If you’re feeling demotivated and need a boost at work, you could try adopting the new trend of “quiet thriving”.
No, it’s not like “quiet quitting”, where you avoid going above and beyond for your role – nor is it like “let it rot”, where people do the absolute minimum. But it’s not about slogging your guts out either.
Instead, this new wellbeing-focused trend encourages people to “take specific actions and make mental shifts that help you to feel more engaged on the job,” according to Lesley Alderman, a psychotherapist who coined the term in a piece for The Washington Post.
And it seems like this is exactly what we need right now. According to the State of the Global Workplace report published in September last year, only 21% are engaged at work, and just 33% of employees are thriving in their overall wellbeing.
So, how do you actually embody this trend?
Reset your thinking
The key comes down to being more positive about your job itself.
“If you approach your role with a negative mindset at the start of each day, you will only be able to see the parts of the job that you dislike and will overlook the positive aspects,” said Gosia Bowling, the national lead for emotional wellbeing at Nuffield Health, according to Metro.
“By changing perspectives, you can create a greater sense of meaning in your everyday work.”
Have more fun
Try to motivate yourself by replacing unhelpful habits with things which will make you feel more positive like exercising on your lunch break or joining a new work club so that it feels less of burden.
Alderman recommended “fun breaks” where you take 10 minutes to do something pleasurable each day during work time – studies suggest this can actually help you be more productive after.
Make friends
In the same vein, it’s good to build more friendships with your co-workers, to create a more relaxed, enjoyable environment (and helping to relieve any potential boredom).
Joining workplace groups or committees can be a great way to meet people if you work in a larger organisation and want to widen your net.
Focus on a cause
“People tend to feel better when they take action,” said Alderman.
The therapist recommended finding something (work-related, of course) that’s important to you and talking to your boss “in a friendly collaborative way” about making a change – whether that means flexible work, fewer meetings or a different way of working.
Try ‘job crafting’
Try to make your job more appealing by speaking to your managers and seeing if you can focus on the parts of your role which you like the most, suggested Bowling.
Not only can this improve your attitude toward your work, she suggested, but it can “lead to further opportunities to complete tasks that you enjoy – and allows your manager to have a better understanding of your strengths”.
Draw a line between work and the rest of life
It’s important to look after yourself and put boundaries in place so that it doesn’t feel like your job takes over your whole life.
For instance, ensure you have your entire lunch break and don’t look at your emails during downtime.
This includes actively finding hobbies which help you take your mind off work so you feel like you have some semblance of balance.
Keep your achievements under wraps (until complete)
Quiet thriving relies on being able to self-motivate without others holding you accountable, suggested Pippa Ruxton, a career and leadership coach at Polygon Coaching.
“If we share our goals it can trick the unconscious brain into believing that they are already achieved,” she told Metro.
She suggested making sure you can work independently, and then only talking about your achievements when you can actually tick them off your to-do list.