Have you ever wondered how to make your workplace a better place to work? Maybe you felt it isn’t up to you as an individual? Or that there is no point?  

Well, my optimistic view is of course that each one of us has the potential to impact our environment and the people around us. In fact, whether we want to or not we impact our environment. Becoming aware of this simple fact is where things start to improve.   

Be the change you want to see

Have you ever met someone that makes you feel good the minute they walk in the room with their big smile and loud laugh? On the opposite, have you ever met someone who drains all your energy within minutes of saying hi? Yes, that’s called an energy vampire and you know exactly who I mean!

Who would you rather be? On this blog, we take actions. So if you have enough of the low energy at work, bring it up!

“Be the change you want to see” wasn’t from Gandhi but could have been. I want to take this a step further. Be the change you want to see in your workplace.

He said it better than me

I just had to include this cheesy but still beautiful and relevant song. Michael made my point better than I can: “if you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make that change.”

My hacks to make your workplace a better place           

Now that you agree that it starts with you, there are so many things you can do to make your workplace a better place to work.

The basics

1. If we all made an effort, the workplace would be better
2. Good mood is contagious (warning, so is bad mood)
3. Check yourself and bring a smile to work  
4. Shake off low vibes before you walk into work or pick up the phone to speak to a colleague
5. Take a break. Allow yourself to relax and have a chat with a colleague. Who could be making their day without knowing it  
6. Take an interest in your colleagues’ life. Not a creepy way, just pay attention to what they say.  

The more advanced

What are your values in life, generally? What do you stand for? Are you living your values at work?

If you could be 100% congruent between home and work and bring to work your own values, you might look at your workplace differently. Personally, I value health, integrity, respect, communication, collaboration, and helping others (these are just the ones that are relevant for work).

By trying to live my values at work, I perform better (especially as the company I work for values the same) and I contribute to a healthier environment. I feel better within myself because I am aligned with my values which improves my happiness and wellbeing.

If we all did the same, we would make our workplaces much nicer places to be.

Try these simple hacks and let me know how you get on

What hack do you use to bring the energy up at work? What works for you? I’d love to hear your stories. Let me know in the comments.

Further resources

The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology that Fuel Success and Performance at Work by Shawn Achor

This article is part of the series Happier At Work, which you can find here.

And remember, happiness is a choice, and you are in charge!