Your Workday Caffeine: How to Rediscover Joy at Work
Finding happiness on the job isn’t about chasing the perfect role. It’s about reshaping the one you have—starting with your strengths and your relationships.
The Spark
The other day, I ended a virtual meeting and typed to a colleague on Slack: “Those types of meetings are my caffeine!”
I felt wired, hyped, and amped for the rest of the day.
I’ve been working since I was about 13 years old and, for the most part, I’ve been lucky enough to look forward to my jobs and going to work. But I know that hasn’t been true for everyone. So how do we find happiness in our work?
The Challenge
In Psychology Today, Megan Dalla-Camina wrote:
“…in a world that often prioritizes productivity and financial success over personal fulfillment, it can be challenging to discover and maintain happiness at work.”
Don’t get me wrong—I don’t run around wearing rose-colored glasses. There were definitely times when overbearing board members or bumbling managers made me second-guess my career choices. But for me, those were the exception.
For many, unhappiness at work spills into the rest of life. Writer Alissa Jablonske described how stress wrecked her sleep, her health, her relationship—even caused her to lose hair.
In a word: misery.
Sound familiar? For a lot of people, it does.
Where Joy Slips Away
Experts offer long lists of ways to reclaim joy at work—from finding your passion to prioritizing rest. But let’s be honest, even reading that list can feel overwhelming.
So I’ll focus on the two strategies that made the biggest difference for me: find your strengths and build positive relationships.
1. Find Your Strengths
It’s easy to think of “strengths” as the things you’d put on a resume. But often the things that truly energize us are different: coaching, mentoring, connecting.
This is the essence of Job Crafting—proactively redesigning your role to align with what energizes you.
For years, I thought my satisfaction was about my accomplishments: projects completed, reports finished. The reality was that the moments that gave me that buzz weren’t on my to-do list. They came when a member of my team had an “a-ha” moment after we’d worked through a problem.
My satisfaction became tied to their success. It was a complete shift—from focusing on my own production to investing in my team’s development.
Try This:
Keep a note for one week with two lists:
Energy Givers — one task or interaction that energized you.
Energy Drainers — one task or interaction that left you depleted.
At week’s end, look for the patterns. Can you shift even a little more toward the givers? Small adjustments can make a big impact.
2. Build Positive Relationships
We think of work as tasks and deadlines, but it’s also a social world. The relationships we build—or don’t—shape the experience.
I learned this on a project years ago with a leader I’ll call David. He was a key stakeholder and had a reputation for skepticism.
Rather than waiting for sparks to fly, I asked if we could connect for 15 minutes before the kickoff. I didn’t push my agenda. I just asked about his team’s pain points and what a “win” would look like for him.
Months later, in a tense meeting where I faced serious resistance, David spoke up and reframed my point. He translated my idea for the room. He had my back.
That wasn’t luck—it was the result of a relationship I built before I needed it.
Try This:
The 15-Minute Connection — once a week, reach out to someone outside your usual circle. Ask about their work. Listen more than you talk.
The 5-Minute Favor — each day, do one small thing for a colleague: share a resource, make an introduction, or send encouragement. Small deposits build big trust.
The Takeaway
Reclaiming happiness at work isn’t about waiting for the perfect job. It’s about making intentional choices to redesign the one you already have.
For some, quitting—or “quiet quitting”—may have felt like the only option. But I hope after reading this, you’ll feel inspired to try these strategies first.
And if you discover your own caffeine? Share it. I’d love to know what fuels you.
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