Like personal relationships, our relationship with our job can often present the same challenges. It plays the same role in influencing our day-to-day happiness.

If you were asked to rate 'love' and 'work' on life's happiness barometer, it would be rare to find them on the same scale, but think about the 168 hours there are in a week and how many of those you spend working. So learning to love your day job is vital to achieving a happy balance both at and away from the office.

Kellie Rigg is a Practice Lead of HR Consulting at Randstad's leading recruitment & HR services company. She believes we need to treat work more like a relationship to see its positive benefits.

it takes two

Like love, work is a two-way street. If you don't feel satisfied with what you're getting out of your role, then it might pay to give more to your day-to-day activities.

Sometimes, 'you only get out what you put in and think of ways to improve your essential daily tasks.

It can give you more satisfaction and provide more value to those around you. In the same way, contributing more to your team or getting involved in social activities at work might hold the key to a healthier two-way relationship.

openness and honesty

Like a relationship, employees should communicate regularly with their team and management. Not just to know what's happening on particular projects but to form good habits. So that when issues or challenges arise, they can be addressed, discussed and dealt with in a timely, mature manner.

Suppose something is annoying you, or you want to give positive feedback. In that case, it's a lot easier with open lines of communication. Trust and empathy go a long way in building positive, long-term connections with people to help carry you through good times and bad.

good sense of Humour

Make time to laugh with people you work with. The physical and emotional benefits of laughter are overwhelming. It reduces stress, relaxes your body and boosts your immune system, not to mention its effect on positivity and productivity levels in the workplace.

Laughter can shatter tension, lift the spirit of a group and break the ice in difficult situations.

absence makes the heart grow fonder

Australians are renowned for building up annual leave, with Roy Morgan's research showing Australia has 123 million days of leave built you. Not taking 'time out' often leads to stress, and you find yourself bogged down in the little things.

For many employees, a short break can improve motivation levels. It helps us remember what we love and miss about our work, whether it be a sense of achievement, purpose or the people around us.

Taking time out to rebalance and re-energise also gives you a fresh, clear and healthy perspective on who you are, what you want to do and what you want to achieve.

Generally, any niggly things that may have been annoying. You will soon dissipate after a well-earned break, and it can result in a newfound love for your job.

getting the spark back

Learning and developing new skills is a great way to feel inspired about work again. A new area of interest or the motivation to progress in your position by adding another notch to your skills belt is a great way to breathe new life into your attitude and energy in the workplace.

Knowing you have a new learning stream can help you reignite the passion you once had for what you d. It can also make your day-to-day job more manageable, saving you time and boosting your productivity.

Look back on your achievements, celebrate positive milestones and map out new goals. This can be refreshing and energising for you, rather than feeling like you are treading the same path, hoping something interesting will happen. Think about how you would like your daily work to look, and start to create something meaningful and enjoyable every day.

Work may not always be smooth sailing. Like a relationship, it may require a little extra effort at times, but with challenges come growth, satisfaction and a healthy relationship that can be deeply rewarding.

category

tags