Happiness traps and how to avoid them:

● Overworked? Set boundaries Ask yourself why you are working so much. Is it really because you have to? Or is it a habit? Put in some boundaries – when you want to work, how you want to work and then discipline yourself to stick to it.

● Chasing a pay rise over Check you insecurity

We all work for money. But the decision to choose money over happiness is fuelled by happiness? insecurity. Money, we think, will fool people into believing we are deserving of our success. Instead, see money as an outcome that follows our good work, rather than a goal in itself.

● Ambitious? Make sure its for the right thing

Ambition is good, but only if it is geared towards the right thing for you. Success isn’t really success when we define it as a win-lose, zero-sum game. Do something for the wrong reason and it can hurt our ability to lead effectively.

● Do something because you want to, not because you ‘should’

This trap is pervasive because it’s tied to how we learn to live in society and our organisations. But some of the cultural rules that guide us at work are outdated and destructive. One question to ask yourself is: do these rules that I am following fit with who I am – yes or no? If no, why am I doing it? ● Feeling helpless at work? Find a friend It takes blind faith and courage to take action when we believe we are unable to influence our world.

Find a friend who will be able to give you back a confident image of yourself, and who will support your beliefs and remind you what you deserve. — The Daily Telegraph