Wellbeing, Rachel Grunwell: Top tips to put some joy in your life

Joy at Work is a new book by tidying expert Marie Kondo

Marie Kondo taught us about the life changing magic of tidying up our homes and biffing out the junk. She asked us to let go of anything at home that we no longer held joy for.

After all, an uncluttered home space feels more calming. Hence this is why it is terrific for our wellbeing.

Kondo sparked a world trend embracing the idea that less is actually more. We all became tidy-freaks.

Now Kondo has turned her attention to the workplace. She has released a new book, with organisational psychologist Scott Sonenshein. The book is Joy at Work.

Their mission is to help us focus on how to change our work, to embrace more joy. There's advice on how to organise your desk, emails and office. There are tips too on quitting negative working practices and mindsets.

The book notes that tidiness doesn't reflect how you feel, but also how others feel about you. Tidiness can result in a higher evaluation of our character...

My first thought about this book is that if you have a job in this Covid19 era then you should be joyful. Period.

Afterall, the economy is taking a hammering and job losses are a genuine concern in this climate.

And for many, you may think this book may be semi-redundant as your home has now become your office too.

But outside of the advice on how to tidy up your workspace and emails, there's great psychology advice to help you get ahead in your career. Below are some favourite points that I love in the book. These tips may help you to feel more empowered to love your job — and life — more.

1 Create an environment that helps you focus.

2 You only get one chance at life. Which will you choose? To live in fear of what others might think? Or to follow your own heart?

3 Reflect on your actions so you can revise and improve.

4 Prioritise tasks. Eliminate things that are unnecessary and unproductive. Focus, instead on those that are productive.

5 Give up the idea of needing to make a perfect decision. In most cases, a good enough decision will be good enough.

6 Get rid of the idea that the more meetings you attend, the more important you are. Remember meetings are one of many ways you can make a difference. Your goal is not to win the award for most meetings attended.

PS: I have a confession here. My work office has actually been at my home for many years now and it's not always perfect and ordered. My emails are also in the thousands and need culling. So I'm working on this stuff too!

Find out more about Rachel's coaching and wellness workshops services, public speaking engagements and her book Balance: Food, Health and Happiness via inspiredhealth.co.nz Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/rachelgrunwell/