How to fall in love with your job

from How to fall in love with your job | News.com.au:

"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.

Get back to essentials

A partner at a large professional services firm came to Dr Sharp feeling bored and burnt out after decades in the same industry.

"Over the years, he'd let certain aspects of the job he didn't enjoy creep up and had let go of things he enjoyed," says Dr Sharp.

By cutting down or delegating tasks the client was bored by or didn't like, he was able to refocus on his priorities and strengths.

"Within a period of months, he was loving his job again and didn't want to leave," says Dr Sharp.

Founder and career coach at Max Coaching Jane Lowder says this 'scope creep' is the number one reason people stop liking their jobs.

"One of the biggest reasons why people can lose their spark incrementally over time, especially very responsible people, is they start to put their hand up for additional job responsibilities outside the original responsibilities."

If your job isn't what you signed up for, you need to have a frank talk with your manager to get back to basics.

Fix your relationships

The people you work with are key to happiness on the job. The perfect job can become a nightmare with a different manager.

Trying to get along better with your colleagues and improving communication can help.

Never assume you know why a colleague is behaving badly, says Ms Lowder.

"If it's a manager relationship it's worth saying to the manager, 'Is there anything you need me to do differently in order to make the best contribution to this team? That can help alleviate any disconnection," says Ms Lowder.

Take a break

If you really are burnt out, instead of quitting, just take a holiday.

"For some people who are burnt out, they may need to give themselves permission to have a break, take a holiday or a long weekend, step off that treadmill and get some perspective," says Ms Lowder.

Find a mentor

Connecting with those people can give you hope, survival strategies and resilience, says Ms Lowder.

"If you're needing to stick it out in your current job, I definitely recommend a mentor," says Ms Lowder.

Making connections with people in your company or industry can give you survival strategies and hope, which will make you more resilient.

Sign up for a professional associations and network, so that when opportunities arise you’ll be in a position to be noticed.

When to get out

So what if you've tried all that and you're still miserable? Sometimes, you just have to cut your losses. Bullying or abuse at work are unacceptable and can't be fixed by your new sunny attitude.

"If you feel you've made a genuine effort over a period of time - and it can take weeks or months - and it's still highly unpleasant or impacting on your life in other ways then yes, there is a point where people need to consider changing jobs or changing jobs within the organisation," says Dr Sharp.