Happiness is a tricky concept. After all, feelings fluctuate and a lot can affect them. This post isn’t to tell you how to be happy all of the time. This post isn’t to tell you that you should be happy all of the time. This post is just a few ways to give yourself the mood boost you need sometimes to get through the work day, or the work week, or the work month.
- Don’t let money sabotage your happiness. Money can help you live healthfully and happily and to help others do the same. It does not determine your value. Forbes gave this advice when listing ways to be happier in your career, and they offered this quote from Joseph Campbell: “Money is congealed energy and releasing it releases life possibilities. Money experienced as life energy is indeed a meditation, and letting it flow out instead of hoarding it is a mode of participation in the life of others.”
- Set goals for improvement. According to Fortune, to stay happy at work, you need work that challenges you and gives you a sense of progress. Fortune cites a study by Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer who found that workers report the happiest days when they feel that they accomplished something.
- Reward yourself when you meet your goals. Inc. lists rewarding yourself for progress as a way to have more happiness in your work life. It’s a matter of recognizing all of the progress you have to be happy about.
- Find a work buddy. Inc. also suggests finding “a work best friend.” This can be hard if you work from home or go to your clients’ homes. Clients can be friends, but they probably can’t relate to you the way a colleague could. If you work in a spa or salon, work on building friendships with those you work with. If you work on your own, find other ways to be engaged with your peers. You might consider a standing lunch date with one of these friends to get you through the workweek and help you feel less isolated.
- Make a list of the reasons that you love your work, even if you don’t love it at the moment. Gratitude can do great things to calm a bored or anxious soul at work.
- Don’t allow anxiety over potential claims keep you from enjoying your business. Make sure you’re covered with a general liability insurance policy so you can work with peace of mind.
These practices take practice, and they don’t always work, but we hope that these tips can help you bring a little more happiness into your life because you really deserve it.
