How to Increase Happiness at Work

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January is often about turning over a new leaf and making resolutions that will hopefully lead to a happier and healthier lifestyle. One of the more common resolutions is related to finding ways to be happier and more content in your job or career.  It is one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions, right up there with exercising more, eating healthy, and quitting smoking.

Surely, we all strive to be happy in our personal lives, however, being happy at work and with our career is likely just as important – since many of us spend a large portion of our lives working.   According to a 2013 Gallup poll, there are twice as many “actively disengaged” workers in the world as there are “engaged” workers who love their jobs.  Feeling down and out at work should no longer be an accepted way of life – since life is just too short.

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The following are some tips that will hopefully help bring some happiness to your work day:


Make Friends at Work

Research shows that people who have close ties and friendships with people they work with have a much higher rate of overall job satisfaction.  Having a good friend at work that you can confide in, vent to, etc. can help to alleviate some of the stress that comes from working a lot of hours, and it also can make those high pressure situations a lot easier to deal with.

Take a Breather

It is incredibly easy to get burned out and feel overwhelmed during the work day due to all the little tasks and decisions we have to make.  Some people may feel that taking a break is simply not possible since they are just too busy with a calendar full of tasks and meetings.  Taking as few as 15 minutes of time out of our work day in order to recharge is a proven way to make you sustain concentration and energy levels that will allow you to be more productive and focused.

Get and STAY Organized

Having an organized workplace can also improve your happiness since a clean desk and office makes your work environment seem less hectic and stressful; not to mention it also helps you to be better prepared and work more efficiently.  Eliminating clutter, paper piles, and time spent scrambling for misplaced items will also certainly eliminate some stress.

Learn Something New

Be open-minded and try to view your work day as a way to acquire new knowledge and learn new skills. Look for opportunities to work on interesting projects and tasks that are beyond your comfort zone.  Who knows – these projects may spark a new career passion or direction as well as create a sense of personal satisfaction from learning a new skill.

Personalize your Office Space

You probably spend 40 plus hours per week or more in your office or cubicle; so why not make it your own? Personalize your work space with accessories such as a few framed photos of family and friends, a vase, a small plant, etc.  Decorating your work space with items you love can go a long way to making you feel more comfortable and more relaxed at work.

Perhaps Albert Schweitzer ~ Musical Scholar, Theologian, and Nobel Peace Prize Recipient said it best:

“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.”

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year!


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About Barbara Feldman

Barbara primarily works with New England based companies providing consulting and permanent staffing services in the areas of EDI, Supply Chain, ecommerce, and Information Technology. She works directly with hiring managers and company recruiters to understand their staffing goals and requirements and position candidates in response to her client’s requirements.

She began her career working for GE Information Services and became responsible for growing their EDI practice in North America. She then joined Fidelity Investments and was chartered with automating their manual supply chain practices by implementing EDI and online requisitioning throughout Fidelity. Barbara has also worked as a Software and Services Account Manager at Sun Microsystems and Microsoft. She currently serves as a Board of Director Member of the New England Electronic Commerce User Group Association (NEECOM) and is a graduate of General Electric’s Management Corporate Training program. In her free time, Barbara enjoys tennis, cycling, travel, and spending time with her family and friends.

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