Do you jump out of bed on a Monday morning delighted to be going to work because you love your job so much? Do you find yourself wishing the weekend would just hurry on by so you can clock back in asap?
No? Nor do most of us.
A large majority of people associate work with some stress, unhappiness and even anxiety.
What's tricky about this is that we spend such a lot of our time at work that it’s impossible to separate how we feel whilst working from our overall wellbeing.
This is why it’s imperative that we do whatever we can to feel better when we work.
The good news is that we don’t have to leave our jobs immediately and search for something that makes us 100% fulfilled and happy with no stress attached. As far as I know, this job doesn't exist, for anyone.
I myself tried. I left my stressful job in marketing in London and now live by the beach in Spain working as a therapist and mindfulness coach.
Even though the changes I’ve made have definitely made my life more fulfilled and less stressful, it has still been very hard at times. Different worries and stresses appeared in the place of the old ones.
In fact the biggest changes I’ve made that have improved my wellbeing have been through the work I’ve done on myself and the ways that I handle my stresses and worries.
In the way I create my own fulfilment from within rather than through depending on external factors.
Neuroscientists say, 'what fires together wires together’. What this means is that when we repeat the same mental habits over and over, we are more likely to repeat those experiences in our brains.
For example, when we practice worry and stress over and over, we are more likely to become worried and stressed. Whereas if we practice gratitude and mindfulness, we are more likely to become happy and relaxed.
A shift in perception and ways of handling challenges at work can mean that you can increase your wellbeing without having to make any major changes.
Here are three simple practices that you can implement starting today to set you on the right path.
1: Make a list of three good things that happened in your day.
This can be anything from a positive exchange with a colleague, a piece of work you felt proud of or even something tasty you ate for lunch.
2: Perform one random act of kindness.
A huge amount of research shows that performing acts of kindness makes people feel happier. The bonus is that the receiver of the act might benefit too.
3: Mini mindfulness practices.
You don’t have to wait to establish a regular meditation practice to begin to benefit from mindfulness while you work. Just by pausing, noticing and bringing your attention to the present, you can completely change your day. Try the three minute practice below three times a day and see what happens.
Perhaps you could be jumping out of bed to go to work on a Monday after all.
How to get a better job, without changing jobs