How to Be Happier at Work: Experts Share Keys to Greater Work-Life Balance
From busting boredom to banishing burnout, career pros reveal easy ways to spark joy on the job
Whether your goals don’t align with your workplace or you feel like your talents are being overlooked, there are plenty of reasons to be disenchanted with your job. No wonder more than 45 percent of Americans are unhappy at work. With that sobering stat in mind, we asked experts for simple ways to find greater fulfillment at your current job—as well as the simple steps you can take to forge an exciting new path.
Pinpoint five key facets
There are a handful of puzzle pieces that need to be aligned for us to be fulfilled at work, says career and life coach Donna Sweidan. The first is your values, from creativity to flexibility: Do they jibe with your workplace culture? Next is life goals: Where do you see yourself living in five years? How much longer do you want to work before you retire? The third puzzle piece is skills: Do you feel stymied and want to grow? Number four is interests: Simply put, does your job speak to your passions? Last is personality style: Do you work better alone or as part of a team? Says Sweidan, “Once you pinpoint the genesis of your disenchantment, you’ll know what to change.”
Take one small step
“When people tell me they hate their job, it usually comes down to boredom,” says Kerry Hannon, nationally recognized expert, spokesperson and strategist on career transitions and author of In Control at 50+: How to Succeed in the New World of Work. She advises focusing on one small tweak. “This might be enrolling in an online class, or asking to be part of a professional development program. Learning new things can be an elixir to help you reset and add valuable skills.”
Woman's World Answers
‘Recruit’ higher-ups
If work-life balance has become a problem, determine if you’re able to set a few boundaries and delegate or share tasks. Try to recruit a higher-up to help you meet these goals, suggests Sweidan. “For example, if a coworker is making your job difficult, you might tell your manager: ‘My work relationship with X is impeding my ability to get things done. What do you suggest we do?’” Using the word “we” is key. It creates a collaborative approach that increases the odds of your success.
Find more fulfilling work
If you decide that it is indeed time to move on from your job, “network with people above you in companies you’re interested in,” says career coach Peggy McKee, author of Finding a Job Fast Using a 30 / 60 / 90 Day Plan. “It really helps to find a hiring manager on LinkedIn and reach out directly by writing, ‘I think I’d excel in X role, and I’d like to chat with you.’” Other online resources, for everything from free résumé templates to interview advice to fresh-start strategies for your second act, include Job-Hunt and Retired Brains.
Add stats to your resume
Ditch clichés like successfully, results-oriented and proven track record. Instead, use quantifiable examples—numbers, dollars and percentages—in your cover letter, says McKee. “If you’re a writer, for example, you might say your article reached X subscribers, or if you’re an office manager, include that you managed Y number of invoices.”
Tap micro credentials
“The trend today and going forward is a focus on transferable skills as opposed to one’s career history,” reveals Sweidan. She encourages taking online classes through Massive Open Online Courses to earn micro credentials. “Resources such as Coursera, edX, Udemy and LinkedIn Learning, offer everything from certificates in Excel to courses in artificial intelligence (AI) for a negligible cost,” she says. “There’s a constant demand for new skills.”
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