{"id":3002,"date":"2013-05-16T09:16:28","date_gmt":"2013-05-16T13:16:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/?p=3002"},"modified":"2013-05-16T09:16:28","modified_gmt":"2013-05-16T13:16:28","slug":"why-you-need-to-love-your-job-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/?p=3002","title":{"rendered":"Why You Need To Love Your Job More"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"forbes\"<\/a>What\u2019s love got to do with your job? Apparently, quite a bit.<\/p>\n

I just read the new book,\u00a0Love 2.0: How Supreme Emotion Affects Everything We Feel, Think, Do and Become<\/em><\/a>\u00a0by Barbara L Fredrickson, a pioneer scientist in positive psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Fredrickson\u2019s message really resonated with me.<\/p>\n

I was especially intrigued by the parts on how positive emotions and love can help your career by \u201cdrawing you out of your cocoon of self-absorption to attune to others.\u201d<\/p>\n

I often blog about finding ways to love your job. Some of the favorite articles I\u2019ve written for\u00a0Next Avenue<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Forbes<\/a>\u00a0have been ones about second-acters who\u2019ve done just that \u2014 pursuing their passions to, say,\u00a0film a feature movie<\/a>\u00a0or open a red sauce joint.<\/p>\n

(MORE:<\/strong>\u00a0What to Do When You\u2019ve Lost the Passion for Your Career<\/a>)<\/p>\n

The Falloff in Job Satisfaction<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sadly, though, older employees have experienced the steepest drop in job satisfaction over the past 25 years, according to the Conference Board research group. In 1987, more than 70% of workers 65 or older and nearly 60% of workers 55 through 64 felt good about their jobs; by 2011, their satisfaction numbers had fallen to 46%.<\/p>\n

That said, I know plenty of people who\u2019ve found ways to fall in love with their work again, even if they\u2019ve been toiling for decades. They typically either have\u00a0autonomy<\/a>\u00a0and flexibility in their jobs or are\u00a0learning new things<\/a>\u00a0and meeting new people.<\/p>\n

But Fredrickson has found that you can also find inner joy in the workplace through simple, practical minute-long exercises. Her bottom line: Find new ways to design your job around love.<\/p>\n

I gave Fredrickson a call to find out more. Highlights of our talk:<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s start with the key question: What is love?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Fredrickson:<\/strong>\u00a0Love is an emotion, a momentary state that arises to infuse your mind and body alike. Love is sharing one or more positive emotions with another person, a reflection that you are invested in each other\u2019s well being.<\/p>\n

What do you mean when you say, \u201cRedesign your job around love?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Fredrickson:<\/strong>\u00a0Listening and supporting your co-workers can renew your energy, give you confidence and build resources to face tough problems. Feelings of connections and camaraderie spark resilience and a more positive work climate.<\/p>\n

(MORE:<\/strong>\u00a0In a Rut? 4 Ways to Get Unstuck<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Create games at work and find other ways to open up and connect. In our office, we started a weekly card game at lunch. It\u2019s made a huge difference.<\/p>\n

Are there ways we can use love to understand our colleagues better and improve our work relationships?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Fredrickson:<\/strong>\u00a0Eye contact<\/a>, it turns out, is crucial. New scientific evidence suggests that if you don\u2019t make direct eye contact with a co-worker, you\u2019re at a distinct disadvantage in trying to figure out what she really feels or means.<\/p>\n

Accessing this emotion makes you wiser. You become more accurate, more attuned and less gullible. You intuitively grasp her intentions. It informs your next move.<\/p>\n

If you work virtually and can\u2019t see your colleagues face to face, pick up the phone and speak with them. Much emotional information is carried by shared voice, as well.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s the root of unhappiness in the workplace?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Fredrickson:<\/strong>\u00a0All too often the problem is people don\u2019t take the time to truly connect with each other. Feeling pressured to accomplish more each day, you multitask just to stay afloat.<\/p>\n

Every moment finds you plotting your next move, what\u2019s next on your never-ending to-do list.<\/p>\n

Increasingly, you converse with others through\u00a0emails<\/a>, texts, tweets and other ways that don\u2019t require speaking, let alone seeing one another.<\/p>\n

Love requires you to be physically and emotionally present. It also requires that you slow down.<\/p>\n

Maybe all you need to do is stop by someone\u2019s office to talk about something that\u2019s not work-related.<\/p>\n

What are examples of micro-moment exercises we can do to make our work life more joyful?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Fredrickson:<\/strong>\u00a0One of the most powerful ones is doing a day review at the end of your workday. Spend a minute thinking about your three longest interactions. Ask yourself how connected, how attuned, how close you feel to the people you were interacting with.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll get a subtle cue reminding you that each of your social interactions is an opportunity for something more than just an exchange of goods or information. When you learn to cultivate these each day, it\u2019s easier to let negativity roll by.<\/p>\n

You also think people should reframe what you call their \u201cself-talk.\u201d What do you mean?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Fredrickson:<\/strong>\u00a0Nearly everyone has some form of inner self-talk. Maybe you worry too much, second-guessing your every move, expecting the worst at every turn.<\/p>\n

How many times each day do you saddle yourself with\u00a0needless negativity<\/a>?<\/p>\n

Self-acceptance is the foundation for positivity. Lightening up on ourselves allows us to get more joy out of what we do.<\/p>\n

(MORE:<\/strong>\u00a0How Women Can Reinvent Their Careers After 50<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Ask yourself: \u201cWhat is going right for me? What can I be thankful for?\u201d<\/p>\n

We can spend all our time focusing on what\u2019s going wrong; problems grab our attention and pull us down that route. But we can also say, \u201cOK, the problems are here, but what\u2019s going well?\u201d<\/p>\n

When people ask themselves that, it can be a powerful way to change their inner chatter to let them feel more open, more alive and more likely to connect with others.<\/p>\n

You also think employees should try to get joy from the success of their work colleagues.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Fredrickson:<\/strong>\u00a0Focus on the good things that are happening to other people. It\u2019s the \u201cit\u2019s five o\u2019clock somewhere\u201d approach. If you don\u2019t have something good going on in your life, celebrate someone else\u2019s good fortune. Recognize it as a source of your\u00a0joy<\/a>, rather than\u00a0resentment<\/a>. It is not a zero sum game.<\/p>\n

Kerry Hannon<\/a>,\u00a0Contributor<\/cite>
\nKerry Hannon has spent more than 25 years covering personal finance for Forbes, Money, U.S. News & World Report and USA Today. Her website is\u00a0kerryhannon.com<\/a>. Follow her on Twitter@kerryhannon<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n