happiness

How Happy Are You?

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Happy_Employee (2)

It’s important to be happy at your job. Happy employees are more effective, productive, and successful. They feel trusted by their colleagues and supported in their efforts. And they’re less likely to suffer from feelings of stress, anxiety, and burnout.

So how happy are you at work? If you’ve never given it a lot of thought, now is your chance! The Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley, has created an online quiz that you can use to measure your level of happiness. Click the link below to take the short quiz and see how you really feel about the work that you do.

https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/quizzes/take_quiz/happiness_at_work

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How to Be Happier

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HappyPeople

Would you like to be happier? Well, according to an article in the Wall Street Journal, a greater sense of happiness is well within your reach!

Researchers have found that minor changes in behavior can make people happier. You simply need to do the following:

  • Talk to strangers – I’m an introvert, so this sounds a little frightening to me. But researchers have found that talking to strangers (like a fellow commuter, or the barista who serves you coffee at Starbucks) is uplifting and gives people a sense of well-being.
  • Become a matchmaker – No, I’m not kidding. Researchers have found that acting as a matchmaker for your friends can increase your feelings of happiness. And the more unlikely the match, the happier you will feel! So get busy trying to fix up your difficult, single friend!
  • Avoid temptations (like chocolate) – Researchers took a group of chocolate-loving people, and divided them into groups. One group was given a big bag of chocolate to eat. Another group was told to avoid eating any chocolate. A week later, they brought the study participants into the lab and asked them to sample chocolates. The people who had been eating chocolate all week didn’t get much pleasure from this experience. But the people who had been avoiding chocolate felt very positive and happy. So apparently, to increase your feelings of happiness, you just need to avoid temptations – at least for a little while.
  • Walk in a happy way – This one sounds the most doable to me. Research has shown that if you walk in a happy way, you will actually feel happier! How do you walk in a happy way? Walk at a good pace, stand up straight, swing your arms, and move up and down (instead of swaying from side to side). Easy! I tried this technique just now, and I’m feeling happier already!

So what do you think of these suggestions? Are you willing to give them a try? Feel free to share your thoughts in the Comments section below!

Reddy, S. (2014, November 18). Walk this way: Acting happy can make it so. The Wall Street Journal, pp. D3.

Good Office Plants

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Aloe_vera_plant

Plants make people better employees. Research has shown that when employees have contact with nature, they feel happier, more relaxed, more satisfied with their work, and more engaged. The strongest link to increased happiness is associated with sunlight exposure. But even a potted plant can increase employees’ feelings of well-being.

So if you can, bring a little nature into your workspace. Get yourself a plant. Not only do they look great, they can also help to make you feel more relaxed and invested in your work.

What kind of plant should you get? Well, that depends on how much natural light you have in your office. Here are a few good options for offices that get a lot of light, and those that don’t.

If you get a lot of light…

  • Jade plant – Jade plants come in all sorts of different varieties. They’re low maintenance and easy to grow. They would be happy to sit anywhere in your office, as long as they get plenty of direct sunlight.
  • Snake plant – Snake plants grow vertically and certain varieties can grow up to eight feet tall. They have a very dramatic look. They prefer a lot of light, but they’ll also put up with low light. They’re pretty forgiving.
  • Aloe vera – Aloe vera plants like dry, sunny conditions. So it’s OK if you forget to water them. They won’t complain.
  • Cactus – As long as you don’t mind their spiny exterior, the cactus is a great office plant. They require very little care. In the winter, you only need to water them once every three weeks. What could be easier?

If you don’t get a lot of light…

  • Pothos – The pothos plant is a lovely trailing vine that grows quickly and easily. And I can personally attest to the fact that they’re very easy to care for. I water mine once a week, and they never seem to mind if I’m a few days late.
  • Spider plants – Even in low-light conditions, spider plants can grow and thrive. They’re hardy plants that have a graceful look.
  • Peace lily – Peace lilies actually don’t like direct sunlight. So low light suits them just fine. They also produce beautiful flowers, which is a huge plus.
  • Lucky bamboo – These plants can grow in a vase of water, which is neat. (They’re also equally happy to be planted in a pot of dirt.) They’re extremely hardy. And it’s said that they can bring you luck. Excellent!

What’s your favorite type of office plant? Please share your thoughts in the Comments section below!

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McDonough, L.S., Livermore, S., & Morgan, B. (2020, November 23). 15 easy-to-care-for plants to liven up your office space. House Beautiful. Retrieved from: https://www.housebeautiful.com/lifestyle/gardening/g3716/best-office-plants/

How to Have a Good Day at Work

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Happy_Employee

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if every workday could be enjoyable and productive? Unfortunately, it’s not always something that’s entirely under your control. If you’re working on a frustrating project, dealing with personal problems, or feeling under the weather, those things can have a negative effect.

