Work and Happiness

There are actually people who are completely convinced that work and happiness are opposites. They believe that if you want to be happy, you shouldn't work, and if you work, you cannot be happy at the same time. And I admit that sometimes it is not easy to find happiness in work. **Factors Inhibiting Happiness** There are now regular studies that clearly show what troubles us most at work and why we find it so difficult to like our work. Often, it is the leaders who take away people's joy in their work. For example, they are accused of not having an eye for their employees, not giving them enough recognition for their achievements. That's why Reinhard Sprenger wrote in his book "Myth of Motivation": "Nothing demotivates as thoroughly as the social incompetence of the immediate superior." But of course, this is by no means all that makes life difficult for employees. They not only miss appreciation, but also many other things: the loyalty of their employer, a good working atmosphere, the meaning of their work, etc. The well-known Gallup Engagement Study therefore regularly shows that only about 15% of employees have a high emotional attachment to their workplace and employer. **Joy in Work and Motivation - Despite Everything** There is absolutely no doubt that many of us have every reason to complain about our work. But what good does that do? Complaining and focusing on all the unsatisfactory aspects only harms ourselves even more. It is bad enough that the conditions leave much to be desired. We should not additionally torture ourselves by fixating on all the negativity we encounter at work. In the end, we all want the same thing: a fulfilling and happy life. If we focus on our dissatisfaction, we only make it worse. Because what our mind occupies itself with will grow. It will take up more and more space in our thoughts and feelings. That's why it's so important that we do not concentrate on the shortcomings, but on our possibilities to be happy despite everything. Joy in work is fundamentally possible, but it does not always come naturally. We must ensure ourselves that work becomes enjoyable again. **Making a Decision** It's not about pretending that everything is fine. My recommendation is not to sugarcoat the situation at work. Rather, I recommend not focusing unilaterally on all the negative and unsatisfactory aspects. Especially since it is not in our power to eliminate every annoyance. My recommendation is rather: sharpen your focus on the good that is there. Decide to take your happiness into your own hands and create happy moments at work - even though you could just as well complain about some things and be unhappy about them. Just don't give the negative factors so much power over you thoughtlessly! **Knowing How It Works** To be able to feel happy, there is no need for any fortunate circumstances. Happiness is self-made. But in order to achieve this, it is important to know something about the nature of being happy. Two things seem particularly important to me here: 1. Happiness always has the quality of "nonetheless." We must not wait to be happy until someday everything is in order. That will probably never happen. Happiness is when you still find joy despite everything. 2. Happiness is always episodic. There is no permanent happiness. It is not in our nature to be continuously happy. Therefore, even on a satisfying and happy workday, there will always be moments when we do not feel happy. None of us will manage to be in a state of euphoria uninterrupted from the beginning to the end of work. **The Task** Therefore, the task for all those who want to work happily is: Make sure to create as many happy episodes as possible throughout each workday! This task is solvable for each of us. We can discover countless opportunities to be happy for a moment - even if there are factors at work that stand in the way of happiness. We just have to start looking for them. If we change our focus, if we no longer target the negative factors but search for moments of happiness, we will be able to work with more joy every day. Happiness is not magic, but a matter of focus!