How to be happier in your job

AARRRGH

I don't think I've seen this topic on here before, so I thought it might make an interesting discussion.

Assuming your boss and/or immediate colleagues aren't assholes, are there things you can do to become happier in your job?

I think there are. For me:

• When I work hard and don't doss, I'm waaay happier in my job. I know if I go through phases of dossing I feel guilty and worried I'll be caught, which just makes me unhappy.
• I have a number of friends in work. I think this is really important. It prevents me from feeling like an outsider, and means I can socialise when in work.
• I try to come in on time to make sure my day starts on a positive note.
• I make sure I save a chunk of my wages every month (I transfer the money into my savings account as soon as I'm paid) so I feel my job isn't just about earning enough to survive, but is paying me an excess amount which I'm able to save.
• I make an effort to be friendly with the management team. I find it removes any sense of "them and us"
• I don't participate in bitching or complaining. I find the only thing this accomplishes is making me depressed.

Can you think of anything else you do which makes you happier in your job?

youcancallmeal

- Learning something new. Helps if its complicated so you get that little sense of achievement.
- Training new people and watching them get better.
- Treating yourself to a nice lunch every now and then.

On a negative note I tend be very cranky for the first two hours or so in the morning. Sometimes I might snap at a colleague and then for the next few days I try really hard to not be a b*stard but I always lapse back into my old ways

Smoggy

im fed up with my job most days. I have started dossing more and even bitching, which really isnt me. Some of these tips are very good and well worth a go.

AARRRGH

Smoggy wrote: »

im fed up with my job most days. I have started dossing more and even bitching, which really isnt me. Some of these tips are very good and well worth a go.

Yeah it's a vicious circle. You get unhappy for whatever reason and then doss, which makes you unhappier so you doss more...

I hope you're able to snap out of it. Good luck.

mikemac

No matter where you work there will be a moaner.
Sometimes their complaints are valid but most times it's something petty.
Negative people drag everyone else down.
And when you're facing a mega task, sitting around complaining is only delaying the inevitable, get your head down and blast through it. If your teammates has the same workload a friendly competition can help you. Everyone is inspired by a little competition. In our place 5 people have the same task and the loser buys icecream for everyone on a Friday. Though not icecream in this weather! Hot chocolate

Nothing worse then skipping into work in great form and the person beside you depresses you with their bitching and constant complaints.
Get on with your job and if you have issues take it to HR, don't be dragging me down!!!

ntlbell

Depending on the job you do.

Don't put TOO much preasure on yourself, having goals and aims is good but putting yourself under undue stress and preasure isn't going to get you anywhere.

It is somewhere you're going to spend a huge amount of your life, so try and avoid looking at as a "job" "work" it's just somewhere you go for a few hours a day, do your bit, get paid.

Try not to sit around watching the clock, if you're going to do soemthing, strive to do it as well as you can it will build your confidence and make you feel better about yourself.

if your in a public facing job or on the telephone dealing with the public, don't take things to personally, they're not angry with you, they don't know you, they're just angry and your the face that's there to take it, show some empathy, smile, nod say, yes and move on.

Don't drag it home with you, home is your down time, avoid moaning to your housemates and partners about it. get in the door relax and get ready for tomorrow

Sleepy

Keep the social welfare rates page as your homepage to remind you of the alternative to having a job?

I find that just having a 'can do' attitude helps a lot. I've taken on projects I had no idea of how to carry out when I was first briefed on them and, while some of them were seriously tough going they're always the most satisfying to complete. I had a sistuation where the lead (i.e. only) developer left the company and no documentation was in existence for some software which was due to be implemented into two different client sites that year. I took on the implementation side of the project, worked my ass off with the developer asigned the job of 'productising' this software and brought 3 out of 4 implementations in on time and budget over the next 2 years in addition to my other work.

I was learning a lot of the elements of this system from core principles up (Card Payments, IIS, PCI DSS Compliance, Chip & PIN devices, our own software, the systems it interfaced with etc. etc.) and that actually made it fun. Stressful as hell at times because there were instances where I was literally a page ahead of the client and our sales guy had promised features that didn't exist outside of his imagination but we got it there in the end and I got to hugely expand my skill-set in both new technical skills, improving old ones and in things like project management, software design and specification etc. I also got to take an active part in actually building elements of the system and got a great kick out of it. Actually made me wish I'd gone down a development route at the start of my career!

Kinda got side-tracked there, basically jump at the difficult stuff. Most people are afraid to but if your boss has no-one who already has the skills, be the person who'll volunteer to learn them and have a go. When you make mistakes, admit to them, ask for help and you'll both get it and the respect for having the guts to try it in the first place, for knowing when to ask for help and for simply being the rarity in business - someone who can say 'my fault, sorry". It doesn't make you invulnerable to redundancy, I'm proof of that. I do know my old boss stood my corner and tried to fight for keeping me. It didn't soften the financial blow much but I at least knew it wasn't down to my performance or anything personal.

Eoin

Have something to do outside of work - be it sports or whatever. If you give yourself something else to do and think about after work, you can switch off for a while and when you go back in the next day you will have felt you have had a break. On a shìtty day you have something to look forward to, rather than just stewing at home thinking about it.