by Cheah Mun Teng

“I just want to feel joy at work again. I want to feel like myself.”

“I used to be fairly energized. I like what I do, but now on Sunday evenings I feel flat and I’m almost dreading the week ahead.”

Let’s face it – at some point in life and career, even the most driven professionals and inspired creatives can come to a place where we need to rediscover the joy in our work.  

This isn’t just an idle need for something fluffy; research shows that happy employees are more productive, more creative, and better problem solvers. And positive people are significantly healthier, less stressed and enjoy deeper social interactions. 

Shawn Achor, author of The Happiness Advantage says, “Happiness is not the belief that we don’t need to change; it is the realisation that we can.” There are ways we can go about getting our joy back to feel happier as an individual and collectively within a high-performing culture. 

Here are five ways to kick-start some happiness habits to help you thrive at work: 

Our strengths can be catalysts to cultivating joy. These strengths are your natural energizers, and building them into your working day can give you a big boost. 

The first step is to identify what these are for you. What energizes one person is different from what energizes another. Ask yourself: “When are times recently that I have felt energized at work? In these situations, what was I doing?”  

Once you’re clear about your strengths, consider ways to build them into your day. Even half an hour of playing to your strengths can make a difference for the whole rest of the day. 

Start a “Reason of the Week” where you articulate what you are committed to do for the week. Remind yourself why you do what you do, and for whom. 

If you lead a team, this could be something that can be done collectively as well. Have everyone share why each of you are committed to doing their best work this week. Not only will people come up with innovative ideas – even more meaningfully – when these reasons are shared among peers, it also unifies the team while generating purpose-driven reasons to stay committed to the greater goals. 

Find ways to engage in meaningful connections in the workplace, which in turn enhances team creativity and create a more enjoyable work environment. 

Try a “walk and talk” with different colleagues to understand what is most important for them, their big opportunities and challenges as well as your own, and areas of mutual interest and value. This connection will not only bolster your own sense of energy, but also improve team results. 

Resilience is often equated with thriving, but it is actually an ingredient for thriving. Think of resilience as adaptability. It is the ability to see what’s going on and improvise, respond and solve problems.  

Remind yourself of your resilience: To start, describe one low point you’ve experienced at work. Then list two or three reasons why you’re grateful for that experience or describe something positive that’s come out of it.  

Try to reframe negative experiences this way as often as possible. Memories are powerful. If we reflect on them positively, we will feel better in the moment and predict a happier future. 

We all experience success and failures at work – and some days will be harder than others. While it is crucial to learn and grow from the disappointments, it is equally as important to recognise the accomplishments. Start by practicing gratitude with intention to avoid dwelling on the more challenging aspects of work. 

You can post sticky notes to visualise gratitude and positive thoughts. Reading and re-reading the notes of encouragement can be the perfect pick-me-up on those stressed-out days. 

A positive environment and helpful habits can create a more balanced lifestyle and improve our happiness inside and outside the workplace. Simple practices like these may help us prepare for and pursue joy in our season ahead — whatever it may hold.