Happy at work

Recently I’ve purchased a natural spectrum daylight lamp. I switch it on for 30 minutes every morning because my doctor swears by it and says that over time my morning blues will improve. It’s been only a few weeks (he says it takes about six weeks to see results) but the biggest change I’ve observed already is that I feel good about taking an initiative to make myself feel better. Sometimes when you’re left on your own it’s solely up to you to change the situation. I felt I was left on my own with my morning blues, so I bought the lamp. The end.

But there are many other ways to stay get happy at work. About.com has some great tips on the subject including:

• Dwell on the aspects of your work you like and avoid negative people and gossip.
• Try to do at least one thing that you love every day. (Listen, even when I worked in the deepest hell of fast food service, I managed to convince myself that cutting up lettuce and washing dishes with a high-pressure hose was kind of fun. It was kind of fun.)
• Get invested in personal development at work. Find out if there’s budget for you to take courses or install programs on your computer that could further aid your job. Example: I asked for Photoshop because occasionally I work on photos for the site.
• Don’t take on too much work if you can’t keep your commitment. It’s better to meet your deadlines rather than have a full plate and have to find excuses for why you haven’t met your deadlines.
• Get actively involved so that you don’t feel left out. Simple, but it’s up to you to follow up on all at-work communication — don’t wait for people to update you.
• Ask for feedback. That will save you a lot of guesswork and you’ll show your boss that you’re invested in your job. Additionally, if you (kinda, sorta) know that the feedback will be positive, this is a way to get your boss to acknowledge your accomplishments. A self-esteem boost or what?

Jowita