Finding true happiness at work is tricky. After all, if your job was as much fun as your hobbies, they probably wouldn’t pay you to do it. But the good news is that a few attitude tweaks can improve your perception — which is the secret of feeling better about anything.
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1. Meditate.
Sharon Salzberg, author of Real Happiness at Work tells the Chicago Tribune that meditation really helps people feel better about their jobs. The important thing is to understand that not all meditation involves sitting in the lotus position and chanting, “Om.”
“Begin your work day and think about one particular action you want to become more aware of,” she advises. “This can be something that is brief when you do it but it might something you do several times a day, like opening a door, or greeting customers or clients. Maybe it’s reaching for the phone. And try not to pick up the phone on the first ring but let it ring three times and breathe. Any time we can pause, we are better off. You’ll get more centered.”
2. Forgive yourself.
How much time have you wasted in your life by berating yourself for tiny mistakes? Let go, and you’ll be happier and more productive.
Salzberg points out that obsessing over our mistakes makes it harder to remember the good things we’ve done, which probably outnumber the bad. Stop reliving your mistakes, and you’ll be able to concentrate on being better at your job.
3. Take care of yourself.
Eat well, and get plenty of rest. Take your sick days when you need them; use your vacation time. If you let yourself get run down, you’ll be unhappy with your job, and you won’t do it as well — which, in turn, will make your boss pretty unhappy with you.
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And the most important one – think of how the activities that you are doing at work are contributing to your professional experience, and how exactly you can put these activities and resulting accomplishments in your resume!