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7 Tips to Achieve a Happy, Meaningful Work-Life Balance

How to have a more positive, happy, and balanced environment at work

By Alexandra SousaPublished 2 years ago 5 min read
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Photo by Sean Stratton on Unsplash

1. Do what you love

I know, it seems obvious but you would be surprised by the number of people that hate their jobs. All the memes about it, the hate for Mondays… it is no brainer that most people live a miserable life by working on companies or areas they hate. Why? Mostly because of the money. But is money everything? I am a leader for the past 11 years and I had several coworkers who hated their job, and you know what I did? Helped them find a new one! We spend so many hours of our life working that is essential to find a place where we feel appreciated and happy. I myself, changed work several times in order to find the place that met my criteria. And you want to know one thing? By changing, you can reach a higher salary that, otherwise, you won’t be able to reach by staying in the same company. Do it for you and your well-being. And the rest will come.

Mondays don’t suck. Your job does.

2. Respect the working hours

Assuming you found a good place to work, don’t ruin it by burning yourself down. It is fundamental to respect your hour so you can rest and have a balanced life for your family, friends, and even more important, you! Those days of coming earlier and staying late to have a better image of a perfect worker are dead and buried. That now shows us that, if you need to do more hours, is one of the following reasons:

- You don’t know how to effectively manage your time;

- You have more work to do than the available hours;

- You just want to look good and it’s a facade.

The first one, you can work and learn time management. The second one, you should talk to your superior and define what are the priorities that you should be working on and delegate the rest. The last one, it is just sad these days. Please, stop it. Now.

Be the example of respecting the working hours and get your job well done. Don’t reach for perfection (it is a utopia) and be more productive those hours you do work. Because, more than that, you will do a bad job and end up burnout.

3. Create a positive work environment

If you start talking to your coworkers with enthusiasm and positive energy, you will start to notice a big difference. That mindset will be contagious. And, no matter if something is complex or difficult, it will be a lot easier to overcome. Start by smiling and creating enjoyable moments for your team and their guard will slowly come down and the overall environment will get a lot better and uplifting. You will become the person to go to because positive energy attracts more positive energy.

The universe gives back what you give out

4. Give compliments on a regular basis

When was the last time that you gave a compliment to a coworker? For a job well done, a great idea, or even the right posture before a different obstacle? The best way to make sure that everyone feels appreciated is by giving them real, honest compliments and praising their good work and positive attitudes. You are not just making them feel good but giving positive incentives for them to continue to do it.

Brains, like hearts, go where they are appreciated.

5. Have a real interest in other people's lives

You notice that a coworker’s voice is different. What do you do? Don’t think about it and move on or do you send a message asking if they are ok? If you choose the last one, you get it!! 😊 Having a real and genuine interest in your coworkers' lives and well-being is gonna create a conscious culture that is aware of them as human beings and not just workers! If they are sick, offer to help, suggest they take the rest of the day off, and ask the other day if they feel better. Ask how their kids are doing in school. You know the drill by now. Just care! If they know you care, they will feel safe and be happier and more productive.

6. Use your vacation days

You love your job, respect the working hours, create a positive environment, and have around you appreciated and caring coworkers. So, it’s time to use your vacation days! Even if the statement above has not been reached yet. Don’t let yourself reach that point where you say “Oh boy, I really, really need some vacations!” because when you do that, it is already too late. It means that you are mentally exhausted and probably haven’t been much productive or positive. It is essential to take breaks from work so you can perform at the highest level! Rest your mind and body so you have the strengths to do your job better and have creative ways of problem-solving.

7. Create positive moments in your team

Last but not the least 🙂

A good way of keeping a positive work environment is to create positive moments in your team. I have one team, that after they do the Scrum Daily Meeting, they have the “song of the day” where they share a song and engage in relaxed conversations that guarantee them a positive mindset for the rest of the day. You can do a (remote or not) team-building. Or take cookies to the office. or even, do a game of Pictionary online. The options are limitless. So, give these “treats” to generate a positive and balanced work environment because if you only talk about work, it is not going to be very positive.

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I hope these tips were helpful and you can start practicing a more positive, happy, and balanced work environment! Treat your coworkers like humans, not robots. And then, you will really find that the only thing that matters, is people. They make the company so if they are happy and healthy, the company will be as well.

Have a wonderful day 😄

Alexandra Sousa

advicegoalshappinesshealingself helpsuccess
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About the Creator

Alexandra Sousa

Agile Coach, Entrepreneur, Animal Lover, Humanitarian & “Make a World a Better Place” Enthusiast

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