Tips to stay satisfied in the workplace

We simply need to be the best we can be in the work that we do, and help others when opportunities present themselves.

by Dawn M. Staszak — 

There are plenty of books on the market that can advise us about how to find the right and perfect work. But what if we are already doing it? What if we are happy being an administrative assistant, accountant or marketing manager? What comes next?

My answer is: We express our divine selves right where we are — in the workplace. We simply need to be the best we can be in the work that we do, and help others when opportunities present themselves.

Specifically, you know you are in that place of contentment when you no longer feel the need to be someone you are not or do something other than what you are doing right now. Unfortunately, in certain circles, contentment can be confused with laziness. Let us not make that mistake here.

With love and peace in your heart, you will always find work and good to be done in the world, versus the stress of “keeping up with the Joneses” or climbing the corporate ladder. Accomplishment is only truly found when you decide it is. What a shame that there are Olympic gold medalists, for example, who do not feel a sense of satisfaction with one or even two gold medals. What a shame that people who win millions in the lottery feel the need to continue playing over and over again. When is enough truly enough?

We are not speaking of the mailroom clerk who dreams of becoming a manager — that is a valid and accomplishable goal in which education and hard work are applied. Rather, we are speaking of the general idea of reaching the point of contentment and happiness, and being able to maintain that feeling.

If you are fortunate enough to have found contentment, here are some keys to consistently maintaining a level of happiness in the workplace.

Take your lunch

Use lunchtime to read inspirational/self-help books, do some journaling or go for a walk. Better yet, take advantage of sunny days and do these things outside on a bench or patio, if available. Do not worry about what your co-workers will think. In fact, face away from the building. This is healthy for the same reason taking breaks is important: because we all need time to ourselves to recharge our batteries and find balance.

Do not take it personally

Unless you are going out of your way to be mean, know that other people’s reactions are up to them. For example, if you ask your otherwise level-headed and pleasant boss what day he will be out of the office next week, and he snaps at you for no reason, do not take it personally. Most likely, he is under a lot of stress which has little or nothing to do with you.

Of course, stress does not excuse rude behavior, and if this is the way your boss constantly treats you, you should speak to your human resources representative. Yet if this is just a one-time incident and you sit waiting for an apology, chances are you will not get it. If you do not take it personally, you will not feel offended and, therefore, will not need an apology.

On the other hand, there are those who always find something to take offense at, even if it is not something as obvious as an angry tone. It could be that she did not like someone’s response to an e-mail. So, not only should you not take certain things personally, but definitely do not be that person who takes everything personally. Choose your battles wisely.

Decompressing

A good way to decompress after the workday is to listen to an inspirational or motivational audio seminar. Especially interesting speakers include Tony Robbins, Robert Stuberg, Gregg Braden, Wayne Dyer and Louise Hay. Their CDs can be found at Amazon.com, Nightingale Conant, One Spirit or the authors’ Web sites.

These work because your mind is still spinning in “work mode” — you are still in a problem-solving state-of-mind. By listening to someone speak while your mind is still focused enough to pay attention, you can direct it to something positive and productive.

However long your commute is, if you spend it connecting to teachers who enrich you, you will feel motivated and unraveled from office concerns by the time you get home. The alternative is getting in your car, turning on the radio and listening to the news or some other background noise while your mind is still rehashing the day’s events and worrying about what you did not get done.

If you have a family, inspirational recordings are a terrific sanity-saver as well, because you will already be decompressed by the time you get home, and you will be fully present for your loved ones.

I am a person who needs time to myself after I get home, yet it rarely happens because I choose to tend to the needs of my husband and baby. On days when I do not find some way to decompress in the car, I can become an emotional wreck by the end of the evening. Do not let this happen to you. Use your commuting time to reconnect with Spirit. It can do wonders for your mood.

Einstein said, “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is.”

We cannot control every detail of our lives, and we certainly cannot control our bosses, clients or coworkers. However, the one thing we can control is our minds. What we think affects how we feel. Finding happiness in the workplace is mostly an inside job. When and where you find it is ultimately up to you.

Dawn M. Staszak has worked in commercial and nonprofit, large and small companies for over 19 years. She is the author of A Guru in the Office: 50 Ways to Remember Your Spirit in the Corporate World. 866-534-3366, publish@realityisbooks.com or www.guruintheoffice.com.

Reprinted from AzNetNews, Volume 29, Number 5, Oct/Nov 2010.