Image by: geralt
By Dexter Lunde

We’re not all lucky enough to be our own bosses – yet. While a lot of us endeavor to make this a reality in our future, we’re not quite to that step where we can drop our jobs and start fresh. So in the meantime, what can we do about our current work woes?

Are you feeling unappreciated? Do you feel like you are working too hard for not enough pay (in our opinions of course)? Perhaps, you’re just plain unhappy with your job. Or perhaps you are a manager or CEO that notices your employees showing these signs at work.

Well, if you feel as though any of those things hit really close to home, check out this list of things that you can do in order to lift your spirits while you are at work.

#1) A Sense of Purpose Is the Root of Happiness

The Albermarle Corporation (a chemical company) and the Harvard Business Review examined different things that drove Albermarle’s workers. Within the study four elements kept popping up in their results: physical needs, recognition, autonomy, and purpose. They concluded that purpose was the most important of the needs of workers. When the workers were filled with a sense of purpose they reported a 1.7 times higher job satisfaction and were also more engaged.

Having a sense of purpose will give you more of a personal investment in work. Everyone wants to feel needed. They need to know that what they are doing is important and will make a difference. That difference may be for the company, a project, the well-being of the free world, etc. It doesn’t really matter what they are making a difference in as long as they are a part of something that they consider to be important.

#2) Know What You Want

Before a meeting, a conference, or a luncheon, know what you want to get out of it. That will keep you focused during a meeting and will keep you from falling asleep. Just like people want to have a sense of purpose, they also want a goal. Small goals are as important as bigger goals.

If you are a CEO or manager in charge of workers that dread meetings, give each one of them a specific purpose or goal in the meeting. This will keep them engaged and feel like they are part of the team, instead of just observing from the background.

#3) Never Send an E-mail Without Rereading It

This tip may not necessarily make you happier but when you are upset and sending a response, this will be the most valuable tip that you will ever receive. Before you click send (whether you are responding in anger or not), wait a few seconds and take a deep breath first. Then reread it. You may catch a snippy attitude within the text. You may catch a typo or a grammatical error. Always reread your work.

Life doesn’t give you an un-send button and neither does your e-mail account so make sure that you’re watching what you say (whether it is verbal or typed out).

#4) Reflect on the Positive and Negative of Your Day

The term “reflection” has come up a few times within the past few months. While I can’t vouch for anyone else’s definition, my definition of reflection is basically “careful consideration”. When I ask you to reflect on your day, I want you to consider the things that happened during the day – the good and the bad. Think about what you could have done. Consider what choices and options you have.

However, instead of dwelling on the “I should have’s”, make a note of it and apply that knowledge into future situations.

#5) Cut Down on the Gossip

While being social is important, gossiping is damaging to work environments. If you are a boss, make sure that you’re doing your best to cut down on the gossip at work. There’s no way that you’ll be able to ban it (humans will be humans) but you can show them by example, reward positive and genuine behavior, and keep your employees happy and busy.

If you are an employee and you notice gossiping in your department or if you really want to talk about something that’s going on, just make sure that you’re being genuine. Talk openly about your thoughts instead of gossiping about others. Did you hear that Sexy Sally the Secretary was seen in the broom closet with the pimple-faced mail guy? Instead of spreading the rumor, merely speak candidly about your thoughts on office romances.

Now it’s your turn. What do you do to make your job more enjoyable? Do you hold contests in the breakroom? Do you personalize your workspace to help you keep your goals in mind? If you are “the boss”, how do you ensure that your employees and team members are having a good time at work? Just because it’s a four letter word, doesn’t mean that work can’t be fun too. Let us know what you think in the comments section below.