By Nina Zacke

Innsbruck – The question of what makes you happy in your job is a question that many ask. First of all: Unfortunately, there is no clear answer to this. Not even in this article. But happiness can be learned.

“Whether or not we are satisfied with our work situation depends on a number of factors,” says Innsbruck-based happiness researcher and clinical psychologist Melanie Hausler. These can be positive relationships with colleagues, customers or the boss, a sense of achievement, commitment, company values ​​that correspond to your own, or the attitude towards work. As a result, working relationships can significantly strengthen well-being. Because relationships are one of our basic needs. It is particularly important to maintain a sense of community even when physical contacts are restricted, emphasizes the psychologist, who specializes in positive psychology. For example, currently in the home office. That is why Hausler recommends using the breaks while working from home to talk to a colleague on the phone or to organize a virtual evening with the team. “Colleagues can represent great resources and motivators in everyday work and in stressful times that should not be underestimated,” says the happiness researcher.

Happiness is changeable

Satisfaction is also significantly influenced by whether we can use our personal strengths in everyday work. Of course, that depends to a certain extent on the type of job. “However, we can do a lot ourselves by consciously making greater use of our strengths,” says the expert. Whose strength is friendliness, this can apply in dealing with colleagues or customers. Anyone who is creative can not only live out this competence in creative professions, but also use it, for example, when solving problems or finding ideas.

And the good thing at the end: Every job can make you happy. Even the assembly line work, says the industrial psychologist. Everyone has different ways of influencing this. In this context, experts speak of job crafting, the active and individual design of work. The aim is to independently redesign and improve the work based on an inner motivation. That could be changing one’s attitude towards work as well as investing in relationships. To this end, Hausler recommends asking yourself a few questions: “Think about which aspects of your work match your values. If you think about it in peace, what could be the meaning behind your work? What are you contributing to? ”Modifying tasks can also help improve wellbeing. For example, you can change the number of tasks or the way in which you handle the tasks or make better use of the scope for decision-making, she says.

According to the Innsbruck native, happiness can be changed. It is a skill that can be trained if you actively create moments of happiness, meet psychological needs and align your life according to your values. Because: happiness, privately or professionally, can be learned.