8 Ways To Be Happier (and more productive) At Work
Do you think how much you earn is the best predictor of happiness at work? It’s not. In fact, according to Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman in First, Break All the Rules (1999) money was never even mentioned as a source of workplace satisfaction by the 80,000 managers interviewed.
“Most people make the mistake of thinking that success leads to happiness. In fact, our brains work precisely the other way around,” says Shawn Achor, formerly of Harvard University and founder of Good Think, Inc. It’s actually a positive approach that “gives rise to resilience, energy, and the ability to influence other people—all things that create success.” (Quote from an interview with Anne Fisher, posted on the Internet August 3, 2009).
In his book, The Happiness Advantage (2010), Anchor says happiness and optimism actually improve every business outcome, as well as improving intelligence, creativity, accuracy and energy.
Dr. Simon Lutterbie and three colleagues conducted research released in 2010 to examine the effects of the 2008-2010 recession on employee happiness and productivity. Their questionnaire had 2,400 respondents (48% male, 52% female) across 66 countries, but with majority of respondents (45%) in the US. To no one’s surprise, they discovered that happiness at work significantly decreased in this time period, the percentage of time spent “on task” also decreased, and sick leave increased significantly from October 2008 through July 2010.
If you are interested in participating, the researchers are continuing to collect data on engagement and happiness at work here: http://www.tinyurl.com/SoHaWSurvey1
Dr. Lutterbie and his colleagues list 5 drivers of happiness at work:
- Contribution: the feeling of making a difference;
- Conviction: motivation in the moment to perform a task;
- Commitment: overall dedication to work;
- Culture: the social environment at work; and
- Confidence: the belief in one’s abilities to “get the job done.”
Unfortunately, he does not address a sixth C, “Control,” that I see as truly important, as in whether the work itself is within the control of the worker, or to what extent external factors that are not within the worker’s control (like an overall economic downturn, positive or negative life events) impact happiness at work.
Conclusion: The happiest people at work were the best performers, while the unhappiest were the worst performers. Happiness at work had a strong and lasting impact on productivity, performance and the potential to advance in the workplace. Happiness reduces stress, which increases productivity and results in less sick days. So, it’s a win-win for employer and employee.
What can you do to make yourself happier at work?
- Laugh often: Take time out for a joke, a funny blog, a silly picture and the neurons in your brain process information more quickly, helping you think more clearly.
- Block out productive time: Work in increments of 45, 90 or 120 minutes, depending on the nature of your job, and make sure to give yourself at least a 5-minute break in between tasks. Stand up from your computer and touch your toes, eat a carrot, walk around the block, or step outside to call a friend. In other words, go off-task.
- Decorate your space: If you are living in a gray cube, dress it up with color, photos, or bright plastic toys, provided you associate these things with positive emotions. Don’t go overboard and clutter up you area or you will defeat the ability to think clearly. A little goes a long way.
- Write down negative emotions: Strangely enough, writing down the bad stuff, from serious trauma to mere irritations, can reduce the impact of negative emotions.
- Increase your social network: Women live longer than men in part because they rely on close friends to help them through hard times. Everyone can benefit from good relationships with family and friends to keep work in perspective.
- Keep learning: From mastering new computer skills to reading journal articles, this will keep you from stagnating in your career, and keep you happier.
- Journal life goals: The health benefits of writing about being your “best possible future self” were well-documented by Laura King in 2008. Take time to consider who you want to be.
- Be grateful: Make sure you include one to three things in your gratitude list each day that relate to work, even if it is as simple as someone offering to get you a cup of coffee.
The truth is that happiness is not based on the external world but the lens through which we view it. Make yourself more successful by deliberately practicing happiness.
Hillary Hutchinson, M.A., M.Ed., is a certified career coach specialized in helping people manage major life and work transitions. Contact her via her website, www.TransitioningYourLife.com
Tags: happiness, happiness at work
