• Business
    • Case Studies
    • Companies
    • Growth
    • Strategy
  • Functional
    • Finance
    • HR
    • Marketing
    • Science & Tech
  • Leadership
    • Be a Leader
    • Books
    • LDR Show
    • Leadership Nuggets
    • Movie Wisdom
    • Soundbytes
    • Women & Leadership
  • Personal
    • Character
    • Values
    • Competence
  • Soundbytes
  • Free E-mag
  • Videos
  • About Us
Leaderonomics.com
Leaderonomics.com
  • Business
    • Case Studies
      Embracing Digital To Power Growth

      Embracing Digital To Power Growth

      Malaysia: Celebrating A Nation's History

      Malaysia: Celebrating A Nation's History

      Lessons from 3M: Why Investing In R&D Is Your Ticket To Success

      Lessons from 3M: Why Investing In R&D Is Your Ticket To Success

      Developing Support Systems For Occupational Stress: A Critical Need

      Developing Support Systems For Occupational Stress: A Critical Need

    • Companies
      Simple Mindset Changes To Evolve As A Leader

      Simple Mindset Changes To Evolve As A Leader

      6 Things Every Entrepreneur Should Be Grateful for in 2019

      6 Things Every Entrepreneur Should Be Grateful for in 2019

      Leading The 200-Year-Old Postal Service In The 21st Century

      Leading The 200-Year-Old Postal Service In The 21st Century

      Changing The Outlook of Learning

      Changing The Outlook of Learning

    • Growth
      Embracing Digital To Power Growth

      Embracing Digital To Power Growth

      Simple Mindset Changes To Evolve As A Leader

      Simple Mindset Changes To Evolve As A Leader

      Leadership Lessons From Madam Secretary

      Leadership Lessons From Madam Secretary

      The New World Of Work Workers & Workplaces

      The New World Of Work Workers & Workplaces

    • Strategy
      Ways To Stay Motivated As You Build Your Business

      Ways To Stay Motivated As You Build Your Business

      Embracing Change

      Embracing Change

      10 Communication Strategies For New Leaders

      10 Communication Strategies For New Leaders

      How To Build Winning Teams

      How To Build Winning Teams

  • Functional
    • Finance
      Investing, A Rather Boring Thing To Do

      Investing, A Rather Boring Thing To Do

      Financial Literacy: The Essentials Of A Leader

      Financial Literacy: The Essentials Of A Leader

      A Student's Dilemma: ACCA vs An Accounting Degree

      A Student's Dilemma: ACCA vs An Accounting Degree

      Finance A Must On The Path To CEO

      Finance A Must On The Path To CEO

    • HR
      When Should You Speak Up?

      When Should You Speak Up?

      Driving Value With Digital Transformation Initiatives

      Driving Value With Digital Transformation Initiatives

      10 Communication Strategies For New Leaders

      10 Communication Strategies For New Leaders

      Whistleblowing In Organisations

      Whistleblowing In Organisations

    • Marketing
    • Science & Tech
      How The Frog Virtual Learning Education Is Revolutionising Teaching And Learning

      How The Frog Virtual Learning Education Is Revolutionising Teaching And Learning

      The Latest Developments in the ICT Subsector in Malaysia

      The Latest Developments in the ICT Subsector in Malaysia

      Electrical And Electronics On The Next Level

      Electrical And Electronics On The Next Level

      Going Green Does Have Tangible Benefits

      Going Green Does Have Tangible Benefits

  • Leadership
    • Be a Leader
      The Importance of Getting People to Understand the ‘Why’

      The Importance of Getting People to Understand the ‘Why’

      Defining the Role of Senior Leadership

      Defining the Role of Senior Leadership

      Leadership Lessons from Ludwig van Beethoven

      Leadership Lessons from Ludwig van Beethoven

      Meaningful Communication: The Key To Solving Workplace Problems

      Meaningful Communication: The Key To Solving Workplace Problems

    • Books
      Why You Should Assess A Leader’s Capacity For Critical Thinking And Judgment

      Why You Should Assess A Leader’s Capacity For Critical Thinking And Judgment

      5 Skills You Need To Be A Great CEO

      5 Skills You Need To Be A Great CEO

      Be A Giver And A Taker

      Be A Giver And A Taker

      Are You Afraid Of Being An Original In A World Full Of Conformists?

      Are You Afraid Of Being An Original In A World Full Of Conformists?

    • LDR Show
      What Do Your Customers Need?

      What Do Your Customers Need?

