WELLNESS - Positive thinking in the workplace

We spend much of our time in the workplace, 

so give yourself something to look forward to. 

Focus on your strengths for a happier working life.

If you could feel happier, boost your self-confidence, feel more energetic, be less stressed and feel more effective – would you do whatever it takes? It can be as simple as finding your strengths and putting them to work.

We all have strengths, and identifying our best attributes can have a positive effect on work and life in general. According to Marcus Buckingham, author of Find Your Strongest Life (Thomas Nelson, 2009), the happiest and most  successful women focus on their strengths and feel satisfied as a result.

First identified by renowned psychologist Dr Martin Seligman, the 24 character strengths are the guiding morals and qualities that make us who we are. They are linked to the six human virtues of wisdom, courage, humanity, justice, knowledge and temperance, and are present to varying degrees in all of us (see What are your top 5 strengths?, page 58).
Be careful not to confuse skills with strengths; skills are talents that are learned, while strengths are unique aspects that underline the choices we make and our behaviour.

Using our strengths helps us to perform better, because we’re doing something we’re passionate about and feel good at. “When we use our strengths at work, we’re more likely to experience ‘flow’ [a sense of being ‘in the zone’]. We also tend to be more engaged and productive,” says Professor Tim Sharp of The Happiness Institute. “This is highly correlated with reports of happiness, satisfaction and wellbeing. It feels great to use your strengths so we enjoy ourselves more and get better results.”

Best of all, says Canberra-based psychologist Barbara Miller: “With enough time, effort and determination almost any person can acquire the strengths.”

Strengths at work

Traditionally, we’re told that to be our best we need to improve our weaknesses. But when we focus on these it tends to make us feel demoralised – particularly if we’re trying to improve skills that are the opposite of our strengths. Imagine telling a world-class swimmer to focus on running!

Working to our strengths increases self-esteem and can boost performance. Get your boss involved to help you be your best. “One of the keys to workplace engagement, productivity and retention is using strengths to help us feel like a more valuable employee,” says Professor Tim Sharp. “The best performing teams and organisations are aware of others’ strengths. We’re more likely to reach out to the most appropriate person if we know their strengths.”

Being engaged at work is essential for increased life satisfaction. “Most of us spend a great deal of time at work so it makes sense to enjoy it,” says psychologist Barbara Miller. “Yet many people I meet are disenchanted with their workplaces and overwhelmed by negative, destructive emotions.”

How to be happier at work:

Choosing to build our strengths involves making decisions. Here, psychologists Barbara Miller and Tim Sharp reveal how you can move forward and be happy.

• Identify your signature strengths and work towards a great career where you can use them every day.
• Consider what you need to do differently to flourish at work.
• To learn more about your strengths, ask yourself: what energises me? What excites me? What tasks do I look forward to?
• Speak up: tell your boss about your strengths and work out ways to utilise them in your current job.
• At work, get to know others’ strengths so you can use them in a collaborative way to get the best results. 

Source: http://www.bodyandsoul.com.au/