April, 2020
You have watched a Saturday night show, shopped and dined your heart out on Sunday and here you are with a sinking feeling – the weekend is over and you are back to work on Monday checking plethora of emails… instead of facing Monday blues, would you prefer to have some practical tips to love and stay happy in your job…In fact, coupling with that time of the year where many decide to fend for new greener pastures!
Have you heard of that saying, “The grass is never greener on the other side; if you even water your side, you may have far greener pastures for the year.” If you find yourself longing for greener work pastures only due to not being happy and content at work, then here are some powerful tips that can be your ten commandments to bring high engagement with your workplace.
1. Make a list of what you actually love to do at work
Make a laundry list of all such aspects of the job that you love to do. No tasks can be too big or too small for this list. Once you complete this list, visualize your dream job tasks and find the overlaps. This way you will be more thankful for the list of tasks that you already do. If you do not see any commonality, then start figuring out what are the different tasks you will need to here to get that difference in your job. Apply for a job rotation, enrichment or lateral hiring to make a difference in your profile. Your dream job description will also be an eye-opener for you for the competencies that you aren’t qualified for. This assessment will also open up the avenues to learning and broadening your mindset.
2. Keep a barrier between personal and professional identities
Personal life issues can suck out the energy out of your day and can encroach your professional space. When you’re preoccupied with personal issues, it’s difficult to concentrate or be happy at work. There will always be something unsettled at the personal level; hence, keeping them at bay when you come to work will only let you focus and be more productive at work. Again, you work for more than 9 hours and travel for at least 2 hours. With 11-12 hours utilized at workspace, it is imperative to keep balanced mindset at work.
3. Develop your Support system at Office
Studies have proved that human beings are social animals and feel connected with like-minded people with similar backgrounds, culture, and lifestyle preferences. When you have your own circle of connects to ease your stress or voice your feelings, you start feeling at home. Working in silos can only create an unsaid boundary in work relationships. You may not have to expand your network only on Linkedin or such professional platforms. Creating internal support networks can prove beneficial for organizational culture as well as high productivity. If you have recently joined, even the most organized tasks can look mean and unmanageable. Delegating the tasks as well as seeking necessary help from your team members does not reduce your credibility.
4. Personalize your Cubicle
Considering that you spend more time at your cubicle than what you do in your kitchen or bed, it is reasonable and more logical to manage and personalize your workspace. In fact, organisations today run many initiatives in decorating their cubicles as part of their cultural or team engagement drives. By bringing your little knickknacks or keeping your desk organized can bring more positivity and oneness and makes one certainly more comfortable too.
5. Take breaks
Practising desktop yoga or quick stretches at the workspace itself can ease the tension of your neck muscles. Taking sufficient breaks to keep yourself hydrated or a stroll to the water cooler itself can be quite refreshing. Opting for a healthy diet to combat stress in a new job or high-demanding job will keep your health quotient in check. Deep breathing and mindful exercises also keep you focused and less stressed. Participating in Friday employee welfare initiatives could build more energy in you and give you that necessary recharge after a stressful week.
6. Up your Happiness Quotient
Banking, Consulting, Outsourcing, Reporting and more such roles can be quite sedentary. A few minutes taken to move around the bay can help you hold real and soulful conversations. It will also help you to strike a chord with your team members and spread liveliness around. This also increases your visibility as well as your intent to connect with people. By creating positive associations,
7. Stay Focused
It is impossible to love your job if you are mindlessly perusing through social media or shopping sites. Try to be in the present with the tasks at hand. If you have free time and find yourself under utilized, one could volunteer for extra projects, dashboard analysis or engagement initiative drives. It will not only prune your cognitive abilities but also set the right impressions with your manager. Setting smaller goals per day will keep you excited and positively engaged with your job. It also adds to your motivation and confidence levels in the long run.
8. List down your ‘Gratitude’ list
Identify the things that you like at work, even if they are small or big or quite mundane. It could be that ‘Hello’ that you share everyday with your co- workers, or the view from your office window or for that matter that regular cup of tea that kickstarts your day. Many a times, we have seen employees counting and wasting their time on negatives. Worrying oneself on the negatives may cause you unnecessary stress and anxiety. Whereas, focusing on the positives can be motivating and optimistic of your current conditions.
9. Don’t wait to be rewarded
I have always believed in the power of reward mechanism however, in the last 14 years of mentoring leaders, I have noticed people waiting for their managers to acknowledge their work and duly reward them. You may not be able to change the perspectives of your boss but one could create small rewards for your work. Whether it is a movie ticket, dine out with colleagues or friends, a salon service, a new bestseller or simply that red blouse that you always wanted to purchase from a branded store. Such self-made treats keep you going and uplifts your mood at work.
10. Remind yourself of your Purpose
When the going gets tough, one could look back at the primary purpose of you joining the job. Situations and people do change however, if you keep in mind the reasons of accepting that job offer, will help you to sail through the rainy days. Certainly, that activates your efforts to assess the situation and create a change plan for yourself. Going by the phrase ‘jumping from oil to fire’ holds true even today. Being complacent to the good things and constantly worrying on the negatives could drive you to worse or similar situation in a new job.
Remember the 3 R rule – Review your Purpose and Benefits, Rejuvenate your mind and day at work, and Recharge your goals, role, and competencies. Seeking a deeper meaning and having a set of reflective measures will keep you grounded, positive and balanced.
The writer of this article is a mentor, coach and internationally certified facilitator. She also leads a Training Solutions brand that was recently recognized as Top 10 Personality Development institutions in India by Silicon India. Under her leadership, she has catalysed transformations of individuals, institutions and corporates with more than 15000+ manhours of trainings conducted in the last three years
Also read: 10 Tips to encourage ‘Learn from Home’ for Kids during Lockdown21
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