What's your most helpful tip for being happier at work?
The following answers are provided by the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only organization comprised of the world's most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, the YEC recently launched #StartupLab, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses via live video chats, an expert content library and email lessons.
A. Ditch the Debbie Downers
Unhappy people will rub off on you. So if you can avoid the "Negative Nellies" and office gossip, do so. Remember: Your attitude is your choice. Focus on the co-workers who are ambitious, smart and like-minded. Collaborate with them instead.
- Tom Cannon, BungoBox
A. Break Bread With Co-Workers
Take time to eat together. It doesn't have to be dinner; it can be a cupcake in the kitchen. Conversations over food bring guards down, allowing you to get to know your fellow mates on a personal level and create better collaboration, friendships and meaningful interactions.
- Anson Sowby, Rocket XL
A. Take a Walk
Sitting at a desk for hours at a time without moving can be toxic to your psychological well-being. A multitude of studies have confirmed that taking a brisk, 10-minute walk is one of the best ways to elevate your mood and improve your productivity. Take a walk outside while you make a call and don't have lunch delivered; rather, walk to pick it up.
- Emerson Spartz, Spartz
A. Love Your Space
If someone told you spending $2 would make you happier, would you do it? Of course you would! So buy a candle, a fresh flower or a pen holder that makes you smile. Working around colors, objects or decorations that make you feel motivated, happy and content will make your workspace feel more like an extension of you and less like a much-despised, generic corporate desk.
- Kim Kaupe, 'ZinePak
A. Hire People You Like
The quickest way to kill productivity and workplace morale is to hire the wrong people. Take the time to find people who are positive, productive and fit well into your company culture. It will pay enormous dividends in terms of company morale, employee retention and productivity.
- Eric Corl, Fundable LLC
A. Celebrate Successes With Dance Breaks
We're constantly on the lookout for our next goals and milestones, and we're always pushing harder -- taking the time to celebrate what we are achieving and what we've already accomplished goes a long way. Make it a dance break, move your body for bonus points and watch the endorphins change your mood, hardwiring you for even more achievements.
- Nathalie Lussier, The Website Checkup Tool
A. Go for a Quick Lap
When I reach a point where I'm not focusing well at my desk, I like to take a lap around the office and see what others are working on. Often, you can learn a lot by just observing (and avoid interrupting employees), and the walk is rejuvenating and energizing.
- Anderson Schoenrock, ScanDigital
A. Do What You Love
You may love your company, but do you love your role in the company? As a startup grows, it's easy to find yourself taking care of (necessary) mundane tasks when you could be working on your actual passion -- the product or service your company offers. Outsource or hire someone, and delegate the mundane tasks to him so you can focus on your product/service. It will pay off!
- Fehzan Ali, Adscend Media LLC
A. Treat the Team Like Family
We refer to our team as DTA Family, and it's not just a cheesy way to bring us together. It's a real description of how we feel about our co-workers. If you want to be happy at work, you have to enjoy being around the same people for 50+ hours each week. Making sure you treat them well -- and that everyone likes each other -- makes all the difference.
- Kelsey Meyer, Digital Talent Agents
A. Transform Your Workplace With Music
The energy that music can offer work is immeasurable. Having go-to playlists and genres for specific types of work can be beneficial to your focus and output quality; for instance, certain types of music will work better for coding or writing. A bit of background music can uplift a workspace, too, if the team isn't distracted by it. Silence can really suck the life out of an office.
- Derek Shanahan, Playerize
A. Focus on Five of the Most Important Tasks of Your Day
When you wake up, chalk out the five most important things that you need to do to call it a successful day. These must be the essential tasks that you have to do -- tasks that your team or your customers could not live without. Work on those five things throughout the day and, when done, move on with your life and on to things that you love doing outside of work.
- Rahul Varshneya, Arkenea