Yes, it’s possible
Your friend Grace has been working at the same law firm for four years, but she’s as perky and psyched to be there as the day she first walked in. What gives? Here, five secrets of women who really (really) love their jobs.
THEY PRETEND THEY JUST GOT HIRED
Think about it: Those first few months are crazy motivating because you feel like you’ve got a zillion new tasks to learn. Try to recreate that mental state by zeroing in on skill sets you’d like to improve (say, public speaking) and finding concrete ways to make that happen (like enrolling in a class that your company helps you pay for).
THEY DRESS TO IMPRESS
It’s a confidence thing. Even if you have to wear a uniform, taking the time to wash and blow out your hair or making sure your nails are perfectly polished can give you a major mood boost and positively impact how you feel during interactions with colleagues or your boss.
THEY LOVE THEIR COWORKERS
We’re not saying you have to love everyone (ugh, Pam from accounting is the worst), but having at least one or two colleagues that you can laugh, trust and blow off steam with can make life way better. Seek out the folks who most seem like your people, and make an effort to connect with them on a day-to-day basis.
THEY’RE SUPER CLEAR ABOUT THEIR ROLE
Most workplace stress stems from not knowing how your day-to-day job fits into the company’s big-picture goals. Typically, this is tied to how often you communicate with your manager. Nabbing as little as ten minutes a week on her calendar to chat and catch up can make all the difference when it comes to better understanding exactly what she wants you to do.
THEY HAVE A LIFE OUTSIDE OF WORK
As hard as it can be to disconnect, having something you’re passionate about outside of work (family, friends, voice lessons) makes you less prone to office stress and burnout. Plus, it makes that “crisis” about new desk chairs seem a heck of a lot less important.
