We spend upwards of a third of our adult lives at work.

Yet, a lot of us are miserable with our jobs.

Why is that?

If we spend so much time at work, shouldn’t we be doing our best to enjoy it?

And yes, I understand that it is difficult to get excited about software sales or building custom Salesforce instances isn’t your passion.

Regardless, even if we can’t all be professional athletes and astronauts, we all deserve to find happiness within our work.

Here are 5 things that are keeping you from it:

1/ You aren’t being challenged
2/ Belief that work = self-worth
3/ Isolation
4/ Burnout
5/ Environment

Let’s explore these ideas a bit more.

1/ You aren’t being challenged

If you are bored at work you are likely unhappy.

Our brains require a little bit of challenge to keep us engaged, curious, and flexible.

When that challenge is removed we are able to operate on autopilot and boredom and fatigue set in.

If you’ve ever experienced Flow you’ve found a proper challenge for yourself.

Flow doesn’t occur when things are simple and straightforward. No one experiences Flow when organizing files.

Similarly, Flow doesn’t occur when things are uber-complex. No one experiences Flow when riddled with uncertainty and confusion.

Flow, and subsequently happiness, occur when we are stretched but not struggling


2/ Belief that work = self-worth

Too many of us these days associate our job title with our self-worth. I’d be pretty unhappy as well if I put all of my self-esteem into a job title such as Accountant II.

A job can be just a job.

A job can be just a job.

A job can be just a job.

You don’t have to be saving the world or starting a billion-dollar company to be happy.

Allow your job to be just a job and power the things that bring you happiness ie.) relationships, travel, food, etc.


3/ Isolation

If Covid showed us anything it was that isolation can be the biggest killer of happiness.

Maybe you are working remotely. Maybe you are a team/department of one. Maybe you travel constantly.

If you are not seeking out genuine human face-to-face interaction daily, you are setting yourself up for unhappiness.

We are social creatures who thrive in social environments.

If you are isolated, do something about it.


4/ Burnout

89% of Americans experienced burnout in some form last year.

As such, the question isn’t if you’ll burnout, rather it’s when.

When we experience burnout our stress levels spike and our happiness drops.

While we can’t necessarily prevent burnout, we can combat it.

Try these 7 steps:

• Adjust your work-life 'balance'

• Fuel up with good food

• Get some R & R

• Examine your relationships

• Prioritize fun

• Cultivate a positive mindset

• Get moving
  

5/ Environment

I’ve coached tons of folks who complain about unhappiness at work.

The first question I always ask is, “Where/how do you work?”

If you are working alone you are sacrificing happiness.

If you are working with no natural light you are sacrificing happiness.

If you are working in your bedroom you are sacrificing happiness.

You don’t need a fancy we-work style environment to be happy.

You do, however, need to contemplate the effects of your environment to be happy.

If you only take one thing away from this edition let it be this:

Your Work ≠ Your Self Worth

Until next time,

Ben

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