How to fall in love with your job | Top Stories | News.com.au
* There are ways to fall in love with your job again
* Fixing relationships and thinking positively will help
* Workplace: Get some Business Sense
If you're feeling trapped at work, there are a few things you can do to fall in love with your job again - or at least help you stick it out until the economy picks up and you can jump ship.
Psychologist Dr Timothy Sharp calls himself 'Mr Happy' and teaches people how to get more enjoyment out of their work as founder and chief happiness officer of The Happiness Institute.
"Not everyone will be 100 per cent happy 100 per cent of the time," says Dr Sharp. "You have to be realistic, but you can be more satisfied. Being 60 per cent satisfied with your job is better than being 30 per cent satisfied."
Focus on the positives
Be grateful and focus on the good things about your workplace, your role or your co-workers. There is no such thing as a perfect job, but most have good aspects.
"Many of us have a tendency to focus on the bad things," says Dr Sharp.
"However there are very few organisations that are totally terrible and for every problem or colleague you don’t like there are almost certainly good things and nice people."
Don't complain, do something
If something is making you unhappy, try to fix it.
"Don't complain, do something," says Dr Sharp. Most employees sit back and criticise, but assume management will step in.
"Even if it's turning up with the right mindset, even if it's doing something nice for the other person, or finding a way to bring fun into the workplace," says Dr Sharp.
Look at the big picture
Stop getting bogged down on details and mind numbing daily minutiae. Instead, focus on how your job fits into the big picture.
"What's the day to day result of your efforts? Are you making people's lives better, contributing to their financial success?"
Reminding yourself of the purpose of your job makes it more meaningful.
"Happiness is not just about feeling good, it's about doing good," says Dr Sharp.
Think positively
We can't control annoying workplace stuff like boring tasks, endless interruptions or catty co-workers, but we can change our mindset.
"When we walk in the door in the morning employers can tell us what to do, but they can't tell us how to think," says Dr Sharp.
"If you can't change what's going on around you, you can change the way you respond to it," says Dr Sharp. But he admits this one is easier said than done.
Stop doing things you hate
People often spend a lot of time doing tasks we think are essential, but are really optional.
Don't quit your job, just quit doing the stuff you hate, and see if anyone notices.
Or delegate tasks you dread to someone who enjoys that type of work.
"One of the mistakes we make is thinking 'I don't like this, so no one will," explains Dr Sharp.