      "You can be competitive without sacrificing your price", Says Datuk Sulaiman Mohd Tahir

      "You can be competitive without sacrificing your price", Says Datuk Sulaiman Mohd Tahir

      “I didn’t learn anything in the books about leadership or management", Says Tan Sri Azman Hashim

      “I didn’t learn anything in the books about leadership or management", Says Tan Sri Azman Hashim

      Attracting And Retaining Talent: Insights from Kimberlyn Lu

      Attracting And Retaining Talent: Insights from Kimberlyn Lu

    • Leadership Nuggets
      Leadership in Four Dimensions: Jonas Prising on Human Resources, Malaysia and Leadership

      Leadership in Four Dimensions: Jonas Prising on Human Resources, Malaysia and Leadership

      "Have Intentionality In Your Daily Life", says Kim Underhill

      "Have Intentionality In Your Daily Life", says Kim Underhill

      "Explorers Are Map Makers", Says Jana Stanfield

      "Explorers Are Map Makers", Says Jana Stanfield

      Leadership Nuggets: Worry Not When We Fail

      Leadership Nuggets: Worry Not When We Fail

    • Movie Wisdom
      Lessons From Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson

      Lessons From Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson

      Leadership Lessons From Madam Secretary

      Leadership Lessons From Madam Secretary

      Lessons From A 68-Year-Old Classic That Changed The Face Of Visual Storytelling

      Lessons From A 68-Year-Old Classic That Changed The Face Of Visual Storytelling

      Life Lessons From <i>Goodbye Christopher Robin</i>

      Life Lessons From Goodbye Christopher Robin

    • Soundbytes
      Developing A Vision For An Organisation

      Developing A Vision For An Organisation

      How Does Developing Our “Self” Lead To Purpose?

      How Does Developing Our “Self” Lead To Purpose?

      Finishing Our Race Well

      Finishing Our Race Well

      RYG: Leadership Lessons from Joan of Arc

      RYG: Leadership Lessons from Joan of Arc

    • Women & Leadership
      5 Lessons from the Life of Chetna Sinha

      5 Lessons from the Life of Chetna Sinha

      Lessons We Can Learn From Oprah Winfrey

      Lessons We Can Learn From Oprah Winfrey

      RYG: Leadership Lessons from Joan of Arc

      RYG: Leadership Lessons from Joan of Arc

      Leadership Lessons From Joan of Arc

      Leadership Lessons From Joan of Arc

  • Personal
    • Character
      How Hunger For Praise Hinders Success

      How Hunger For Praise Hinders Success

      The Difference Between Gifts And Bribes

      The Difference Between Gifts And Bribes

      Lessons From Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson

      Lessons From Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson

      Balancing Your Weekdays And Weekends

      Balancing Your Weekdays And Weekends

    • Values
      How Hunger For Praise Hinders Success

      How Hunger For Praise Hinders Success

      Defining the Role of Senior Leadership

      Defining the Role of Senior Leadership

      The Difference Between Gifts And Bribes

      The Difference Between Gifts And Bribes

      Living Out The Leaderonomics Core Values

      Living Out The Leaderonomics Core Values

    • Competence
      Balancing Your Weekdays And Weekends

      Balancing Your Weekdays And Weekends

      The Power of Storytelling in Achieving Authentic Leadership

      The Power of Storytelling in Achieving Authentic Leadership

      How To Create A Sense Of Agency In Your Young Ones

      How To Create A Sense Of Agency In Your Young Ones

      The Shocking Truth About Success

      The Shocking Truth About Success

  • Soundbytes
  • Free E-mag
  • Videos
  • About Us
  • Follow
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Linkedin
    • Youtube
    • Instagram
Home
Syndicated

16 Ways To Create Your Own Happiness At Work

March 23rd, 2018 Personal, Syndicated

Share this article

Facebook Twitter Google+ LinkedIn Pinterest
16 Ways To Create Your Own Happiness At WorkPersonal
Image | stock unlimited

By DR TRAVIS BRADBERRY

 

Let’s face it, happiness and work don’t usually go hand in hand. A 2013 Gallup study, which reported data from more than 180 million people, found that only 13% of us consider ourselves to be “happily engaged at work”.

Those who do rate themselves as happy are 36% more motivated, six times more energised, and twice as productive as their unhappy counterparts.

The good news is that just 50% of happiness is influenced by genetics – the rest is up to you.

When it comes to making yourself happy, you need to learn what works for you. Once you discover this, everything else tends to fall into place. And making yourself happy doesn’t just improve your performance, it’s also good for your health.

A critical skill set that happy people tend to have in common is emotional intelligence (EQ). We’ve tested the EQs of more than a million people to know what makes high EQ people tick.

So, we went digging until we found 16 great ways that emotionally intelligent people create their own happiness at work.

1. Remember that you are in charge of your own happiness

You have two choices in any dead-end job: find another one or make the most of the one you have.

Either way, your happiness is up to you and no one else. Remind yourself of this anytime you’re feeling stuck.

2. Don’t obsess over things you can’t control 

It’s good to know how Greece’s economic troubles might affect the United States markets or that your company could merge with its largest competitor, but there’s a big difference between

understanding these larger forces and worrying about them.

