Learn to Love Your With approximately one-third of our “It’s really hard for someone who looking for things you can control. It waking hours spent at work—and isn’t happy at work to be engaged,” may be as simple as switching to a another third presumably spent Shane says. “Engagement requires a different shift to work with a supervisor thinking about it—there’s no question good bit of positive emotion, so if you’re or co-workers you find more enjoyable that where, how and with whom we feeling a lot of negativity about your or taking on a task that you are good at wwork plays a significant role in our job, the chance of being engaged or find stimulating. overall well-being. goes down.” “And you have to start each day “Being happy at work is key to being Engagement, however, is about more deciding it’s going to be a good day,” happy in life,” notes Shane Lopez, than . It’s about being content Shane says. “Maybe you just start with Ph.D., Gallup senior scientist and with the work you’re doing and having a the morning, and say today is going to research director at Clifton Strengths sense of curiosity. The good news is, be a good morning. You’ll find that it Institute. “Lots of different domains in each of us has more say in our happiness bleeds over into your afternoon.” our life hinge on it. If that work domino at work than we might realize. doesn’t fall into place, it’s hard to make “You can tweak things like how you Take a Breath the most of your relationships or be your spend your time, who you’re spending it Not everyone believes that happiness best self. So you have to make sure with,” Shane says. That can include and work are compatible. In fact, for the you’re as happy as possible at work.” changing how your days are structured. 70 percent of employees who say they Gallup’s numbers show that only “If you go to work and do the tasks are dissatisfied or disengaged on the job, 30 percent of U.S. workers are truly you like and are good at first, it makes it the two may seem mutually exclusive. engaged and like their . Of those, a more doable to deal with the ‘ughs’ And even those who like what they do mere 1 percent claim to love their jobs. later. Take some control where you have often have challenges sustaining Of the other 70 percent, about 40 it, and cue up your day in a way that lets happiness in the . percent say they are not engaged at you make the most of it.” That’s what meditation expert and work, and 30 percent are actively For someone in a service industry or author Sharon Salzberg found when she disengaged. retail job, where the day tends to be launched a 28-day meditation challenge highly structured, Shane advises

Practicing PERMA PERMA is an acronym for the five elements (Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, Achievement) developed by Martin Seligman, Ph.D., that comprise authentic and sustained happiness and well-being. No one element defines well- being, but each contributes to it. Positive Emotions such as kindness, gratitude, hope and contentment are key to well-being both at work and in life. Engagement is about being totally absorbed (in the Believe it or not, you can turn flow) of a task where focus increases and time and self- consciousness seem to cease. the job you have into a job you love. Relationships are vital to flourishing. People who maintain strong, positive relationships are generally happier in life. We by Paula Felps are “social beings” who need to connect with one another. Meaning in life comes from serving something that is bigger than yourself. To have a sense of well-being, finding a purpose in life is essential. Altruism and philanthropy are good methods to establishing a meaningful life. Achievement is a sense of accomplishment. Having goals and meeting those goals improves your well-being and allows you to flourish.

Source: Martin Seligman, Ph.D., Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being

