Falling in Love-With Work

By Shweta Jacob @shwetajacob & online: shwetasays.com

MM @ Work Columnist

February, the month of love. The month when pink and red are the colours that dominate and restaurants host couples trying to express their love for each other.

For those of us on the East Coast, February is also filled with cold temperatures and lots of snow! This year has been no different, and I woke up two Friday’s ago to a blizzard outside; A snowmaggedon some have said. I watched the snow fall, and the cars unable to make it up our street. I listened to the radio of reports of accidents and delayed transit.

Yet, I got about getting ready for work. Even though my husband told me not to, and recommended I work from home. I asked myself “Why are you so keen on getting to the office? It’s cold and blustery outside. Who knows if transit is running! Why?” And then the answer came to me.  Because I like my work, nay love my work! I love my co-workers and love going into the office, even in a snow-storm.

Seems so fitting that during the month of love; I should realize that there is an additional love in my life. I know that I am a lucky girl. But I want to help you, my loyal readers, become lucky in love, at work too.

And so the holiday devoted to romance can be the perfect time to evaluate whether you still love your job.  High stress levels, increased workloads and long hours can impact your morale and lead to decreased job satisfaction.  Add on a competitive co-worker or an overbearing boss and you might be wondering if the relationship is worth saving.

I decided to talk to expert, Anaar Merali, Division Director of OfficeTeam, who has over seven years of recruitment experience under her belt to give me some tips.

Here’s what she had to say on how to manage stress at work:

• Take charge of your stress levels – Simple things like a short lunch break, asking for help, exercising and taking deep breaths can help manage stress and keep it from elevating.

• Don’t over-commit yourself – Saying “yes” to extra work often is a good career move but if it’s more than you can realistically handle, meet with your supervisor and look for ways to delegate some of your work or postpone non-priority projects.
• Foster healthy co-worker relationships – Learn to adapt so that you can effectively communicate with challenging coworkers. You don’t need to change your behaviour completely, just remember that a different approach can often help you reach the same goal.
• Build a bond with your boss – A productive and harmonious relationship with your boss is mutually beneficial to both of you.  Be sure to keep the lines of communication open, provide updates on your projects and adjust to his or her work style.

How to become an effective time-manager:

• Delegate. It’s easy to think you can do it all, but it’s a good way to let others show they are just as capable.
• Look for time wasters. Track time spent on projects to see where you’re wasting it.
• Plan ahead. Spend 10-15 minutes at the start of every day mapping out your to-do list.
• Control interruptions. Assign blocks of time to answer e-mails and voicemails.
• Stay focused. Avoid getting distracted on the small, easy to handle requests. They can eat up time throughout the day and can delay the completion of bigger projects.

Personally, I think building the bond with your boss is the first thing you should do if you aren’t loving your job. Studies have shown that an ineffective manager is the number one reason employees choose to leave their job!

Please let me know in the comments below if you are going to try any of Anaar’s tips, or if you have a tip of your own. Good luck falling back in love!

P.S. I ended up working from home during the snowstorm, and one of the reasons why I love my job is because my manager was completely supportive of my decision.

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