What Makes Me Happy at Work? The 5 Most Important Factors For Work Happiness

When does a job actually make me happy? If you're looking for a clear answer to this question, you've come to the right place! Few things make us as unhappy as unemployment. In principle, work has the potential to make us happy. But unfortunately, many people are stuck in a job that doesn't fulfill their individual needs at all. And this, of course, increases dissatisfaction in the workplace.

I think we can all agree that life is too short for a bad job! We spend over 39 years on average earning a living. As our job is such a big part of our lives, it clearly plays a crucial role in our personal happiness. So it's time to take your happiness at work into your own hands!

In this article, I would therefore like to introduce you to the most important factors for feelings of happiness at work that you can use in a targeted manner. I'll also explain why they are so valuable for you! Let's go!

Advantages: Why is it important to be happy at work?

People who enjoy going to work and are happy and satisfied in their company benefit from valuable, motivating benefits. I would like to briefly introduce them to you here:

• Increased productivity and creativity
• Improved working relationships
• Increased quality of work
• Better Work-life balance
• Promotion of physical and mental health
• Greater life satisfaction

Happiness at work therefore has a positive impact on both your personal and professional development - and boosts your Quality of life. And, of course, this also brings advantages for employers, so that everyone benefits together.

5 factors: What determines whether my job makes me happy?

Practically all of us would naturally like to pursue our dream job. For some, this means a Easy to perform and well-paid work. Others hope that a moment of deep self-awareness will lead to their true passion and then earn their money with it. Others are passionate about using their work to have a positive impact on the world around them.

So is your personal dream job as unique as you are? Or are there specific characteristics that would make most of us happy at work? What exactly has to happen for a sentence like "I love my job!" comes over the lips?

Over the last few decades, a number of psychologists have pounced on these questions and thoroughly researched their answers. With success! They have come up with Five essential factors have come across. Check them carefully to find out whether your job really makes you happy and where potential for even more happiness and satisfaction lies dormant.

1. your work challenges you

Extensive studies prove that your actual happiness at work depends only to a limited extent on your income or your status in the company. What really makes the difference is what you do at work, day after day, hour after hour.

Is your job like this boringthat you regularly drift off with your thoughts or do you rather get the feeling at work that you are completely lost? be absorbed in your work and forget everything around you?

The latter is also known as Flow state. It describes a kind of rush of activity in which you experience intense feelings of happiness when completing a task that is right for you. As a result, you are automatically happier with your job.

Working in the flow

But how do you recognize that you can easily experience a state of flow in your job? Here are a few features work that "promotes flow":

1. You have a certain level of Freedomto decide how you do your work.
2. The beginning and the end of a task is clearly defined.
3. You have Variety in your activity.
4. You get clear feedbackwhich shows you how successful you are in carrying out your work.
5. Your work doesn't overwhelm you, but it's not so easy that it bores you either. 

Think of it like climbing a mountain: If the mountain is too flat, the climb bores you. If it's too steep, it frustrates you. To get into the flow state, the mountain has to be steep enough to challenge your abilities without overtaxing them. In this way, you get closer to your goal and feel competent enough to reach it.

Applied to your work, this means that your A sense of achievement doing your job and that Feeling of making progress with your work are crucial for stimulating and happy work. The prerequisite for a sense of achievement in your job is, in turn, that you master your job.

2. you are good at your job

Being good at your job gives you the Feeling of success, competence and security. These are things that psychological happiness research considers to be the main components of a happy life.

It also improves your prospects of fulfilling other factors of a fulfilling job. Because if you do your job well, you will, for example, receive a lot of are more likely to have the opportunity to work on exciting projectsto get stimulating and interesting work assignments or to organize your job more freely.

If others appreciate your work, you are also in a very good position to ask for Improved working conditions to ask.

That's why your skills in a job are at least as important as your interest in it. This does not mean that you should only ever do the job you are already good at. But you should at least Have the potential to do well in the job.

3. you have a supportive work environment

Even if your work takes you from one flow state to the next and you celebrate masses of successes, the whole thing will be a bitter aftertaste if you don't get along with the other people at your workplace.

Since good interpersonal relationships are an important part of a fulfilling life, it is essential for a happy job important to maintain a good relationship with your colleagues.

Of course, you don't have to love them all! However, if you do get on really well with at least some of themthis will create a much happier framework for your work.

We generally like people who are more like ourselves. Or those who are like we would like to be. So do your work colleagues zu you suitable Values and philosophies of lifeThe likelihood that you will find each other likeable also increases.

However, at least as important as sympathy is the Mutual support! According to studies, whether your colleagues help you when you have difficulties at work may even be the most important factor for job satisfaction.

4. you have the right framework

For your job to make you happy, it should of course meet your Meeting basic needs. But although all of the following points seem pretty obvious, they are often overlooked - with negative consequences for your job satisfaction. So here are a few things you should definitely keep in mind!

Reasonable working hours

Very long working hours can mean that you neglect important areas of your private life. Too little Time for yourselfyour family, friends, relationship partners and hobbies can throw your life out of balance.

If you also get the impression that your job conflicts with your private life due to long working hours, you will probably consider it a less fulfilling feel. On the other hand, if your job is easily compatible with your private life, this automatically means greater job satisfaction.

Security of your workplace

A secure job is one of many key characteristics of attractive employers! It is clear that with higher job insecurity people experience less satisfaction in their work.

If you permanently Are afraid of losing your jobthe resulting stress will affect you significantly. Not only can your performance suffer, but also how happy you are with your job.

Fair salary

If you earn less money than you think you actually "deserve", it is highly likely that your job satisfaction will also suffer. And if, for example, people who do the same or a similar job as you earn even more, you will even feel Treated unfairly feel.

Therefore, always make sure that Appropriate remuneration including special paymentssuch as capital-forming benefits, Christmas bonuses or other financial employee benefits.

5. you work for more than your paycheck

In my opinion, the most important driver of happiness in the workplace is definitely the Added valuethat you generate through your own work.

We humans want to experience our lives as meaningful and significant. If you create social or ecological added value with your work, for example, you are contributing to something bigger than yourself. This makes you feel part of a larger whole, which can give your life exactly this meaning and significance.

Other Help peoplefor example, is a key component of a fulfilling working life. After all, it is noticeably good for the soul to feel gratitude. Accordingly, your Helpfulness and the impact of your job also affect your chances of being happy in your job.

Personally, I am also happy in my job becausebecause I help people to create a more sustainable life to lead. And because I am also helping to protect the environment.

Find a job now that really makes you happy!

To be happy in your job, do something that makes a positive contribution to the world. If you also good at your job and others see your work as valuable, many career opportunities will open up to you, helping you to find your dream job more quickly. In addition, varied, fulfilling tasks, a supportive team and fair working conditions will make you feel happy.

But how do you find a job with added value that makes you happy? Just look directly into the sustainable job portal at CareElite! There you can see suitable job advertisements at a glance.

Whether you want to help people, play an active role in shaping society or work in a sustainable company, you can use the filter functions available here to search for a specific job. a suitable and sustainable job for you search

"Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life."

Confucius (more at famous quotes)

I very much hope that I have been able to help and inspire you. Do you have any questions, tips or your own experiences with happiness at work? Then I look forward to your comments under this article.

Stay committed and positive,

PS: In my Blog about sustainable working you will find more valuable tips for a happy life. For example, use the Tips for more energy in everyday lifeto be more alert, more successful and more productive, both professionally and privately. to become more concentrated and.