• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Jobacle.com

Career advice blog - with an edge.

  • HOME
  • CAREER ADVICE BLOG
  • CAREER NEWS
  • FIND A JOB
  • BLOG ARCHIVE
  • ABOUT US
  • CONTACT US

12 Ways to Keep Yourself Happy at Work

by Werdna Yug Leave a Comment

12 Ways to Keep Yourself Happy at Work

i-love-job

Your mood can drastically affect the quality of your work. You always work better and time passes faster when you’re having fun. Imagine how great it would be to stay happy at work. While you can’t control everything at your job, you can take steps to keep a more positive, happy attitude throughout the day.

Help Someone Else 

You probably know at least one coworker who could use some help now and then. Lend them a hand when you get a free minute. Even if it’s something as simple as bringing them back a cup of coffee when they can’t take a break, the act of helping others around you makes you feel happier. You’ll definitely smile more when you hear heartfelt thank yous from your coworkers.

Don’t Bother With Gossip 

You have no way of knowing what gossip is and isn’t true. Worrying yourself about what you heard at the water cooler is just going to cause unnecessary stress. Avoid gossip as much as possible and never participate in it. Much of what you hear is false rumors anyway. One of the easiest ways to keep yourself happy at work is to stick to the facts only. 

Go To Lunch With Coworkers 

You’d often be surprised to find your coworkers are different outside the office. Make plans a few days in advance for you and several coworkers to go to lunch together. This is the perfect chance to get to know the people around you better. The more relaxed you become around them, the easier it is to become friends and be happier all day at work.


Trash What You Don’t Need 

A cluttered, disorganized office can make you feel overwhelmed and depressed. It just looks gloomy and it’s difficult to find anything when you need it. Take a half hour and clean your office. Trash any papers you don’t need. Put items in their right places. You can easily get organizational supplies if you need them.

Laugh at Your Mistakes 

No one in your office is perfect. Even the boss makes mistakes. Instead of getting worked up over every mistake you make, laugh it off. This reduces stress and makes you happier. Once you’ve calmed yourself, it’ll be much easier to figure out a way to fix the mistake and get back to work. Plus, your boss will love that you took responsibility and did what you could to remedy the situation.

Ask for Feedback 

A common reason why people aren’t happy at work is because they’re never sure what the boss really thinks of their performance. Stop worrying and just ask for fegedback. You don’t have to wait for a yearly review. Instead, take the initiative and talk to your boss face to face. Ask if there are any areas you could improve in. Knowing where you stand with your boss not only improves your job performance, but makes you happier.

Add Color to Your Desk 

Bland desks, walls and office chairs tend to sour even the happiest employees. The solution is simple. Add pops of color to your desk. It’s an extremely simple way to keep yourself happy at work. Consider using a neon pink mouse or adding a bright blue stapler to your desk. If possible, bring in a few small posters with colorful scenes. Bright colors boost your mood. 

Think About Commitments Carefully 

You might want to show your boss that you can handle everything. The truth is you only have so much time every day. Taking on too many projects could ruin both your professional and personal life. If you’re having to always stay late to finish, you don’t get the downtime you need after work.

Before committing to new projects, teams or tasks at your job, think about whether you can realistically handle them. You’ll be happier and more productive this way.

Find New Opportunities 

Many employees are afraid of taking chances or changing their routines. They’re afraid they’ll lose their job if anything changes. The routines become boring and you often get looked over for promotions. If you want to be happier, find opportunities to spice up your daily work load. Suggest new ideas to your boss for improving business processes. Take on a new responsibility. You’ll feel happier and more confident. Plus, you boss will love the take charge attitude.

Give Compliments 

If you want your coworkers to treat you well, you have to do the same in return. The less tension there is between you and your coworkers, the happier you’ll be. Start by complimenting them over small things such as a great idea they had in a meeting. This makes them feel great and you’ll feel happier just by seeing how good you’ve made them feel.

Take a Meditation Break 

While it’s usually not possible to take a long meditation break, it can be beneficial to spend a few minutes every hour to look away from your computer screen and let your mind clear. If meditation isn’t right for you, take those few minutes to daydream about something that makes you happy. In less than five minutes each hour, you’ll be happier and be able to restart tasks with a clear mind.


Bring in One Thing From Home 

Many employees have pictures of their family on their desk. Seeing the pictures reminds them of home and it makes them smile. Bringing in at least one thing from home makes your job feel more like being in your own home. Look at the object whenever you’re stressed for an instant mood boost. It doesn’t have to be a picture either. A favorite pillow to put in your office chair or a trinket from a favorite vacation work perfectly too.

It’s easy to keep yourself happy at work. Smile, avoid all the negativity and just focus on being happier.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Filed Under: Career Advice Tagged With: Be Happier, Happier, happy at work, Keep Yourself Happy

Want to become part of the 1% that knows how to make work better?

Start receiving occasional career advice emails from Jobacle.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Search

Social

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Post Categories

  • All About Bosses (19)
  • Annual Review (1)
  • Career 2.0 Review (47)
  • Career Advice (1,373)
  • Career News (31)
  • Career Podcast (12)
  • Choose Your Career (293)
  • Commuting to Work (3)
  • Contests (5)
  • Coworker Gifts (12)
  • Coworkers (54)
  • Fake Job Offers (12)
  • Forward of the Week (19)
  • Gen Y Career (10)
  • General (158)
  • How to Quit a Job (9)
  • How to Quit Your Job (12)
  • Interview Help (50)
  • Job Vent (19)
  • Job Website Review (11)
  • Jobacle Mishmash (35)
  • Jobacle Survey Panel (2)
  • Leaving a Job (2)
  • Master List (2)
  • Office Prank (1)
  • Office Supply Review (1)
  • Podcasts (24)
  • Random (4)
  • Resume Templates (19)
  • Side Hustle (4)
  • Sponsored Post (1)
  • The Cubicle Continuum (44)
  • The Recession File (26)
  • The Resume Hunter (8)
  • Uncategorized (271)
  • Unemployment (5)
  • WFH (1)
  • Work for Yourself (35)
  • Work Humor (31)
  • Work Lyrics (13)
  • Work Productivity (12)
  • Work Stats (1)
  • WorkHacks (10)
  • Your Job Search (90)

© 2005–2025 Jobacle.com

Privacy Policy