It’s easy to get distracted during the day.  Being able to refer back to the list will keep you on track. That means you’ll be effective, resourceful and energised.  Feeling energised at work adds to the good mood factor and the positivity emanates.
  3. Don’t procrastinate – do it! It’s all very well writing down the list, you do actually have to complete the actions! And this requires activity – the list will allow you to focus your activity so you do not waste time and energy. When your energy is well spent and you see the rewards with your increased efficiency, the good feeling is so addictive, you just want more.
  4. If a phone call gets the job done – then call, don’t email.  It is too easy to drop someone an email and wait for the response, but this can waste so much time.  If you can call to get a quick response, then do it. It will free up much more time and energy for yourself.
  5. Remember the 4 Minute Rule. We have all heard that the first 4 minutes (or less) will leave an impression that lasts on others.  We all want to give a good impression of ourselves don’t we?  Knowing you are respected and liked by others increased self esteem and confidence, and leads to increased happiness at work.  To help with this, ask yourself this and act on it “What would the best (job title i.e. Manager) look like, act like, feel like?”  As you imagine this, start adopting the qualities within yourself.  Start to look like the best Manager, start to act like the best Manager would act, start to feel like someone who is the best Manager would feel like.  The difference others will notice in you is immediate and the changes are sustainable.
  6. Ask yourself better questions? Instead of “Why me?” Ask  “What can I do to (for example)get the project done on time?” or “How can I make the next meeting better/more successful?” or “Who can help me put this information together?”
     By asking ourselves better questions, we start to focus on what we can do, rather than dwelling on mistakes, failures, problems etc.  which are energy draining.  Much better to start thinking about solutions, the pre-cursor to positivity and happiness in any workplace.
  7. Talk to people!  Take the time to enjoy your colleagues and customers presence.  It can be very easy to forget that we all have personalities which can be good fun to get to know.  A few minutes of getting to know each other can really improve the mood at work.  Having a laugh, or just knowing someone is having a tough time, means we can be there for them. We can make allowances for them if they are struggling a bit and perhaps be there to help them too.

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