Stay happy at work - A simple equation

How to be happy at work ?

easy question ?? ....... tough ??

Hmmm ... a common one for sure !

There are heaps of suggestions from all the possible sources - family , friends , counselor , teacher , internet , books .

Where do all these ideas and suggestions come from ?

A common source - definitely ' a brain '

We have one too .. In that case, we too have ideas .

A question like this can be well answered when the mentality of the questioner is understood.

Who can know ourselves better than us ?

So before consulting someone for this Q , lets put ourselves to work .

We'll start with something we know. We are sure of two things

1. A happy person works well .

True ?

And again ...

2. One who works well is happy at work .

Having understood and agreed with the two we can conclude this :

Happy person = Happy person at work .

In that case , we can shorten our Q to : How to be happy ?

Agreed ??

This question seems much simpler .. Isn't it ?

Now, analyze what makes you happy and act accordingly .

And no one else but you can answer this better .

To help you start , here are some tips that resulted from my brainstorming which i guess would hold good for most of us .

1 . Keep it your way : You need some place to call your own . A place that reflects your mind . It may be a small corner or your little cabin . Design it your way . We like to be in places that are of our kind . Some may place a rose in a vase on the desk or a God's idol. Some may like pasting remainders on the wall . Whatever it may be , pitch your tent ; unless you create a fuss for the others .

2 . Take ownership : Lets make it ours . We all know that even our maid can't work well unless she considers our home to be her's . The moment we take the place as not the property of some xyz firm , but as our own, we build a zeal to work and perform better which in-turn is a  benefit to us . For instance , when there is a bulb to be fixed at home , we do it ourselves and not wait for someone to do it . Why not be concerned in the same way for our work place ? Everything may not be possible . But there are many such instances we tend to snub . Lets take ownership and not wait for someone else to do it . Lets not blame others when something goes wrong . Lets work on it . You can see , once we start taking ownership , we develop love for the place and eventually love our work too .

3 . Build a circle : It always feels nice to be sure that there are people who can help you in your work when needed , support or oppose your ideas , smile and wish every morning , compete in targets , be concerned about you or even play pranks with you . Having such covey make work and life easier . Networking always comes handy .

4 . Say " Its ok " : Accept the odd knocks . None of us are perfect and are prone to make mistakes . Accept them and work on them . Sometimes, you may be blamed for no fault . That's when you need to think the same for the other person . Give him/her time and they'll realize sooner or later . Also, its noteworthy that all are entitled to have there own opinion . Don't feel offended or let down , when opposed . Understand that things are not always in our hands  . Just say to yourself " its ok " , and jump into the routine, not letting such things bother you much .

5 . Go green : Greenery soothes the eyes . The eyes and head are most stressed out parts while at work . Ventilate them .Open the windows , take short breaks ,sip a coffee and prefer greenery . Club together with the team and set up green campaigns during the least work-loaded month . This not only servers your senses, but also adds a social image to your group and subsequently, to your firm.Remember ? Go green is like - be trendy .

6 . Be creative and talented : Jobs these days demand creativity . Even if they don't , its always good to be creative . For you never know ; your creativity may fortuitously take you to the top . Talent counts too . It may be anything ; singing , puppetry , mimicry ; don't shy away . Exhibit it . It boosts your confidence and there is no talent unwelcomed . Be known for something unique and good . Both creative and talented people are well received and respected .

7 . Expectations exist : While diverging peps up our work life , we need to monitor and prioritize our activities such that the expectations of the superiors are met . There can be no substitute for what was told to be done by the boss .  A major reason for stress is not being able to keep up with your commitments . Unkept commitments equal broken expectations . While giving a word , analyze your situation as per your capability and time . Simply put , if your boss doesn't have to chase you , he has more time to praise you.

8 . Hangout : Plan holidays . Its not always necessary to stay home during offs . Hang around with your colleagues and ask your boss to join . This helps build better relationships and there by better work environment, generating satisfied bosses and clients and ultimately - a satisfied you .

9 . You win - I win : Assertiveness is the key ; no matter where you are and who you deal with . Don't be too aggressive or too submissive . A win -win situation is always preferred over a you - win , I - loose or a you - loose , I - win situation . Don't always give in nor expect others to give in . Lets treat others the way we expect them to treat us . Be considerate and seek mutual benefit as much as possible .

10 . The big picture : Dilate your minds horizon . Its vital for us to be capable of looking at things in the big picture . To work effectively we must be able to revise our perception as per the role we play . For instance , we may need to look at things in the team's perspective , manager's perspective , the organization's perspective , or a client's perspective . Sometimes , especially when one goes higher in the hierarchy , one must be equipped with the art of looking at things in the big picture and not get bogged in minutes .