Few people find happiness in what they do for a living. It doesn’t have to do with the job necessarily. You could be an underpaid gardener but still love to pick at plants all day. The important thing is to approach your job with great attention to a particular set of defining elements that dictate whether or not you’ll be happy there. According to Travis Bradberry, co-author of Emotional Intelligence 2.0 and President at TalentSmart, there’s a whole bunch of things you could do to be happy at work. Even if your job stinks.

Bradberry cites a study by Gallup according to which just 13% of us consider ourselves to be “happily engaged at work,” that those who do rate themselves as happy are 36% more motivated, six times more energized, and twice as productive as the unhappy bunch, and that 50% of happiness is influenced by genetics, while the rest is up to you. Since the poll was reportedly carried out on no less than 180 million people, we can safely assume that the numbers are indeed accurate.

“When it comes to making yourself happy, you need to learn what works for you,” writes the emotional intelligence expert, who is a frequent contributor to Entrepreneur and Forbes. “Once you discover this, everything else tends to fall into place. And making yourself happy doesn’t just improve your performance; it’s also good for your health.”

Photo by Artem Bali on Unsplash

TalentSmart has tested the emotional intelligence (EQ) of more than a million people, which helped them to accurately determine what drives high-EQ people and how they keep their brain healthy. The firm has managed to isolate not one, not two, not three, but a whopping 16 different ways that the emotionally intelligent make their work day better for themselves. You could apply just one and still lift your spirit tenfold, according to Bradberry. Here’s the list below, and I’ll let the author himself explain each one in part over at his original post.

1. Remember That You Are In Charge of Your Own Happiness

2. Don’t Obsess over Things You Can’t Control

3. Don’t Compare Yourself to Other People

4. Reward Yourself

5. Exercise During the Work Week

6. Don’t Judge and Gossip

7. Choose Your Battles Wisely

8. Stay True to Yourself

9. Clear the Clutter

10. Give Someone A Hand

11. Let Your Strengths Flow

12. Smile and Laugh More

13. Stay Away From Negative People

14. Laugh at Yourself

15. Cultivate an Attitude of Gratitude

16. Believe the Best Is Yet to Come