But luckily, there are things you can do to increase your chances of having a good day, every day. Author Elizabeth Scott suggests that you try the following to reduce your stress, boost your energy, and increase your feelings of happiness:

  • Get started on the right foot – Mornings can be hectic and stressful. But you can make things run a little more smoothly by doing a bit of planning the night before. Each evening, spend a few minutes picking out what you’re going to wear the next day (and ironing it, if necessary), packing yourself a lunch, planning what you’ll eat for breakfast, etc. This will give you more time in the morning to savor your coffee and get ready for work. Your morning will be less chaotic, and you won’t need to rush to get to the office on time.
  • Get organized – If you’re organized, your day will progress a lot more smoothly. So make a list of the tasks that you’d like to complete and cross them off when you’re done. Try to keep your desk free of clutter, and file away those loose papers.
  • Don’t argue with people – Be kind to your coworkers. Try to avoid conflict. Arguing or feuding with a coworker will only make you feel lousy and exhausted.  
  • Get some clarity – If you’re not really sure what you’re supposed to be doing on a certain project, this can be extremely stressful. So if you find yourself in this situation, talk to your manager about your role and what’s expected of you. Getting some clarification will help you to feel more confident and be more productive.
  • Get comfy – You don’t want to go through your workday feeling stiff and achy. It’s important to have a supportive chair and maintain good posture. In addition, if your workplace tends to be noisy, this may cause you to feel annoyed and uncomfortable. A pair of noise-cancelling headphones could help you to solve this problem.
  • Don’t multitask – Multitasking is not especially efficient or effective. When you multitask, you’re not actually working on multiple things at the same time. You’re just switching back and forth between tasks, instead of focusing on one thing at a time. And this can have negative consequences. You should try to avoid it.
  • Take a walk – Take a walk during the day. It feels wonderful to stretch your legs and get some fresh air. It’s also a great stress reliever. Even a short walk around the block can help to make you feel a little more upbeat and energetic.
  • Try not to be a perfectionist – It’s great that you take pride in your work and want to do a good job. But in many cases, it’s simply not possible to be perfect. Being a perfectionist can be incredibly stressful and make you agonize over every decision you make. To avoid this problem, try to remind yourself that you don’t need to be perfect – you simply need to do your best. And your best work is something to be proud of.
  • Listen to a little music – Listening to music as you drive home from work can be a great way to unwind. Singing along to your favorite song can help you to relax, boost your mood, and make the end of your workday a little more enjoyable.

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Scott, E. (2020, January 20). 9 simple ways to deal with stress at work. Verywellmind. Retrieved from: https://www.verywellmind.com/how-to-deal-with-stress-at-work-3145273

How to Feel Happier at Work

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Feeling_Happier

Even if you enjoy your job, there are going to be days when you don’t feel happy. Tight deadlines, stress, communication difficulties, and project setbacks can cause anyone to feel upset and discouraged. But according to research, there are simple things you can do to make yourself feel a little happier. Here are a few ideas:

  • Start things right – When you get up in the morning, don’t jump right into your work. Take some time to have a cup of coffee, watch the news, or cuddle with your cat. Do whatever you enjoy doing. And then spend a few minutes identifying the tasks you’d like to accomplish during the day. Starting the morning off in a positive way will help you to be more productive and effective, and make you feel a little better.
  • Move around – Don’t sit in front of your computer all day. Taking breaks is important for your physical and mental health. So stand up, stretch, and get a little exercise. Even a short walk around the block can help to make you feel a little more upbeat and energetic.
  • Avoid multitasking – Multitasking drains you of energy and creativity, and actually makes you less productive. If you can, try to focus on one task at a time.
  • Help out your coworkers – Researchers have found that people who are kind to their coworkers and assist them when they can tend to feel happier and more satisfied at work. And by helping out your coworkers, you’ll also be creating a kinder workplace that’s more effective, engaging, productive, and rewarding for everyone.
  • Recognize and appreciate your accomplishments – Try not to focus on the negatives. Instead, take some time to think about all of the great things that you’ve accomplished at work and appreciate what you’ve done.  
  • Identify one good thing – At the end of every workday (even the terrible ones), try to think of one good thing that happened. You might even want to write it down in a notebook. That way, you can look at your list of good things whenever you’re feeling down. And hopefully, it will make you feel a little better.   

