Prioritizing Happiness & Work Well-Being: A Guide For Overwhelmed Overachievers (and the Leaders and Organizations that Support?Them)

If you saw my post earlier this week, you would know that happier companies make more money and happier people are more creative , productive , and paid more .

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Today, let’s delve into the practicalities of achieving happiness, especially for those new to happiness strategies.

As a life coach with years of experience, I’m constantly reminded that happiness is elusive for some, an afterthought for others, and taken for granted by many. But since there’s a business case on top of all the other proof points, why wouldn’t you want to be happier, especially if I could distill the process to one initial key idea?

There are two parts to happiness , by the way?—?happiness in your life and happiness with your life. Both play a vital role in your overall well-being, and an imbalance between the two can leave you feeling unfulfilled.

When the meaning is missing in your life, daily living becomes a grind, causing unhappiness with your life.

So, to keep it in perspective and to be happy in and with your life, to improve your health , well-being , productivity , creativity , innovation , income , and happiness, read on.

Put Yourself?First

Placing yourself (and your plan) at the top of your list is not just a strategy; it’s a gateway to a happier life. When you realize you are in charge of your happiness, you can prioritize the bigger picture, strategically align your choices, and spend your time with fulfillment in mind.?

This approach keeps you on track, fosters a sense of contentment in your daily experiences, and fills you with optimism about your trajectory. The benefits are personal and professional, as it can lead to improved health, well-being, productivity, creativity, innovation, and income.

But what if you don’t have a plan? That’s a valid question, and I’ll address it shortly.

Putting yourself first is essential if you struggle with feeling overwhelmed or out of balance, but it’s also key if you aspire to be happier. And if you can’t imagine how, why, or what being happier actually looks like for you, it’s a sign that you are overdue for a reprioritization.?

Thankfully, it’s a manageable two-step process you can take at your own pace, making it less daunting and more achievable.

Step One: Make?Time.

The first and most important step towards prioritizing yourself and your happiness is to make time. It means setting aside time for activities that bring you joy and restore your energy. These activities are crucial for your well-being and can include:

Flow Activities: Set aside time daily to engage in activities that help you lose track of time. It could be anything from working out, painting, writing, snuggling your children, or going for a walk to having sex, meditating, reading a book, dancing, gardening, cooking a fabulous meal, or singing in the shower.

Choose uplifting activities that fully immerse yourself in the present moment. Have you ever experienced time seeming to slow down or stretch out during an activity? This phenomenon, known as time expansion, is a positive sign that counters the feeling that you’re running out of time and reminds you that you have more than you thought.

By stepping away from the constant demands of your to-do list, calendar, inbox, and numerous responsibilities, you can enter a state of time affluence?—?a space of heightened awareness that reminds you of what truly makes you happy. It empowers you to recognize your capabilities and resourcefulness and prioritize what matters to you, leading to a more fulfilling life.

Defense to Offense: Constant busyness and rushing can leave you feeling drained and disempowered. You reclaim control over your time and happiness by intentionally engaging in positive activities, even if they initially seem challenging or outside your comfort zone. This proactive approach puts you firmly in the driver’s seat of your happiness journey.

Step Two: Change Your?Mind

The second step towards happiness involves shifting your mindset. Sometimes, improving happiness requires seeing things from a different perspective?—?a reset, a reframe, a realization, or a visualization.

The hand you are dealt is the hand you are dealt, but how you perceive it makes all the difference. By reframing your circumstances, you can uncover the upside, explore possibilities, and envision what lies beyond your current situation to manage the moment more effectively and make better choices that lead to your dream destination.

There are several ways to change your mindset. It could involve a reset?—?a fresh start in a new environment, with new information, relationships, or approaches. Other times, it’s about continuous reframing?—?challenging and replacing thought distortions and limiting beliefs to improve the quality of your thinking.?

A realization prompted by a health scare or unexpected life event might prompt you to see the world in a new light. And sometimes, it’s as simple as visualizing your ideal future?—?a powerful image that inspires and motivates you to take action.

Any of the four has the potential to boost your optimism, inspire your confidence, renew your faith, and build resilience. Let’s explore one effective approach in more detail.

Challenge Negative?Thinking

One way to improve your mindset is by reframing or removing thought distortions and limiting beliefs. These are tricks your mind plays on you, often convincing you of negative things that aren’t true.?