Happy people are ready and informed, but they don’t allow themselves to fret over things that are beyond their pay grades.

3. Don’t compare yourself to other people 

When your sense of satisfaction are derived from comparing yourself to others, you are no longer the master of your own happiness.

When you feel good about something that you’ve done, don’t allow anyone’s opinions or accomplishments to take that away from you.

While it’s impossible to turn off your reactions to what others think of you, you don’t have to compare yourself to others, and you can always take people’s opinions with a grain of salt.

That way, no matter what other people are thinking or doing, your self-worth comes from within.

Regardless of what people think of you at any particular moment, one thing is certain –you’re never as good or bad as they say you are.

4. Reward yourself 

Working hard is important, but never allowing yourself to take a break is detrimental to your happiness.

A study of radiologists found that they made more accurate diagnoses when they received small rewards prior to reviewing patients’ charts.

A Cornell study found that small rewards make people more generous, friendly, and happy. These small “thrills” also made people more productive and accurate in their work.

Rewards activate the pleasure pathway in your brain, even if they are self-induced. Effective rewards can be small things such as taking a walk down the hall or eating a snack.

5. Exercise during the work week

Getting your body moving for as little as 10 minutes releases GABA (gamma-amino butyric acid), a soothing neurotransmitter that also limits impulsivity.

A University of Bristol study showed that people who exercised on workdays reported improvements in time management, mood, and performance.

The benefits of exercise always outweigh the time lost in its pursuit.

6. Don’t judge and gossip 

Judging others and speaking poorly of them is a lot like overindulging in a decadent dessert; it feels good while you’re doing it, but afterwards, you feel guilty and sick.

When you’re tempted to speak of someone else in a way that might be negative, just ask yourself if you’d want someone saying the same about you.

7. Choose your battles wisely 

Emotionally intelligent people know how important it is to live to fight another day.

In conflict, unchecked emotions make you dig your heels in and fight the kind of battle that can leave you severely damaged and unhappy for some time to come.

When you read and respond to your emotions, you’re able to choose your battles wisely and stand your ground when the time is right.

8. Stay true to yourself 

Crossing moral boundaries in the name of success is a sure-fire path to unhappiness. Violating your personal standards creates feelings of regret, dissatisfaction, and demotivation.

Know when to stand your ground and express dissent when someone wants you to do something that you know you shouldn’t.

When you’re feeling confused, take some time to review your values and write them down. This will help you to locate your moral compass.

Image | pixabay

 

9. Clear the clutter 

Take a good look at your workspace. You should create a space that’s soothing and uplifting.

Whether it’s a picture of your family, a plant, or an award that you’re proud of, display them prominently to keep them on your mind.

Get rid of the junk and clutter that hold no significance and do nothing positive for your mental state.

10. Lend a hand 

Taking the time to help your colleagues not only makes them happy, but it also makes you happy.

Helping other people gives you a surge of oxytocin, serotonin, and dopamine, all of which create good feelings.

In a Harvard study, employees who helped others were 10 times more likely to be focused at work and 40% more likely to get a promotion.

The same study showed that people who consistently provided social support were the most likely to be happy during times of high stress.

As long as you make certain that you aren’t overcommitting yourself, helping others is sure to have a positive influence on your happiness.

11. Let your strengths flow 

A University of Chicago study of peak performance found that people who were able to reach an intense state of focus, called flow, reaped massive benefits.

Flow is the state of mind in which you find yourself completely engrossed in a project or task, and you lose awareness of the passage of time and other external distractions.

Flow is often described as an exhilarating state in which you feel euphoria and mastery simultaneously.

The result is not just happiness and productivity but also the development of new skills through a heightened state of learning.

The key to reaching flow lies in organising your tasks such that you have immediate and clear goals to pursue that play to your strengths.

As you begin working on these tasks, your focus increases along with your feelings of adequacy.

In time, you reach a flow state, in which productivity and happiness flourish.

Set clear goals each day and experiment with task order until you find the secret formula that gets you flowing.

12. Smile and laugh more 

A study at Mannheim University in Germany demonstrated that we can actually manipulate our emotions by changing our facial expressions.

One group of participants held a pen in their mouth horizontally, which forces a smile.

When asked to rate how funny a cartoon was, the participants holding pens in their mouths found the cartoons much funnier than participants without pens.

As the study shows, it doesn’t matter if your smile is genuine because your facial expression can precede the feeling.

If you find yourself in a negative spiral at work, slow down and smile or watch a funny video on YouTube. This mood boost can turn your day around.

13. Stay away from negative people 

Complainers and negative people are bad news because they wallow in their problems and fail to focus on solutions.

People often feel pressured to listen to complainers because they don’t want to be seen as callous or rude, but there’s a fine line between lending a sympathetic ear and getting sucked into their

negative emotional spirals.

