3 key ingredients for a happier professional life

Work can be a drain if you let it be

Owning your own business or holding down a leadership role at an organization takes a toll on your life. It’s easy to get so focused on your bottom line that you forget to enjoy life. Between juggling clients, inventory, and employees, you lose your joie de vivre.

If you’re struggling to find happiness, don’t quit your day job. Make different choices to change how you look at your life. Start by making time every day to make three connections.

• Take just a few minutes during the work day to talk to one of your employees, vendors, or clients. Ask about something outside of work or complement them on their hard work. Make sure you engage with them. Listen so that you remember what they said. The next time you have the opportunity, follow up. Employees and customers want to know that they’re valued.
• Make it a point to have time with family or friends every day. Stash the phone and laptop and give them your undivided attention. You need this as much as they do. It benefits your relationships. Do something you both enjoy. Play basketball, read a book together, or just hang out in the dog park. The activity isn’t as important as the time together.
• Once a day, mono-task. Drink a cup of coffee, vegan smoothie, or mint julep and do nothing else. Only for 15 minutes. Spend time with yourself, without the hustle and bustle of everything going on in the office. Think about what’s right in your life. Dream. Complement yourself on the things you’ve done that worked. If you’re the boss, you may need to be your own cheerleader.

You don’t have to be the boss to implement these changes in your life. Reaching out to those around you enhances your relationships. Herman Melville said, “We cannot live only for ourselves.” Connecting to those in your life increases your happiness. When you share gratitude and accomplishments, it decreases your stress and improves your immune system.

Positive social interaction promotes cooperation. Encouraging your employees and customers gives them a reason to stay loyal to your brand. More importantly, you look past your bottom line and see the people that you’re benefitting with your product or service. When you’re down, it’s those smiles and relationships that lift you up.