Everybody wants to be happy - and that includes at work.

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The last few years have made many people reassess their lives and change what or how they work and even before the pandemic and lockdowns work-life balance was high on the agenda for lots of employees and employers alike. Working from home, flexitime, part time, side hustle are all mentioned in articles about getting the balance right including discussions around working less for less money in order to have more free time. However, as the cost of living begins to bite how many of us can afford to take home less money no matter how much time it might give us for more enjoyable pursuits?

Happiness at Work Manifesto — the Happiness at Work manifesto (click for full size)

Our new graduates have different aspirations from previous generations and a sizeable pay packet at the end of the month is not always high on the list. But equally the high-profile gimmicks of slides instead of stairs, funky coloured walls, office play areas and beanbags in place of chairs are not holding attention either as the recent viral "quiet quitters movement" suggests. This newly coined term describes people doing the bare minimum in their job often in response to high pressure and burnout.

There has to be a better way, a more productive way to be happy at work, and this is what this week the International Week of Happiness at Work is all about. The aim of this DIY movement is: "to work together to make Happiness at work the rule and not the exception. We do not mean to say that everybody has to be happy all the time. Or that happiness is the single responsibility of organizations. Happiness at Work is a shared responsibility."

Jobs where you can see you are genuinely making a difference and gain immense satisfaction for a successful outcome help no end in creating that feeling of being happy in your work. And nowhere better do you find that in so many of the countryside, wildlife, environmental education and outdoor jobs. So if you're looking for a new challenge, want a role that will impact future generations for the better, would like a job where you can actually see the difference made measured in metres of hedge laid as the sun sets, then see what's currently available in the UK countryside conservation sector. You can find out more about what the job actually entails in our Job Profiles section, each outline is written by people actually working in the field explaining exactly what the job entails, the qualifications and skills they need and offering a little advice to people looking at a similar career.

If you are working part-time, flexitime elsewhere and want some of these benefits without risking your regular salary you can always volunteer some of your time to do some of these vital tasks for our hard working charities, see what's needed here.