Four Habits of Happy Office People

This piece on Inc. put a spring in our step! While you can't account for your colleagues' behavior when they're in bad moods, you can account for your own. Considering you'll frequently get back what you give, imagine smiling at someone as you walk down the hall instead of scowling at them. Per the piece, here are a few ways to boost that happiness quotient at work. 1. Talk to someone before logging on. As soon as we check email, let's face it -- we quickly get sucked into the day. The piece mentions, "Remember that 'going digital' right away means you are tuning out the actual human beings who sit around you or across the hall." If you truly want to boost joy into your day, interact with humans before checking messages. The piece adds, "You'll be surprised how your mood changes when you don't just rush into the digital realm." 2. Bring a colleague some fresh coffee. An act of kindness won't go unnoticed and it's kind of self-serving only because it will help you feel happier, too. Even when it's something as simple as grabbing some java or being thoughtful in taking an extra water bottle from a meeting that ended, your mood can instantly change. And by exuding kindness, you're encouraging happiness! That happiness, in turn, becomes contagious. Whether or not that colleague returns the favor toward you, chances are he or she will bestow some goodness on someone's day in one form or another. 3. Work really hard and then focus on relationships. Here's the thing -- if you focus on a deadline or intense project, give yourself time to exhale. When you exhale, take time to talk to other people. The piece suggests, "Then you will have time to refresh a little, chat with other employees about project plans, maybe even grab a dust cloth and clean up the corner meeting space for everyone else. It will create a feeling of well-being." 4. Smile first, then speak. This pointer really resonates mainly because smiling is contagious, too. You may feel a little cheesy at first but before you speak at a meeting or even on a conference call, flash those pearly whites! Get into the habit of smiling, pausing and then speaking to "convey your mood with a genuine smile, then relay the information."

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Four Habits of Happy Office People

Vicki Salemi

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Vicki Salemi