You can avoid getting drawn in only by setting limits and distancing yourself when necessary.

Think of it this way: If a person were smoking, would you sit there all afternoon inhaling the second-hand smoke? You’d distance yourself, and you should do the same with negative people.

A great way to set limits is to ask them how they intend to fix their problems. The complainer will then either quiet down or redirect the conversation in a productive direction.

14. Laugh at yourself 

When you take yourself too seriously at work, your happiness and performance suffer. Don’t be afraid to show a little vulnerability.

Something as simple as laughing at yourself draws people to you because it shows them that you’re humble and grounded (it also keeps them from laughing behind your back).

Happy people balance their self-confidence with a good sense of humour and humility.

15. Cultivate an attitude of gratitude 

It’s all too easy to get caught up in things that could have been different or didn’t turn out the way you wanted them to.

Sometimes the best way to pull your mind away from negativity is to step back and contemplate what you’re grateful for.

Taking time to reflect on the good in your life improves your mood because it reduces the stress hormone, cortisol, by 23%.

Research conducted at the University of California found that people who worked daily to cultivate an attitude of gratitude experienced improved mood, energy, and physical wellbeing.

16. Believe the best is yet to come 

Don’t just tell yourself that the best is yet to come – believe it.

Having a positive, optimistic outlook on the future doesn’t just make you happier; it also improves your performance by increasing your sense of self-efficacy.

The mind has a tendency to magnify past pleasures to such a great degree that the present pales in comparison.

This phenomenon can make you lose faith in the power of the future to outdo what you’ve already experienced. Don’t be fooled.

Believe in the great things the future has in store.

Bringing it all together 

Applying these strategies won’t just improve your happiness at work; most of them will also improve your emotional intelligence.

Pick those that resonate with you and have fun with them!

 
LDR-PDF-download-110x110

Dr Travis Bradberry is the award-winning co-author of the #1 bestselling book, Emotional Intelligence 2.0 , and the cofounder of TalentSmart, the world’s leading provider of emotional intelligence tests and training, serving more than 75% of Fortune 500 companies. His bestselling books have been translated into 25 languages and are available in more than 150 countries. Dr. Bradberry has written for, or been covered by, Newsweek, BusinessWeek, Fortune, Forbes, Fast Company, Inc., USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and The Harvard Business Review. Email editor@leaderonomics.com to get in touch!

Reposted with permission.

 

Is there a colleague who is feeling low due to unmet personal and professional expectations? Here are 10 things you can do to cheer him/her up. Check out this infographic: 

Infographic: Top 10 Ways To Prepare Yourself For A Great Day At Work

Share this :

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Tags
  • Create
  • Emotional Intelligence
  • EQ
  • Happiness
  • IQ
  • Travis Bradberry
  • Work
Next article What We Can Learn From The Downfall Of Toys ‘R’ Us
Previous article These 3 ‘Deadly’ Emotions Can Kill Your Dreams And Creativity!

Related Posts

Bill Rancic's Nuggets Of Advice On Entrepreneurship And Success LDR Show

Bill Rancic's Nuggets Of Advice On Entrepreneurship And Success

How Self-Awareness Impacts Your Work Personal

How Self-Awareness Impacts Your Work

10 Skills That Make You A New Age Leader Be a Leader

10 Skills That Make You A New Age Leader

A Hobbit's Heart: Battling Our Inner Dragons Box of Chocolates

A Hobbit's Heart: Battling Our Inner Dragons

9 Mistakes That Make Good Employees Quit Be a Leader

9 Mistakes That Make Good Employees Quit

Be Happy FIRST, It Drives Performance And Achievement Books

Be Happy FIRST, It Drives Performance And Achievement

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Bahasa Malaysia | English

Pick of The Week

Feb 4th 7:54 PM
Business

When Should You Speak Up?

Jan 31st 9:00 AM
Business

Embracing Digital To Power Growth

Jan 29th 9:00 AM
Functional

Driving Value With Digital Transformation Initiatives

NEW – On The Leaderonomics Show

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXY0Z5dJVSI
  • Business
  • Functional
  • Leadership
  • Personal
  • Soundbytes
  • Free E-Mag
  • Videos
  • About Us
  • Back to top

About Leaderonomics.com

Leaderonomics.com is a leadership portal owned by Leaderonomics, a social enterprise passionate about transforming nations through leadership development. Leaderonomics.com features leadership insights, trends, CEOs, thought leaders, HR leaders and inspiring real-life stories for your personal and professional development.

Contact Us | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy      
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed on this website are those of the writers or the people they quoted and not necessarily those of Leaderonomics.
[Sitemap | RSS]
Copyright © 2010-2019 Leaderonomics Media Sdn Bhd. All rights reserved