As leaders, many of us set out to create a lasting impact in the world. In our busy lives it’s easy to forget the fact that in order to enact change in our organization or even personally, we must first be happy ourselves

Learning To Be Happy

Happiness is key in being an effective leader. You might ask yourself if your happiness really does impact those around you – let me tell you, it does. People will follow your lead, so if you genuinely appear to be in a cheerful and untroubled mood, the people around you will reflect that as well.

Mary Jo Asmus, founder of Aspire Collaborative Services reveals several ways you can work on being happy.

Know what is valuable to you, and align your life and leadership accordingly

Do you know what you value most? If not, Asmus recommends taking this values assessment. Take time and be intentional when deciding what’s most important to you and make sure to surround yourself with people whose values are similar to yours.

Don’t let what goes on in your daily environment impact you negatively

It might not be the easiest thing to do, but taking a step back from small annoyances and ridding your life of toxic people can make a huge difference in your level of happiness.

Be grateful

Taking time daily to reflect on what you’re grateful for plays a big part in being happy. Recognizing how fortunate you are will improve your overall outlook on life. Asmus recommends keeping a gratitude journal.

Do things you lovel

The stress of work and family can be detrimental to our level of happiness. Make sure to carve out time for the things that YOU enjoy as it can be a reprieve from a demanding schedule.

Give to and serve others

Helping others is a wonderful way to counteract the daily stress that many of us experience. Studies show that doing so will not only make you happier, but increase your life expectancy and improve your overall health.

Relax and play

We all know that feeling of coming back to work after a few days off. We feel refreshed and ready to get to work. Even taking small breaks away from the office to do something fun can rejuvenate your mood.

Happiness and positivity go hand in hand. Check out these tips on staying positive at work.