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Chowdhury, M. R. (2020, January 9). Happiness at work: 10 tips for how to be happy at work. PositivePsychology.com. Retrieved from: https://positivepsychology.com/happiness-at-work/

Rampton, J. (2014, December 1). 15 proven tips to be happy at work. Inc. Retrieved from: https://www.inc.com/john-rampton/15-proven-tips-to-be-happy-at-work.html

Acts of Kindness

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Happy_Kind_Employee

Please note: I wrote this article before a large portion of our workforce started working from home. So many of these tips on how to be kind to your coworkers might not work in our current situation. Still, I think that being kind to one another is crucially important – now more than ever. So if you can think of ways to be kind to your coworkers who are working remotely, please add your suggestions to the Comments section below!

A few weeks ago, I wrote an article about the benefits of being kind at the office. Researchers found that small acts of kindness can have far-reaching effects. Employees who experience an act of kindness feel a greater sense of camaraderie, feel happier and more satisfied with their work, and often start acting kinder to the people around them. Overall, a kind workplace tends to be a more effective, engaging, productive work environment.

But what, exactly, does it mean to be kind to your coworkers? What does that entail? If you’re not quite sure what you should do to promote kindness in your office, author Dawn Rosenberg McKay has generated an excellent list of ideas. Try giving one or more of these suggestions a try:

  • If your coworker seems tired, bring him or her a cup of coffee or some other type of comforting hot beverage.
  • Share your afternoon snack with a coworker who seems especially hungry.
  • Bring in a tasty treat to share with everyone in the office.
  • Offer to help a coworker who is having difficulty with a certain task or project.
  • Praise and congratulate a coworker who is doing good work.
  • Let your boss know that a coworker is doing good work.
  • Clean up a common area (like the office break room or fridge).
  • Provide new hires with helpful advice.
  • Ask people for their opinions. It will make them realize how much you value what they have to say.
  • Invite a new hire to go out to lunch with you.
  • If you need to run to the store to pick something up, offer to pick something up for your coworker as well.
  • Try to stop people from circulating mean or false rumors about other coworkers.
  • Say “good morning” to your coworkers, and say “goodbye” to them in the evening.
  • Listen to your coworkers when they’re having problems. Offer your sympathy and support.

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McKay, D. R. (2019, March 15). Random acts of kindness. The Balance Careers. Retrieved from: https://www.thebalancecareers.com/random-acts-of-kindness-at-work-525454

Kindness at the Office

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happy man bringing coffee to woman in office

In many organizations, employees are encouraged to be aggressive and competitive in order to be successful and “get ahead” at work. It’s believed that having a competitive spirit makes employees more productive and engaged. In truth, however, research has indicated that kindness – and not competitiveness – is a much more essential quality. The best workplaces are those that encourage employees to look out for each other and help each other to succeed.

A recent study at the University of California looked at the effect that small acts of kindness can have on a group of coworkers. They enlisted 19 employees to each perform five acts of kindness over four weeks. They were mostly small gestures, like getting another employee a cup of coffee or recognizing something that a coworker had done by sending a thank-you email.

You might not think that this would have much of an impact. But researchers found that these small acts of kindness had far-reaching effects. All of the employees involved in the study felt a greater sense of camaraderie and well-being. Employees felt happier and more satisfied with their work. And those who had been on the receiving end of an act of kindness started acting kinder to the people around them. The kindness turned out to be contagious. And it resulted in the creation of a more effective, engaging, productive work environment.

So even if you’re feeling tired or frustrated at work, try not to take it out on your coworkers (even if they’ve contributed to your frustration!). Try to be kind to yourself and the people around you. You and your coworkers will all benefit from it.

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Agarwal, P. (2019, August 26). Making kindness a priority in the workplace. Forbes. Retrieved from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/pragyaagarwaleurope/2019/08/26/making-kindness-a-priority-in-the-workplace/#4aed4dfb38f4

New Year’s Resolutions That Will Make You More Successful at Work

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Happy business woman reading document at office desktop

It’s a new year! That means it’s time for a fresh start. It’s also time to make some resolutions about things that you want to accomplish in 2020.

Everyone has their own personal goals. I’m going to try to eat a more healthy diet. I’d also like to learn more about landscaping so I can figure out how to revive my patchy, weedy front yard. (I think it’s going to be a real battle — those weeds are pretty hardy.)