60 61 designed around her best-selling book, Kerry Hannon, author of Love Your to maximize that time, and it helps relax Sharon says. “Maybe it’s by respecting Real Happiness. Participants in the Job: The New Rules for Career Happiness, both your body and your mind. That and listening to customers. Maybe it’s challenge were encouraged to share and a columnist for The New York Times same approach can be used during developing a sense of excellence at what their experiences, and she was surprised and AARP’s Job Expert, agrees. contentious meetings or before a big you do, or choosing to treat people with to discover that “virtually everyone said “There are little things you can do to presentation and has a lasting effect. compassion. It’s never wrong to change the most difficult area to bring their fall in love with your job,” she says, Since breathing requires no special what you can, because you’re developing authenticity and happiness [to] was in adding that doesn’t mean you’re going equipment and can be done without a new strength that you’ll take with you the workplace. They represented a to love every minute of every day. “One others realizing what you’re doing, wherever you go.” wide variety of livelihoods, from an thing you can do is sign up for Kerry sees it as the perfect antidote to a Changing how you approach the job undercover police officer to a finance continuing education or professional stressful or unhappy situation. can make a huge difference in how you executive to a minister, but they all had development courses, because when you “If you feel like you’ve had a moment feel about it, and that change in mindset that in common.” start learning something, your brain [to yourself], it’s much like getting a is what saved Mary Miller’s business. The revelation led her to write Real starts working differently. You look at good night’s sleep,” she says. “You’re Mary knows that most people don’t Happiness at Work: Meditations for the world around you differently and get not as tired. You’re less overwhelmed. grow up dreaming of becoming janitors, Accomplishment, Achievement, and Peace, jazzed up again.” Using tools like concentration and but as CEO of Jancoa, a family-owned which uses mindfulness, compassion She also recommends posting mindfulness can help turn your workday commercial cleaning services company in and other forms of meditation to positive images in your workspace— into a creative exercise for finding Cincinnati, she depends on engaged improve one’s work life. She says people perhaps a photo from a favorite vacation your purpose.” and enthusiastic employees. In the can change their outlook on work—and or a place you look forward to visiting, mid-1990s, she and her husband, Tony, increase happiness and in or images of you with friends, pets or Working on Purpose began looking at ways to keep workers the process—by becoming more families in happy times. Not surprisingly, happiness is most happier in hopes of slashing their high mindful and present. “Whatever makes you happy is good. challenging in jobs where people feel rate. Well-Being at Work “Every job has its ups and downs, Post it in a place where you can turn they’ve lost a sense of purpose. Studies “We realized people’s purpose isn’t Gallup’s research shows that employees thriving in but the bottom line is always what you away from your computer and your from Gallup show that jobs are a prime just about the task they’re doing, it’s all five elements (purpose, social, financial, bring forth,” she says. “For a lot of phone and take a few moments to truly source of meaning in our lives, so about what they’re working for,” Mary community, and physical) of well-being: people, beginning a daily meditation stop and look at it. It will give you a new experts advise actively seeking meaning says. “What will they do with the money ✔are 43 percent more likely to volunteer practice that is as short as five minutes a view and help revive and center you.” and purpose in your job, regardless of they earn? Is it to give their family a ✔are 36 percent more likely to report a full recovery after an day can be life-changing. A lot of this is Like Sharon, Kerry is a firm believer what it is. better life? Travel? Spend more time illness, injury, or hardship about learning to take a breath, learning in taking a few minutes to catch one’s “Many people who don’t have the together? When people dream about what ✔are more than twice as likely to say they always adapt to have even a brief moment of renewal breath, both before the workday begins job of their dreams can still find they will do in the future, it changes what well to change during the day.” and once it’s going full throttle. Using meaning by the way they approach it,” they do today.” your commute to meditate, practice Based on that revelation, Mary and ✔miss 41 percent less work as a result of poor health breathing and center yourself is one way Tony developed the Dream Manager ✔are 81 percent less likely to seek a new employer in the next year program, which uses one-on-one coaching sessions to help employees identify their personal goals, then Source: Gallup provides support to help make those REMOVE THE TOXINS. Avoid engaging dreams come true. Whether that means Today, Mary often speaks to business in how you respond to each day’s events Make It Better in negative conversations, running a marathon, getting a college leaders and employees of major and challenges. and backbiting. degree, buying a home or even starting companies and about the “Every job is so much bigger than the Maybe you used to love your job, but the their own businesses, the program helps value of identifying and following their task you do, and remembering that, every thrill is gone. Or maybe you never felt VOLUNTEER. Doing something for much love for it to begin with. Regardless, someone else will make you more each worker create a plan, identify dreams. Even if a company doesn’t have day, changes the way you approach it,” there are many ways to improve things. grateful for your own situation. Many measurable goals and implement ways to such a program, she says employees can she says. That also makes it easier to let Kerry Hannon, author of the new book, companies offer volunteer opportunities, FOCUS ON THE POSITIVE. Keep a reach them. Jancoa’s employee turnover improve their lives by doing many of the go of the daily drama in the workplace Love Your Job: The New Rules for Career or you can look for a cause you feel work journal, and each day write down rate is now more than 300 percent better same things—identifying goals and and remain focused on the big picture. Happiness, columnist for The New York particularly passionate about. one thing you did well or that went than the industry average, and they creating a plan to reach them. She knows “That brings more positivity and more right. It will make for great reading Times and AARP’s Job Expert, offers the LEARN. Keeping your brain stimulated haven’t had to run a “help wanted” ad in of co-workers and even church groups value to your life,” she says. “You can on days when you’re feeling down. following tips: can help improve your feelings about your years. Their innovative approach became that have used those principles to create choose to make each day fun and TAKE A MOMENT; TAKE A BREATH. job. Don’t have time for a class after work? LAUGH. Gallup polls show that the topic of the book The Dream Manager their own ad-hoc “dream teams” to help meaningful. You may not be able to Mindfulness and other forms of meditation Set Google alerts for your area of work so people who laugh and smile are more by Matthew Kelly and has been identify and reach their goals. Mary says control what is going on around you, but have been found to be extremely effective you can keep up with industry trends. engaged at work. implemented by companies around that remembering what you’re working you can choose to enjoy what you’re doing

in helping relieve stress and can change It may give you new ideas for innovating PHOTOGRAPH: OPPOSITE, STEVE DEBENPORT/GETTY IMAGES the globe. for can make a tremendous difference and remember why you’re doing it.” the way you feel about your situation. on the job.

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