Anybody wanting more happiness at work? Here are some easy things you can do:
Help a Co-worker: Research in neuroscience has shown that helping people has a positive effect on our level of happiness to a greater extent than when we receive help. It will increase your sense of belonging, when we help others our bran releases oxytocin, serotonin and dopamine. Bonus: they are likely to reciprocate.
Connect more with people you admire: You are more likely to be inspired and be motivated. We are wired for connection. Go for lunch, after work drinks and if you are working remotely you can organise virtual lunches and drinks, if you use Slack, create a channel for "water-cooler chats", make sure you keep it positive.
Learn to say 'No': Don't assume your manager is aware of your workload. If your manager is giving you an extra project, they believe you have the skills to doit, thank them for the opportunity, explain this doesn't fit with your current priorities and offer an alternative solution, for example "I am at capacity today, however I would be happy to do it on [insert time] or I could shift the deadline of [insert project name] to [insert time]"
List all the things you love about your current job: Think about at least 3 things you love, do this daily while you are getting ready to go to work, looking for the positive trains your brain to see more positive things. After work think about 3 good things that happened that day, being grateful is fundamental to feel happy. Even small things like, a chat with a colleague, a good lunch, are good to be mentioned, don't take small things for granted.
Make sure you use your talents: if your job is not leveraging all your strengths, make a point to incorporate them into your routine, have a conversation with your manager on how you can use your strengths more often and how that can benefit the team at large.
Will this make you live happily ever after in your job if you are unfulfilled? No, but it will still help you improve your day to day, however you will need to take a deeper look at what needs to change in order for you to be 100% satisfied with your job.
