How To Be The Happiest Person In The Office

Intuition and idealism might just be two of the most important (if way undervalued) career skills of all—for proof, just look at Nicole Bernard Dawes, the kind of mentor we’d all like to have in our corner.

1. Schedule some breathing room into each day  

Dawes’ number-one strategy for remaining calm and creative in the midst of small business mayhem: taking periodic breaks to clear her mind, starting with a mini-meditation with her kids in the a.m. She also builds 15–20 minute chunks of “free thought” time into her daily calendar and stresses it’s important to leave your desk for this—get outside, if possible. I do this is smaller 5 minutes segments during the day when I get up from my desk.

2. Exercise your optimism muscle 

If you find it hard to love your job when everything’s falling apart, Dawes recommends shifting your perspective. “Every single day there are gonna be a million things that will go wrong, and each one of those is an opportunity to do something better,” she says. There are a lot of people that would love to have your job, try to see the best in it.

3. To stay happy on the job, invest in some good headphones and go beyond the gym membership 

“If I need to change my frame of mind, turning on music always does that for me,” says Dawes, who is a fan of iTunes’ themed playlists because “sometimes it’s fun to just be surprised and discover new music.” She says, “Working out is so important to my psyche, my health, and my business,” she says. Sweat out your stress and use it to your advantage.

4. Create your tribe 

In work, as in fitness, it’s important to surround yourself with people who are going to inspire you and help you along the way. Says Dawes: “Networking with the right people and finding the right mentors can make or break your early career decisions.” She suggests reaching out via LinkedIn to those who have what you want with an easy-to-answer question. “Instead of saying, ‘How do I begin my career?’ ask, ‘What’s one great networking organization you’ve used?’” she says. And make sure your higher-ups at the office also know where you want to go. “Your bosses can’t help you if they don’t know what you’re passionate about,” she says. “Be vocal about your own goals and don’t be afraid to speak up.” 

5. Ignore the haters 

“If you’re passionate about something, don’t let anybody tell you no,” says Dawes. “Maybe you haven’t fully formed your idea, but you’ll get there if you really believe in it.” Instead, she says, use criticism to strengthen whatever proposition it is you’re fighting for, whether it’s weekly yoga classes in the office or that wellness center you’ve always wanted to open. And whatever you do, don’t let fear run the show. “If you’re asking for people’s opinion, it’s because you’re insecure that your idea is not good enough,” she says.