This week has been the International Week of Happiness at Work. It’s about increasing awareness of the importance of being happy at work and supporting companies to make sure it’s a top priority to have happy employees at work.
Despite more and more emphasis being put on work/life balance, we still spend a huge amount of time at work, and so how we feel at work contributes to how we feel and behave in other areas of our lives. Being happy at work can help increase motivation and productivity, enable better relationships, and increase resilience inside and outside of work.
We’d like to share some top tips on generating happiness at work!
- Let the unconscious mind do some of the work
We’ve all been at the point in our jobs where we can’t quite get something to go right or we are having a hard time coming up with a solution. It’s extremely frustrating, but continuing to work through it can sometimes make us feel even worse.
A break is sometimes all we need to solve a problem. While focusing attention on something completely different, feelings of stress and frustration reduce and our unconscious mind is free to continue problem solving.
The important thing is to break the continued focus, even if only for a few minutes, and you may find when you return the solution comes to you.
- Design your workspace
For those who have the ability to make changes to their workspace, such as those who are office or home-based, creating a comfortable work environment can help increase happiness. You may feel that adding a plant or picture on your desk brings you a little bit more joy. Or having a tidy up might help improve concentration and focus. If possible, sit by a window to get benefit of natural light.
For those working in public and shared spaces, employers can look to spruce up the areas where their employees take breaks. Comfortable seating, quiet spaces and areas for shared activity such as games or coffee stations can give employees a choice on how they’d rather take their break.
- Company wellbeing workshops
It’s often the case that we tend to stick with what we know and only really communicate with our direct teams. At HCML, we hold regular wellbeing workshops online which enable us to come together as an organisation and discuss the issues that are important to us and make connections with people we normally wouldn’t speak to. This has resulted in a better understanding and learning from each other, and the formation of new working relationships and friendships.
- Work socials
It goes without saying that organising work socials isn’t a new idea. However, going out for drinks afterwork may not be for everyone. Therefore, it’s always nice to provide a variety of activities to enable employees to get together and enjoy. One idea could be to have an office games night! You can provide a range of options – from traditional board games to computer games, and sporting games (think table tennis etc.) It’s affordable, inclusive and can incorporate food and drinks as well.
- Organise regular catchups
1-2-1’s don’t have to solely focus on work performance. Taking time to have more informal catchups can really make a difference to someone. Chatting something through with a colleague and even simply listening can help improve wellbeing and overall happiness.
Even if there’s just one thing on this list in your control, why not try it? The simple act of deciding to take action can actually make you feel happier in itself!