by Bright Ewuru | Jan 2, 2023 | Articles
Do you know that unhappiness at work is a growing problem? According to the State of the Global Workplace: 2022 by Gallup, 19% of people report being miserable at work while 60% report being disconnected at work.
This feeling of employee despondency and unhealthy relationship with their jobs can be attributed to factors such as poor work-life balance, the lack of professional growth opportunities, boredom with the responsibilities or even a hostile work environment. And these feelings can lead to “quiet quitting” or disengagement from work.
As 2023 gets underway, here are six fun yet simple new year’s resolutions to guarantee a happier and healthier work life.
Organising as much as possible is a good new year’s resolution strategy to guarantee a happier work life in 2023. It’s difficult to have a healthy professional environment when your mind and environment are in shambles. Choose to begin every new week with planning.
Sort out the tasks you aim to attend to within the week; you might need a to-do list – physical or online – for this purpose. It will help define the responsibilities that lie in waiting for you and make it easy for you to track them.
To properly plan for the week ahead, it’s necessary to review the previous week. Auditing the past week is an excellent way to expose and subsequently eliminate distractions, time-wasters and irritating elements.
Better planning your worklife can also involve decluttering. Research shows that tidying up your personal place has a mood-lightening effect. It can be very beneficial to fix up your workspace, putting everything where it belongs. Doing this throughout the year will help boost your spirits. It’s an easy win!
Data reveals that having close friends as colleagues can enhance employee happiness at work. Some people are of the opinion that work friends are not real friends. This is up to the individual. But either way, an amicable relationship with your co-workers only brightens your work environment.
You no doubt spend a great deal of time at work; without a cordial relationship with your colleagues, those hours can feel long and lonely.
Here are a few ideas on how to nurture human connections at work:
If you work at a remote organisation, all of this is still possible! Building relationships online is just as important. Create opportunities for both work-related and fun/random video chats at work. Meeting face-to-face, even virtually, is important in building rapport and fostering meaningful relationships.
Building human connections in the professional space is also important for networking purposes. The fellowship can avail you of mentors, advisors or a superior who brings up your name in the right circumstances.
Another new year’s resolution that will ensure a satisfying and blooming professional life is giving eminence to health and personal time. In the bid to meet all the demands of our jobs, it’s natural to neglect our personal concerns. However, this can hurt us in the long run.
For a more fulfilling career journey in 2023, make up your mind to be serious about health. Eat well, exercise regularly and get enough sleep. Engage in activities that lift your spirits whether it’s meditation or daydreaming during your leisure time. For improved mental health, positive self-talk and dressing well also can reap positive rewards.
Tweak your schedule to accommodate both your professional life and your personal life, and don’t compromise your balance. This might mean sometimes turning down additional work that might disrupt the balance. And, if your workload is ever overwhelming, speak up; that’s the first step towards a lighter load.
No man is an island. Don’t be ashamed or afraid to ask for help when you need it, whether at home or at the office. Talk to a trusted person when your mind feels clogged.
The highest of the highs and the lowest of the lows — take it in stride.
To lead a happier and healthier work life in 2023, it’s important to delight in the process. A positive outlook is necessary regardless of the outcome of events. Celebrate your accomplishments and embrace your losses. You can learn from them and forge ahead. Don’t let one bad event ruin it all.
It’s also a good idea to take on new challenges. This could mean opting to handle tasks that are outside your comfort zone or beyond your job description. As long as the right guidance is available, trying your hand at new responsibilities can prove rewarding.
In like manner, focus on professional growth, so you can grow and develop in your space. You can take a professional course or attend conferences and workshops. Keep abreast with the activities and innovations in your industry by reading studies and articles from reputable sources.
Request feedback regularly on your performance and integrate it accordingly.
Your work life will be richer if you find meaning in it. You’ll feel good if you identify something you’re passionate about in the job. Make a list of what gives you “soul points” at work, and be sure to include those tasks often.
Of course, there are times when your job won’t directly cater to your passions. But, you can still find meaningfulness in the work. In such a situation, connect the job to your personal mission statement and intrinsic values. Embody those values and fulfil the mission through your work. Do your best with the purest of intentions.
Last but not the least, choose positivity. Negative thoughts can appear in different ways. For example, humans are their own biggest critics; it’s not strange to have thoughts in your head about how you’re not good enough or how far behind you are in life.
When these thoughts come up, analyse them and see them for what they are – mere pessimistic thoughts. They are not facts.
If negativity is coming from coworkers or friends, avoid these interactions and conversations. That type of bad energy can be highly contagious. Instead, spend more time with those who bask in enthusiasm and positivity and lead with positive interactions.
At the end of the day, cheerfulness and a vigorous professional life are key to optimal performance. Without them, teams would be unproductive and the workplace would seem like a torture chamber. By planning carefully, prioritising your health and keeping a positive and bright energy, you’ll no doubt find success in your work life this year.
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