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Do you love your job?

Even if you do, do you still  have “those” days when everything goes wrong and you wish you could rewind and start over?

We spend over one third of our lives AT work and getting to enjoy as many of those days as possible matters because it boosts our mood, self-confidence, enthusiasm and level of discretionary effort.

How often do you get to the end of your day thinking?

“Wow, that was a really good day!”

  • Every day? If this is true for you I’d LOVE to know what your job is and what you do to achieve all this goodness.
  • Some days? Meh, maybe there’s some room for improvement here.
  • A good day – are you kidding me? OK Maybe looking a for a different job might be the next task. What’s the point of staying in a job you hate?

One survey of 2000 individuals commissioned  by Freeletics in America, and reported in a number of media outlets including the New York Post, revealed the average American experiences 60 bad days per year.

While not a scientifically validated survey these results are pretty bad.

Pardon me for stating the obvious but 60 days is two whole months. Jeepers.

Another study of 700 employees from around the world conducted by Woohoo Inc. found that 2 out of three people experience AT LEAST one bad day at work each week! Their interpretation of a bad day being that the person was having a bad time at work to the extent that not only were they feeling bad, they were unhappy and wishing it wasn’t that way.

Good days are important because if you’ve had a lousy day at work, it’s easy to carry that negative state of mind back home and impact those you care about. And that’s never a good thing.

The other thing discovered by the Woohoo survey was 75% of the time the bad day was due to factors AT WORK. Oh dear.

What contributes to enjoying more good days at work includes having a sense of purpose, knowing that you are contributing to something worthwhile, you feel valued, and are hanging out with people you really like.

Here are some tips to help you find the good in more of your days.

  1. Make it a conscious choice to feel happy. Your state of mind has a significant impact on your energy, focus and outcomes. While genes and circumstance play a role – between 40 and 50% of your happiness is self-determined.
  2. Seek to connect. It’s the little things that count, like saying good morning in a cheery voice in a tone that conveys you mean it and with eye contact.
  3. Look for commonalities and aligned values and beliefs in those you work with. You don’t have to be best friends with everyone but seeking ways to get along with others goes a long way to fostering trust and relatedness.
  4. Do something for someone else. Not because you had to or were asked,  but because you saw the need and filled it. While bonuses and promotions are nice, our greatest reward comes from doing something for someone else without the expectation of reward or compensation. That’s why it feels good to give a gift, the pleasure is in the giving. What opportunities are there in your workplace to promote greater generosity of spirit?
  5. Show self-compassion. Making a mistake, showing an error of judgement, or making a bad choice happens all the time because we’re human; imperfect, deeply flawed and sometimes quite irrational. Accepting our less than perfect side and all the “jiggly bits”  makes it easier to come to terms with adversity and move forward. Acknowledging our vulnerability and accepting responsibility is the first step to silencing that inner critic that’s constantly seeking to belittle and remind us we’re not good enough.
  6. Be mindful. This is about noticing what’s happening around you, right now, in the present moment. Checking in to focus on really seeing and listening deeply helps you to evaluate what needs to be done next and make the better decision.

We’re simple creatures really, even though we do make life complicated for ourselves when we misunderstand, misinterpret, over think, procrastinate and berate ourselves for getting things wrong.

Despite all our flaws, addressing our physiological and psychological needs goes a long way to help us feel healthy and happy. That’s why getting enough sleep, spending time with family and friends, exercising regularly and getting enough down time doing fun things can make all the difference to how good we feel.

Happiness at work is not an oxymoron. High performing workplaces are people centric, focused on ensuring everyone gets to enjoy good health, greater happiness and achieve more too.

It’s good for people and it’s good for business.

Are you getting enough good days at work?

Dr Jenny Brockis

Dr Jenny Brockis is a medical practitioner and internationally board-certified lifestyle medicine physician, workplace health and wellbeing consultant, podcaster, keynote speaker and best-selling author. Her new book 'Thriving Mind: How to Cultivate a Good Life' (Wiley) is available online and at all good bookstores.

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