All of us at some point of time or another have heard from friends and colleagues about employers who provide the best, most friendly ambience for their employees. And let's face it, very few of us are really lucky to be working for employers who foster creativity and practices leniency. Except for a handful, 80% of employers have stringent code of conduct that leaves no room for slack, creating unhappy workplaces. Yes, it is true that not all of us are happy at work, but it is also true that being happy at work is solely your responsibility and can be worked at. After all 90% of the population don't really work for overtly employee-friendly organisations, being happy depends largely on working towards making yourself happy. S if you want to make your work life enjoyable, it's about time you paid attention to the following factors.

"Happiness depends upon ourselves" - Aristotle
Wise seers to stand-up comedians have been quick to point out that happiness is well-within us and looking for it elsewhere can never make you happy. Quite true but when you're at work, it can seem impossible to believe in this maxim. But interestingly it is true that happiness is certainly a choice that you make; and unless you choose to be happy, no one can make it happen. Yes, you might not have the best employer or the best workplace but you cannot completely deny the fact that there does exist something that makes you go back there everyday, other than just your salary. When you'd joined your company there must have been something that made you happy to be around, so see if you can dwell on those aspects of your work. Strictly avoid things that hurt or irritate and focus more on doing things and being around people who keep you sane and happy, and you'd be surprised how much more buoyant you will start to feel.

A little of something you love
If there are no dearth of opportunities and if you're still stuck with the same employer, it is obvious that there must be something that you love about your work. You might not love your job completely but it does not necessarily mean you hate it either. Find out what it is that you love most about your current job and start making sure that you do it religiously on every single workday. Because when you do something you love everyday, you will definitely start to realise that your current job is not really that bad after all!

Pursue Growth
No one wishes to stagnate; all of us hope to grow, evolve, gain expertise and develop new skills. However unless you work for an employer who empowers employees through trainings and other skill development workshops, you're pretty much on your own. But remember you have your welfare in mind more than anyone else on the planet, so if you're focused on learning and expanding your horizons, it should be you who puts in the effort. Developing professionally demands a lot of time, effort and firstly planning on what more you want to add to your credentials. But you can rest assured that when you've decided to pursue growth yourself, rather than depending on others, you will automatically become more open and receptive to changes and opportunities, which is the first step towards personal and professional evolvement.

Embrace Positivity
Everyone likes to be acknowledged and praised, particularly when they accomplish something. If you think you don't, think about all the times when you complained about not getting any feedback from your superiors. If you had not done your job well, do you think you would even bother to have people notice, let alone get your boss' feedback? When you do a job well it definitely feels good and the feeling only gets better when a superior notices and acknowledges your efforts. Being upbeat and receiving positive feedback is supposedly the best way to create positive energy at work. So every time you do something well, just go ahead and ask what your boss thinks. Even if it can't get you an immediate raise (in some cases miracles do happen) it will at the very least make your day and keep you in a good frame of mind. Stay positive and you will certainly be surrounded with more positivity and good cheer.

Stay in the loop
There might have been times when you have been overlooked or work that relates to your expertise been passed over to others, which can be quite disheartening to say the least. But before you let that pull you down, find out why it had happened in the first place. Sometimes it is not conniving colleagues who create havoc but just plain forgetfulness. So make an effort at all times to keep the information channels open and stay in the loop of things. If you show that you're interested, it would obviously make people take notice and keep you informed at all times.

Commit only when you're really sure
When you have made a commitment to deliver make sure you do it on the set date, however if you even have a minuscule doubt about keeping your promise, make sure you do not fix a timeline at any cost. Today everyone works on a timeline and if you want to make the right impression you will have to stick to it. However it is true that unfortunate incidents and even slack can be reasons for indefinite stretching of your deadlines. But more than even losing face, you can save yourself a lot of wasted energy and anxiety by being reasonable and carefully calculating the delivery lifecycle, before you offer your word and peace of mind.

Steer clear of negativity
From gossipy colleagues to unhappy people and unkept commitments, everything can make you feel bad, down and negative. Moreover negative people have an uncanny knack of emotionally disturbing your well-being. So make it your agenda to stay far away from things that can hurt your sentiments. Listen to music, take a walk, meditate during breaks, do just about anything that can perk you up, even when you're not at work and this sure will translate to a more positive you, no matter where you are or who you're with.

Stand up for yourself
When something or someone at work hurts you, it might not seem ethical to hurt them back in return. But leaving them to bask in their triumph can also be hurtful and bog you down even further. So whenever necessary make sure to stand up for yourself, without coming across as harsh or overbearing. Everyone has the right to make themselves heard from time to time, as long as your reason and cause is right, make an effort to voice your opinion politely and cordially, and experience for yourself how much of a relief it can be.

Build a network
There have always been instances where people have found and made the very best of friends at their workplace. There will always be colleagues whose wavelength might match yours and make pretty good company. This can also be an advantage because having people at work you can count on and enjoy being around with can make you like your work too. The best way to start would be to make an effort to get to know them better and if you find people who might have the same interests, work on building a good amiable relationship for a start.

Though happiness is solely within your control there is no harm to put into practice some or even all of these ideas. However if all efforts fail, you can always update your profile and start looking for the job, which will make you happy. After all being unhappy all the time and not doing anything about it will only ruin your health. And why should you choose to remain dissatisfied when you clearly have other options open?