But if your goal is to become happier and more successful at work, you’re in luck! Because according to author Frances Bridges, you can achieve this goal by making just a few simple New Year’s resolutions:

  • Try to be on time – If you’re the kind of person who tends to arrive late to work or meetings, make a greater effort to be on time. Your manager and coworkers will appreciate your punctuality, and view you in a more positive light.
  • Get organized – Clean up your desk, file those stacks of loose papers, update your calendar, and do whatever else is necessary to get yourself organized. You’ll feel more in control, and you’ll be more efficient and productive.
  • Get to know some new people – Networking is hard. But you should try to make an effort to meet some new people in your department or industry. Making new connections can really benefit you in the long run.
  • Ask for feedback – Whenever you finish a major project, ask your manager to give you a little feedback on your performance. It will help you to identify your strengths and the areas in which you may need a little improvement.
  • Learn new things – Learn how to use a new type of software or read an article about new advancements in your field. The more you know, the more effective you’ll be.
  • Reduce your stress – When things get tense at work, take a short break and try to relax. Go for a walk outside, chat with a coworker, or just step away from your desk and take a few deep breaths. Do what you need to do to look after yourself and reduce your level of stress.
  • Let things go –Even if you’re feeling angry with someone at work, try to let it go. Holding a grudge is exhausting, and it will make your work life less satisfying and more stressful. Life is just easier when everyone gets along.

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Bridges, F. (2018, December 17). The ten best New Year’s resolutions for your career. Forbes. Retrieved from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/francesbridges/2018/12/07/the-10-best-new-years-resolutions-for-your-career/#65f571864d6d

Feeling Joyful at Work

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Cheerful black employee using digital tablet in office and laughing

We spend a large portion of our lives in the office. So wouldn’t it be wonderful to feel joyful while we’re there? It might seem like an unachievable goal. But according to author Alex Liu, it is possible to instill joy in the workplace. Managers simply need to incorporate three things into the work environment:

  1. Harmony – Each person on a team has certain things that he or she excels at. If those strengths are utilized, and everyone can work together to achieve something greater than they can on their own, it’s a wonderful feeling. But to achieve this type of harmony, managers need to encourage team members to play to their strengths. Team members need to understand what’s expected of them. And everyone needs to trust each other, and value each other’s efforts.
  2. Impact – It’s important for employees to know that their contributions are vital to the success of the team. They need to understand that they’re truly contributing to the team’s achievements. Accomplishing a challenging task as a team, and knowing that your efforts had a positive impact is incredibly rewarding.
  3. Acknowledgement – It’s important to celebrate a team’s successes. And when team members are acknowledged for their efforts (both by managers and fellow team members), it can further enhance their feelings of joy and accomplishment.

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Liu, A. (2019, July 17). Making joy a priority at work. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from: https://hbr.org/2019/07/making-joy-a-priority-at-work

What Your Daily Schedule Should Look Like

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Portrait of Happy Young Asian Businessman in Office Meeting Room

We all have an internal body clock that influences our ability to think and concentrate over the course of a day. As time passes, our energy levels and mood tend to rise and fall. Our cognitive abilities rise and fall as well.

There is some variation among people. Around 80% of the population consider themselves to be “morning people,” with the remaining 20% feeling more alert at night. But despite these differences, scientists have found that the majority of people follow a certain pattern of cognition. And based on that, author Daniel Pink has determined the best daily schedule for you to follow for optimal results.

So according to research, if you’d like to be happy and productive, this is what your daily schedule should look like:

  • Early morning – Develop an early morning routine, and stick to it. This might involve having some breakfast, exercising, and/or cuddling with your cat. Figure out what makes you feel happy and awake, and then do those things when you get up every morning.
  • Morning – This is the time when the majority of people feel the most alert and mentally sharp. Up until lunchtime, most people tend to be focused, efficient, accurate, and productive. This is when people are best able to tackle complex problems and make good decisions. So this is the time when you should schedule important meetings and work on your most challenging tasks.
  • Afternoon – The “post-lunch slump” is a real thing! People’s energy levels tend to drop in the afternoon (with the most tiring time of day being between 2:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.). So this is a good time to do routine tasks, like checking your emails, returning phone calls, or running errands. This is also a good time to do creative work that doesn’t have a concrete deadline. But what if it’s not possible for you to work on routine or creative tasks, and you have to continue working on a challenging project? If you find yourself in this situation, try to wake yourself up by taking a short break (or two). Go for a walk outside and get some fresh air, or chat with a coworker about anything other than work.
  • End of the workday – Before you leave the office, take a few minutes to appreciate everything that you’ve accomplished during the day, and put together a list of things that you intend to do the following day. This will help you to feel good about what you’ve done and prepare you for what’s to come.

Brueck, H. (2018, August 13). The best time of day to do everything at work, according to science. Business Insider. Retrieved from: https://www.businessinsider.com/best-time-day-work-according-to-science-2018-5

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