As a busy working parent, you constantly process information and face decision fatigue, and your brain seeks shortcuts to ease the mental burden. However, these shortcuts can sometimes lead to illogical conclusions, undermining your happiness and confidence.

By becoming aware of these thoughts and challenging them, you can cultivate better thinking and outcomes, leading to a happier life.

Visualize Your Top?Goals

Visualization can be a powerful tool for achieving your most significant goals and dreams. By focusing on your ultimate desires?—?such as a lifetime of travel, having a baby, or a profitable business?—?the smaller, less meaningful distractions?—?a clean house, a bigger bank account, or a tighter tummy?—?tend to fade into the background. Thought distortions and limiting beliefs are overshadowed by a singular focus and the decisiveness that comes with it.

When you’re pulled in a million directions, trying to be good at everything while putting everyone else first, it’s easy to lose sight of what truly matters. Without a guiding sense of what’s important, everything feels urgent, leaving you overwhelmed and out of control.

But when you see your future so clearly, you gain a sense of direction. You understand what actions will lead you closer to your desired outcomes and what will pull you off course. This vision empowers you to regain control of your time and resources, making distractions less preoccupying and traction more possible.

Further, when aligned with your purpose, progress becomes more evident as you manifest your desired reality, motivating you to stay the course.

It looks like rewards, affirmations, opportunities, ease, flow, time affluence, contentment, and breakthroughs.

You’re taking the most essential steps almost without thinking. It’s like brushing your teeth, something you must do, but not a chore, important, but not the biggest deal in the world. When you automatically prioritize yourself, you can calmly and confidently take care of the moment while simultaneously leaning into your conviction that you’ll inevitably reach your desired destination.

And thereby, the plan reveals itself.

Find Your?Way

First and foremost, finding your plan should be an enjoyable and rewarding process. Approach it with curiosity and anticipation, knowing you don’t have to figure it out alone. Especially as a busy working mom, seeking assistance can make a world of difference.

At a recent meeting, a working mother and an attorney (juggling four kids and a husband working in another state) joked that after four months of taking care of everything on her own, she put a For Sale sign in the yard and gave the family dog to her secretary.

She wasn’t thinking clearly. When you’re in this state, it’s not the ideal time to make big decisions or craft a life plan. Instead, it’s the perfect time to ask for help.

Support yourself generously by hiring a coach, an assistant, or both. Your organization might have resources available, too. We’ll delve into this near the end.

Secondly, caution for the Star Players, Overachievers, and Straight-A Students: You don’t need a fully baked plan before prioritizing yourself.

Often, when this group wants to change by incorporating self-care, healthy habits, more sleep, quality time with their loved ones, or pursuing passion projects, they feel the time crunch more urgently and try to “math” it out. They meticulously plan, rearrange schedules, wake up earlier, and reallocate resources, striving to meet their high expectations.

But if you find yourself mitigating problems you don’t have yet, resist the urge to over-plan and move forward on your ideas as they emerge. Moving before you’re 100% ready demonstrates your commitment and intention to the Universe but leaves room for magic, aka the serendipitous opportunities and insights you may not have anticipated.?

Even if you’re not woo-woo, you must admit that some things are beyond your control; unknowns may hold the key to your success.

In summary, start your plan early and enthusiastically, and trust that the people, resources, and breakthroughs will show up along your journey.

Your plan will evolve and become clearer as you take consistent action and build momentum.

Optimize Organizational Resources

And finally, let’s explore how organizational resources can support your journey toward happiness and well-being. When you prioritize yourself and your happiness, it benefits your personal life and positively impacts your career. Thriving in life translates to success in business, making you more valuable to your organization.

As a boss or subject matter expert, consider regularly utilizing fireside chats to foster even greater employee happiness. These informal conversations provide a platform for addressing the concerns and fears of everyone on the team.?

It’s an opportunity to ask questions, share information, and provide feedback, promoting a culture of learning and growth. Fireside chats serve as memorable well-being activities that enhance a sense of community within the team.

As a leader within your organization, consider bringing in an expert to coach your employees for the day. Employees can book short sessions?—?15, 20, or 30 minutes?—?to change their mindset. These sessions can include resets, reframes, realizations, and even visualizations, offering quick wins with a lasting impact.?

By providing happiness support and prioritizing work well-being, you demonstrate your commitment to your employees and reaffirm their value. It’s not only the right thing to do, it’s the profitable thing too.