The Importance of Happiness in the Workplace

The average person will work 90,000 hours in their lifetime, so when you are choosing your career or considering whether to make a change, you should remember that you will probably spend a huge amount of your life at work.

Enjoying your job has many benefits, from helping to maintain good mental health, to feeling a sense of accomplishment and avoiding boredom. If you are happy in your work life, you are more likely to be happy in your personal life too, so it is important to try to be as happy as possible in your working environment.

 

The International Week of Happiness at Work takes place in September each year, so it is the perfect time to try to incorporate some ways of making your work life happier. As well as getting a personal boost from your own happiness, when you are happy at work, you can increase the positive energy around your team too and drive higher productivity and more effective collaboration.

Having a positive mindset while at work may also improve your chances of career progression, as recruiting managers want to have people on their team that have a positive impact on the rest of the team.

 

Here are some tips for improving your happiness and wellbeing at work:

 

Have a tidy workspace

 

One of the easiest ways to quickly boost your wellbeing at work is to keep a tidy workspace. Studies show that clearing and cleaning your workspace helps to clear your headspace too and allows you to focus on work more effectively without distraction.

 

 

Spend time practicing mindfulness

 

Mindfulness is based around living in the moment and by doing some short mindfulness exercises, you can help to clear your mind if you are feeling anxious or worried when at work. Mindful breathing and mindful awareness are exercises that you can practice at work to give yourself five minutes to reset.

Read our blog for some cost-effective ways you can support your mental health.

 

 

Take a break

 

 

Make the most of any break time you have at work by taking a walk or at least getting away from your workspace for a short period of time to give yourself some time to think about something other than work.

 

 

Make work fun

 

 

Look for ways that you can have more fun at work, like running a competition with your work colleagues or planning some fun activities as a team, which will help make work more enjoyable fun and help team bonding. If you are working remotely, you can still organise some online competitions to engage with your colleagues on a less formal basis.

 

 

Prioritise your wellbeing outside of work

 

 

Having good wellbeing habits outside of work can help you to feel happier within work, as you will be happier in your overall life. Going to sleep at the right time so you get the recommended amount of sleep, eating a balanced diet, doing regular exercise, and limiting alcohol consumption will help to boost your wellbeing, both inside and outside of work.

Read our blog to find out ways you can get your workout fix for free.