1 in 5 UK adults are unhappy in their job – top tips to help change this
According to Wrike’s Happiness Index of 4,000 workers in the US, UK, Germany and France 19% of workers in the UK are unhappy.
As a specialist HR Career Coach and having worked in the HR industry and spending large parts of my own career looking at what makes people happiest in the workplace, I thought I’d share some of my tips on how you can become happier and more fulfilled in your job. For more information on Career coaching please contact me through www.jvcareercoach.co.uk .
1. Make sure you have a development plan in place. Many organisataions will have this set up already as part of an annual appraisal. Even if there isn’t a formal process it’s easy to start your own one. This doesn’t have to mean attending a formal training course but great if it does. This is about other ways to develop yourself, from job swapping, secondments, to volunteering to work on different or new projects that you find interesting. Always have one or two things that you are working towards at any one time to help maintain interest and work fulfilment.
2. Take time out for yourself, make sure you take a lunch break. Get some fresh air and exercise. Research shows that doing even half an hour of exercise a day reduces stress levels and anxiety, decreases certain cancer risks, prevents diabetes (especially after eating) and helps you feel refreshed for the afternoon.
3. Take on a voluntary passion project. There are many organisations that really need volunteers. Some of the benefits include helping to connect with others, helping to advance your career, providing you with free training and bringing a deeper sense of fulfilment. Why not contact the National Council for Social Service https://www.ncvo.org.uk/ or the Princes Trust https://www.princes-trust.org.uk/. There are many organisations that would benefit from even one or two hours a weeks of your time.
4. Talk to your manager, job role responsibilities. If you feel that you want to stay in your role but need more of a challenge or a change, talk to your manager if you are able to. Perhaps there could be additional or different projects that you could work on. Many organisations need to think about succession planning as well, so be proactive and think about what role you could do next.
5. Flexible working request. If you have a long commute to work consider requesting to work one or two days from home or think about a compressed working week. All employees are entitled to request flexible working (with a minimum of 26 weeks service). Your employer can decline the application but it would have to be for a business reason only. For more information on this please go to http://www.acas.org.uk/.
6. Think about your own interests and values. If you have tried all of these tips already or think it’s time for a change of career, before you leave, think carefully about your own values and interests. What kind of role would you be interested in doing if there were no boundaries at all? Think back to when you were in education, summer jobs, voluntary roles and then consider your hobbies and interests. Use this for inspiration to help guide you to your next role. For further coaching and guidance on this please get in touch with www.jvcareercoach.co.uk.
As a Career coach with over 18 years HR professional experience, JV Career Coaching can work with you through tailored exercises to explore what it really is you want to do next to make you feel happier in your work. We spend a large majority of our lives at work so it’s really important to ensure you are doing something you really love.