5 Simple Ways to Be Happier at Work This Week
Let’s face it: work can sometimes feel like a grind. Even if you love what you do, there are moments when the joy fades, the emails pile up, and that Monday energy just… isn’t there. But here's the good news: happiness at work isn’t just a fluffy ideal. It’s a choice, a practice, and—most importantly—it’s something you can create.
As a happiness expert and someone who’s worked in corporate cubicles, coffee shops, corner offices, and conference rooms, I’ve seen firsthand how simple shifts can boost not only your mood—but your productivity and performance, too. You don’t have to overhaul your career to feel more fulfilled. You just need to sprinkle in a few happiness habits.
Here are five practical ways to be happier at work this week, each with an easy action item to make it real:
1. Start Your Day with a Win
How you begin your day sets the tone for everything that follows. Most people open their laptops and dive straight into email chaos or yesterday’s leftover stress. Let’s flip that script.
Happiness Hack: Start your workday with a tiny, easy win—something you can accomplish in 5 minutes or less.
Respond to a quick message you’ve been putting off
Organize your desktop
Write out your top 3 priorities for the day
This gives your brain a shot of dopamine, the feel-good chemical, and kicks your day off with momentum.
✅ Action Item: Tomorrow morning, before you check your email, do one quick thing that makes you feel accomplished.
2. Connect with a Colleague
Human connection is the heart of workplace happiness. We’re wired to belong, but many of us spend our days isolated in inboxes and task lists. You don’t need a deep heart-to-heart to feel more connected—you just need more moments of warmth and realness.
Happiness Hack: Intentionally reach out to someone this week just to connect, compliment, or encourage them.
This could be a coworker you enjoy, someone you haven’t talked to in a while, or even your boss. Positive interactions create a ripple effect of good energy.
✅ Action Item: Send a quick message to someone at work today that says, “Hey, I just wanted to say you’re doing a great job. I appreciate working with you.” That’s it. No ask. No agenda. Just kindness.
3. Take a “Joy Break”
We’re all guilty of pushing through lunch or skipping breaks because “there’s just so much to do.” But science shows that stepping away—even briefly—restores focus, lifts your mood, and prevents burnout. I call it a Joy Break: a moment designed just for your delight.
Happiness Hack: Schedule one Joy Break into your calendar each day this week. Make it non-negotiable.
It could be a walk around the block, five minutes of stretching, listening to your favorite song, or watching a funny video (I recommend something with dogs. Always dogs. Often huskies). The key is to fully step away and enjoy the moment.
✅ Action Item: Block off 15 minutes on your calendar every day this week as your Joy Break. Put it in writing—because if it’s not scheduled, it won’t happen.
4. Practice “Progress, Not Perfection”
One of the biggest happiness killers at work? The belief that you have to do everything perfectly. That every task must be flawlessly executed. That you can’t leave something “good enough” and move on. That’s a one-way ticket to stress city.
Happiness Hack: Shift your focus from perfection to progress. Celebrate what’s working, even if it’s messy.
When we acknowledge the effort and movement, instead of waiting for the masterpiece, we give ourselves permission to enjoy the process, not just the result.
✅ Action Item: At the end of each day this week, write down one thing you made progress on. Not what you finished. Not what was flawless. Just what moved forward.
5. Create a Micro-Moment of Meaning
Sometimes we feel unhappy at work because we’ve lost touch with why we’re doing it. Purpose doesn’t always come from saving the world—it can come from helping one person, solving a tricky problem, or learning something new.
Happiness Hack: Each day, look for a small moment that reminds you your work matters.
Maybe it’s a thank-you from a client, a task that used your favorite skill, or the feeling of solving a challenge. These tiny moments of meaning add up—and they can rewire your relationship with your job.
✅ Action Item: At the end of the week, ask yourself: “What’s one moment this week that reminded me why I do what I do?” Reflect on it. Savor it. Write it down and keep it somewhere visible.
Final Thoughts: Happiness Is a Practice, Not a Destination
Happiness at work isn’t about having the perfect job or being in the ideal role—it’s about the practices you bring into your everyday life. It’s about choosing joy, connection, and progress even when your inbox is overflowing or your meetings are back-to-back.
Try one (or all five!) of these happiness habits this week. You might be surprised how just a few intentional moments can change your entire experience of work.
And if you’re already doing these things—keep going. You’re building emotional muscle, the kind that helps you thrive, even in challenging environments.
So go ahead—schedule that Joy Break, send that message of encouragement, and celebrate your messy, beautiful progress. Your happier workweek starts now.
Let’s keep this happiness train rolling.
What’s one thing you’re going to do this week to feel more joy at work? Message me—I’d love to cheer you on.
Fueling Happiness. Reducing Burnout. One person at a time.