20 tips for a happier work life

In our last webinar, Nomensa’s Principal UX Consultant Luiza Frederico hosted a webinar on ’20 tips for a happier work life’. In this blog, we’ll take you through Luiza’s tips which vary from workload management to personal confidence and everything in between.

At Nomensa, our leadership team are committed to creating a culture of happiness. We understand that people spend so much time at work, so it should be fun and rewarding. We hope you find Luiza’s tips helpful and that they help you to be happier at work.

Workload

Tip 1: Learn to say no

Now, this may seem obvious, but so many people around us struggle with this concept. Understandably, it can be particularly hard when you are a junior member within a team and someone senior asks something of you. You don’t want to say no but understand what you can and cannot push back on. Otherwise, you may risk putting too much on your plate, which can result in you not doing a job right or delivering work under your normal standard.

Don’t feel guilty, just learn to be realistic with yourself and the workload you can efficiently take on.

Tip 2: Sometimes you have to compromise

Linked to the previous tip; when you do say no to something and you are feeling that push and pressure, you may need to have that frank conversation that involves you asking yourself ‘where is the compromise going to happen?’ Something has to ‘give’, and in the broad scheme of things, you will not be happy if you are trying to achieve the impossible and failing whilst trying to do so.

These conversations tend to happen around the planning stage; trying to balance out how you can do the best within the time you are given. Ultimately you cannot have it all and once you come to terms with this, you can go forward and plan realistically. This gives you a higher chance of meeting not only your own expectations, but also your clients.

Tip 3: Turn on the f$ck it button

A personal favourite of Luiza’s after a rather stressful time at her previous job. Her Mum’s advice: “turn on the ‘f*** it’ button”. This is something you switch on when something is out of your control and/or causing you to stress out. Pressing this ‘button’ does not mean you do not care about your job. it just simply means you are taking care of your mind and improving your ability to deal with problems and challenges; knowing what to stress out about and what not to stress out about is an important skill when talking about taking control of your own happiness.

Communication

Tip 4: Say what is on your mind

No one is a mind reader; you cannot expect others to understand how you are feeling if you do not communicate. Say what is on your mind, this means being clear, open and honest. It is the same when asking for help, it is okay to be vulnerable and you should not be ashamed. Vulnerability does not mean incompetence and you will see that expressing your feelings can be a very powerful skill in leveraging your team and team support.

Tip 5: Be assertive

Luiza describes this as one of her main themes for growth in her personal and professional life. She has learnt that being assertive does not mean being rude or barging your way through, but rather speaking up with confidence and being heard at the right time. Sometimes a situation calls for us to hold back on over accommodating, it is not wrong for us to respectfully hold our ground.

Tip 6: Have courage

Have you ever been on a phone call, and someone has used a term that you do not understand? You feel silly for not knowing, so you keep quiet? Then, a ‘hero’ speaks up and asks the questions you were going to ask. You can be that ‘hero’, the person who helps clarify a situation for others. Don’t assume someone knows everything, a basic question to some may not be so very basic to others. No matter how simple, it is important to ask questions. Practise this and you also practise shedding your ego.

Relationships

Tip 7: Really get to know your colleagues and clients

We are social animals, so it is important that we are open and get to know our clients and colleagues as people. By understanding one another, we can get the best out of each other. You may have heard of the phrase ‘treat people the way you would want to be treated’. We should focus more on treating people the way *they* want to be treated.

Tip 8: It’s just a job

It’s good to know everyone on a personal level as people are so much more than their jobs and roles. This includes you. Connect with your team and the individuals who you work with on a weekly basis – and have fun! When things become a little stressful and consuming, it is important to remember ‘it’s just a job’. If you had to list down the most important parts of your life right now, you would probably find that your job doesn’t even make top three. Ultimately, nothing is worth sacrificing your health or personal relationships over.

Tip 9: Do good for others

Simply making others feel good, makes you feel good. Research shows that when you do something of a generous nature, it has big mood boosting benefits on the brain. This can come in many different forms – from offering someone a cup of tea or lunch when they are too busy at their desk or offering to stay behind one evening when someone is trying to meet a deadline. Maybe just complementing someone and giving out positive comments, as this can raise others confidence. Do good and share good.