I’ve written previously about not bringing your personal dramas into work. However, today I thought I’d turn things around and discuss how it can be beneficial to bring the good things you’re doing into the office. You don’t need to share everything, mind you, but enough that your coworkers, clients, and supervisors know that you’re doing well.

Happy Home Life, Happy Work Life

One of the benefits of doing positive things with yourself off duty is that the good mood it brings you carries over into your work life. That’s one reason why it’s worthwhile to work to live, not just live to work. A life filled with diverse activities–family, friends, hobbies, learning–keeps your mind stimulated and prevents boredom.

Right now I’m doing a lot of walking, as is usual, but also working hard to read a lot of books on my long-neglected “wish list.” My favorites include science fiction, philosophy, history, space technology, science, and general literature. The books I’ve wanted to read range from the serious and sublime to the rude and ridiculous, but they’re all things that I’ve flagged to enrich my mind and my understanding of the world. I like books that challenge me and get me to think.

Another thing I like to do is travel, so I’m giving serious thought to where I might go (and how much I can afford to spend) to experience something interesting when I turn a certain round number next year. Planning and research for a real-world activity make me happy.

As a result of these efforts, my mood is perking up. We all have stretches where things aren’t going as well as we would like, and I’m no different. So if you find activities that motivate you, you’re willing to share them with other people and become a more interesting person to be around.

Just Avoid TMI

Occasionally you might encounter people who are doing things that make them happy but really aren’t appropriate to share in the office. In America, those usually revolve around sex, politics, and religion. Maybe throw in recreational substances. Honestly, a lot of folks don’t want or need to know where or how much you partied over the weekend. Did you find a good beverage recipe or brand? Or did you find a resort or club that was fun? Maybe feel free to those. 🙂 Also, if you’re in a drug-free or security-conscious workplace and you’re doing things that aren’t quite legal, you might not want to be doing or blabbing about those activities, right? As a good friend of mine likes to say, just showing concern.

Likewise, the intimate details of your honeymoon or a weekend getaway with a significant other, for example, might be better shared outside the office.

Bottom line: you can bring your good mood and outside enthusiasms into the office, but you are there to work and there is such a thing as TMI (Too Much Information).

Hope you’re finding something to make your days better!