Not Happy With Your Job? Become Happy On The Job

By Dr. Robert A. Giacalone, Special to CareerBliss

When someone talks about being happy or unhappy in their job, most people think about the job itself - the work, the supervisors, the company, the pay. And so many times these days, people will tell you that they are unhappy because of too much work, abusive bosses or insecure jobs. What is unfortunate is that these are the parts of the job that are largely less controllable.

But there is another aspect of happiness at work more within your control: the interpersonal aspects of the job. I think of it as relational happiness. While it has little to do with your boss, your salary or the security of the job, the interpersonal part of the job makes these other aspects of the job more bearable, while bringing a kind of happiness in itself. But in this competitive environment, where everyone is worried about their job, we tend to focus far more on the work itself, and far less on people and relational happiness.