5 simple ways to infuse more joy into your work life

I stared at my laptop screen, feeling completely overwhelmed.

It was 2022 and I was preparing to facilitate three different workshops in two days for 300 students.

The overwhelm made sense as I was operating with a scarcity mindset. “There isn’t enough time!” my inner taskmaster shouted. Self-doubt, of course, also chimed in: “Is this content good? Am I good?”

Needless to say, this inner dialogue robbed me of all joy. What helped me get in touch with joy again — specifically, the pleasure I get out of facilitating — was switching to an abundance mindset. “I need to time block my schedule,” I told myself, while also simultaneously cheering myself on: “I’m excited to try this new content! And I’m confident in my facilitation skills.” By reconnecting with the aspects of my job that gave me joy, I reduced my stress and was able, thankfully, to finish preparing for all three workshops.

Over the past several years, I’ve been focused on the concept of joy because I have continually seen how cultivating a joyful approach has helped me in my work. Joy, of course, isn’t an emotion we typically associate with the workplace. Usually we hear more about happiness — “Are you happy with your job?” is a common question.

But joy is different than happiness. Researchers of positive emotion, like George Vaillant, point out that happiness can be fleeting and dependent on external factors whereas joy, a more complex emotion, is connected to your inner self and to your relationship with others. It’s like the difference between saying, “I’m happy I got a new laptop at work” versus “Our project really helped those people.” Feeling joy requires intentionality, but it also lingers longer than happiness.

Even though getting to a joyful state requires more effort, I have been practicing how to intentionally weave joy into my work and to consistently adopt a joyful mindset. In the process, I’ve learned that joy can be found in the seemingly “mundane” aspects of work. I’ve also become less stressed and more creative in my job.

If you, too, want to experience — and spread — more joy at work, here are five simple things you can do:

1. Allocate time in your calendar for things that light you up

We can easily forget to plan for joy when our calendars are filled to the brim with meetings. As someone who enjoys connecting with people, I am intentional about regularly scheduling a lunch date with a colleague a month in advance. In doing so, I’m rewarded with a double dose of joy — something to look forward to as well as the pick-me-up I get from time spent connecting with a colleague.

2. Look for joy by asking yourself a simple question 

Asking the right question is like putting on a new pair of glasses that reveals insights previously hidden from you. So, before or after working on your next task or project, ask: “How does (or did) this give me joy?” You might just be pleasantly surprised by the answer.

3. Take in some scenic views during your breaks, especially of water

Did you know that just viewing water outdoors for two minutes can make you feel more relaxed? Connecting with nature — even briefly — brings us joy. I can attest to this personally, as I work at one of the most beautiful university campuses in the world. On my breaks, I love visiting Nitobe Memorial Garden and the UBC Rose Garden, both places where I can view water.

4. Spread joy by “pebbling”

I enjoy sharing silly memes and funny pictures with my colleagues. I used to think this was frivolous, but I have since learned this is a form of “pebbling.” The concept is taken from the world of penguins — they are known to gift pebbles to each other. By pebbling at work, you can spread joy to others and remind your colleagues that you are thinking about them.

5. Protect the joy of your teammates (and you’ll feel more joyful as a result)

I like to learn about my colleagues’ communication styles and work preferences. Then, on collaborative projects, I ask myself if I am working in the way my teammates like to work. For example, if a colleague finds great joy in hitting deadlines, then I know it is important for me to deliver what I promised on time. This allows them to feel seen and heard, while also enabling me to become more empathetic. Deadlines may not give me joy, but I can definitely still honour my colleague’s source of joy. When you start working with others in this way, you’ll experience joy simply because you tried to safeguard it for others.

The tips outlined above are just some of the many steps I have taken to infuse joy into my work life. What has been surprising is the collective power of all these seemingly small steps. I can clearly see how my career journey has been impacted by being more joyful and spreading joy to others. By looking for joy in the small things in my day to day, I have experienced outsized benefits year after year — built new skills, expanded my network, and landed new roles. Choosing to be joyful is truly transformative, and my hope is that you can experience the benefits of a joy-oriented approach in your work life as well.