Finding Happiness at Work
It’s been over a year and you’re still Zooming through your meetings, bleary-eyed. Or maybe you work in retail or healthcare and feel exhausted after consistently working longer hours in-person. What’s more: if you’re anything like the average full-time employee, you’ve been spending more time at work than in any other activity aside from sleep. So you may be spending a disproportionate amount of time dazed, overwhelmed, or drained. But the situation is not hopeless. Regardless of your specific role or career path, there are ways to increase your happiness. Below are a few easy practices for turning your grump into a grin, curated by Kira Nurieli, the CEO of Harmony Strategies Group.
1. Take 1-minute mindfulness breaks.
Mindfulness alters perspective, allowing you to reconnect with and re-center yourself in the midst of a hectic workday. As little as one minute can give you clarity and ease of mind; according to a 2017 study published by the National Library of Medicine, daily mindfulness breaks increased concentration and well-being at work. So, before your lunch break begins, take a few deep breaths — even as you sip some water or transition between meetings. Doing so will position you to become calmer and more productive.
2. Seek out and appreciate “flow”.
Ever have those moments when you get completely immersed driving somewhere and nearly space out, yet magically make it to your destination? A “flow” state is one when you are optimally focused on the task ahead to the point where time whizzes past you. Set some time each day when you put away your phone and turn off notifications on your computer, and focus as much as possible on what’s in front of you. In a world with constant demands for your attention, it is powerful to develop laser focus and engage in flow.
3. Savor the good times — even micro-moments.
Statistically, there are only so many “big” milestones in your life — and the rest of the time is spent on day-to-day activities and responsibilities. However, you don’t have to wait until your next grand event or for the weekend to savor enjoyable moments that happen in the here and now. Maybe you can sit and reflect as you make your coffee and hear birds chirping in the morning, play your favorite album while you work, or appreciate a joke that your co-worker made over Zoom. After all, these micro-moments make up the majority of life.
4. Seek out and express gratitude.
Research proves that gratitude makes you happier, and that expressing gratitude to others can improve their responsiveness to you. Take time to reflect on the people who’ve had a positive influence in your life, and feel free to journal about it. If you want to take this one step further, send out thank-you emails (or written letters!) to these people. Your brain naturally seeks out threats in the environment, but you can placate that anxious instinct by practicing gratitude. Thinking about what you are thankful for can really improve your state of mind.
While you may not have direct control over some of your circumstances at work, these are small steps that you can incorporate into your routine to reclaim ownership of your day. Carve out a few minutes to test these practices for yourself, because you deserve the chance to seek happiness — even at work!
If you have implemented these daily habits, but still feel like you’re running an uphill battle in a toxic workplace, book a free consultation with our workplace conflict experts at Harmony Strategies Group. We offer comprehensive services to assess and resolve structural workplace conflicts with sensitivity and care.
Written by Nicaurys Rodriguez and Kira Nurieli
