Green never looks good on anyone.

I remember years ago being green with envy.  A guy I knew had just started developing property. Every time we met, his face lit up with joy and delight when he spoke of his work. And I’m ashamed to admit, I found myself envying him. It had been a long time since I felt real joy in my work. On the contrary, many days felt more like an episode of survival.

I didn’t want to look back on my life and regret time wasted with the wrong job or attitude.

I was reminded of this when talking to a mentee this week. A senior bank executive, she asked me,

“How do I get my joy back?

The truth is, it can be a case of checking in with your values and options and making some hard decisions.  But if you don’t have the luxury of making a change in the short term and you have to work within your circumstances, then you must address your attitude.  I told her the 3 techniques I used to find my way back to greater joy within the parameters of the work I was doing.

1. Smile

Your physiology will infect your mood.

Science has found that the act of smiling can lift your mood, lower stress, boost immunity and potentially even extend life!

And you don’t have to wait for the feeling to have the response!  A study performed by a group at the University of Cardiff in Wales found that people who could not frown due to botox injections were happier on average than those who could frown!  Research shows that the simple act of smiling increases dopamine and serotonin, reducing feelings of stress and depression.

2. Slow down and breathe

Often when we are “putting out fires,” running from task to task, our breathing is shallow and our mind unfocussed. Simply the act of slowing down, breathing, smiling and focussing on what you can see, feel, touch and hear will have an immediate impact on your mindset and help you find your way back to appreciation.

3. Childlike curiosity

And lastly and most importantly, adopt childlike curiosity and wonder.

One of my daughters in particular gets enthusiastic about ‘little things.”

The other day she bought a $20 bag from Kmart and proudly showed it to me, modelled it, filled it, modelled it again and delighted in its pleasure and impact on her ability to appear organised and professional. This childlike wonder is infectious and endearing.

Particularly if you are delayed, interrupted or surprised if you can make curiosity your go to emotion (rather than annoyance or impatience) then it has a huge impact on what you do next and how you feel about it. I urge you to try it and let me know how you go!

P.S. If you’ve lost your spark and want some help finding it again, reach out to me to learn more about my coaching program.