Do you feel content with your current job role? Or are you clock watching and wishing for more time off? It’s said that employees are 10 percent less happy at work than they were in 2018 (24 percent overall). So if you’re unhappy in your role and you’re looking for a way out – you’re not alone.
30 percent of your life is spent working, so this time should be spent wisely. After all, our time is precious. Not only that but your overall wellness and happiness are essential – it shouldn’t be pushed to the side just to earn money or to pay your bills. Your health is your wealth.
But what is job satisfaction? Do you have it? In this post, we’re going to explore what job satisfaction is, the different factors that can help improve it and why maximising your job satisfaction is crucial for your health and wellbeing.
We’ll cover:
- What is Job Satisfaction?
- Different Job Satisfaction Factors to Consider
- Job Satisfaction and Your Health and Wellbeing
What is Job Satisfaction?
Job satisfaction can have multiple definitions but in essence, it consists of how people feel about their job and the organisation they work for. Do you feel engaged with your tasks? Are you happy at work? These are just two questions that can be asked to figure out whether you’re satisfied in your current role or not.
If you’ve got a high level of job satisfaction, you’ll be working hard to reach targets, you’ll be motivated day to day and you’ll be open-minded about working. Job satisfaction is known to boost work performance and improve quality of life – all positively impacting your wellbeing. However, if you’re unhappy in your role, you’ll dread work, you’ll be stressed, you won’t be motivated and you’ll lack fulfilment.
As Aristotle said “pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work” – to work at your optimal level and help your company perform at its best requires some happiness and job satisfaction from you. If you’re satisfied at work, you’ll naturally perform better and then it’s a win-win for you and your employer.
Different Job Satisfaction Factors to Consider
What is it that can make your job satisfying? People differ in what they seek from work. Perhaps you’re looking to feel more fulfilled, maybe you’re wanting a better work-life balance or you’re wanting to feel more motivated. If your job is interesting and you find it fulfilling, you’ll naturally derive satisfaction from it.
There are many things you can do to improve your overall job satisfaction. Whether that’s adopting a daily ritual or changing something in your existing environment. Without even knowing it, you could be holding yourself back from achieving increased job satisfaction.
We’ll run through some tips that you can use to help but remember, it takes practice and it won’t be an overnight success. The key is to be patient and open-minded.
Build On Your Relationship With Your Employer
Make your job more meaningful by learning the missions and goals of your organisation and the employer. Be clear on how your work is meaningful and how it benefits the organisation. Not only will this increase your self-worth but you’ll realise how integral your work is. You’ll feel valued and motivated to meet targets.
Without you, a company could be missing an important part of the puzzle. Learn what motivates your employer, share your concerns if it’s appropriate and check in with your colleagues daily. Surround yourself with the people who inspire you and naturally, your work will be positively impacted.
Contribute to Improving Your Workplace
If you notice something that could improve your workplace, speak up. Your comments could have an impact on your overall productivity and role.
Involvement in improving your workplace will not only increase your own self-worth but it will add to your feeling of being a contributing member of the organisation. Improve the organisation for all and you’ll reap the benefits.
Take Up A Creative Hobby
Working is great but being creative in your own time will contribute to your productivity and focus at work. If you find your day job boring or draining, it might be worth taking up a creative hobby that encourages you to bring focus to another area of your life.
Maybe you’ve already been considering taking up a hobby but you’ve pushed it to one side, well, now is the time to activate it. Creative hobbies have been shown to enhance problem-solving abilities and creativity within the workplace too – so there’s many benefits to prioritising something of this nature. Whether that’s in your own time or during your lunch break.
Set Daily Goals
Take an overview of your current workload and break it down into manageable chunks. Be realistic about how long tasks will take, prioritise according to the company goals and remember, you’re human – always try your best and it will be enough. Set a few goals a day and be motivated to get them completed.
‘Eat The Frog’ first thing in the morning. This means, choose the hardest, most unappealing task first and do this in the morning. Just one task, don’t put it off until later and repeat it daily for increased productivity.
Take Time to Switch Off
It’s Sunday evening but instead of switching off and relaxing before a long week ahead, you’re looking through your emails. Yeah, we’ve all been there. But actually, taking time off is SO productive. It’s essential for your physical and mental wellbeing and it’ll help you in your job in the long run. Working long hours and not switching off is counterproductive. You deserve to give yourself and your brain some rest.
Set yourself an evening target of switching off after 7pm, take regular breaks during work and remember to take your days off as DAYS OFF. if you aren’t taking time to rest, your creativity will dry up and the tasks you need to complete will become more challenging. Prioritise your downtime because scientists say that we certainly need more rest than we’re getting, so it’s time to reclaim your time!
Eat Well, Move More and Stay Hydrated
How do you intend to work optimally if you’re not fuelling yourself correctly? Three coffees by 10am and sugary snacks as fuel aren’t wholesome and in the long run, you’ll only feel more tired and sluggish. For increased productivity and a positive mental attitude, take pride in how you fuel your body. After all, it’s helping you get through each day – it’s a priority.
Provide your body with sustained energy by stopping caffeine intake by 12pm, hydrate throughout the day, eat wholesome meals and take time to eat your lunch peacefully and mindfully. Take a break away from your work! Your meal times will help you be more productive, they’re not a waste of time. So schedule your breaks like your meetings and you’ll be winning.
A Natural Way to Boost Productivity
If you’re always trying to balance your anxiety with productivity at work, it can be exhausting. Focus and productivity are out the window when you’re battling other emotions because of a lack of job satisfaction. However, if you adopt all of the previous strategies and you’re wanting to enhance your health, your mindset and your relaxation a little bit further, we’ve got the solution.
A CBD supplement is a great choice. With its soothing and calming properties, it can help minimise the stress response on your body and provide mental clarity. It can help you be more present in the moment and help you achieve your daily goals.
Of course, the perk of CBD is it can be taken on the go or before breakfast, sprinkled in your food or taken before bed. It’s no hassle and provides many positive benefits. Prioritise your well being and you’ll be one step closer to achieving job satisfaction.
Job Satisfaction and Your Health and Wellbeing
We spend around 84,171 hours working in total throughout our careers – that’s a lot of time spent doing something daily. Our time and investment should be spent wisely and it certainly shouldn’t impact your wellbeing negatively. Your wellbeing helps you achieve great relationships and it’s the foundation of a healthy life.
If you consistently experience low job satisfaction, you’ll feel anxious, you’ll be restless, you’ll feel stressed. Not only will this impact your mental health but in turn, because you’re tired and stressed, you’ll be less likely to make the correct decisions.
Your motivation will be low and this will all affect relationships with your loved ones. It’s natural to take our work worries home but if this happens regularly, it will only have a negative outcome.
Stress can affect people’s physical health just as much as it affects their mental health. If you’re unsatisfied in your role, the feelings of stress could naturally impact your physical wellbeing too: fatigue, aching muscles and physical ailments. Whereas satisfied workers will generally feel healthier and believe they have control over their health – experiencing increased endurance and strength.
Prioritise Your Well Being for Increased Happiness
As we’ve already mentioned, your health is your wealth and it certainly shouldn’t be overlooked. The greatest thing you can do for your productivity and wellness is to invest in it. We’ve covered some of the job satisfaction factors you should be aware of for overall well being.
We’ve also deep-dived into wellness and self-care a little further. In our FREE downloadable Ebook, we’ve covered all the self-care tips you should be implementing. They’re easy to adopt and they could be crucial to your success. So download a free copy today and prioritise your wellbeing!
