Business of Well-being

Happiness At Work

April Fools!

We had you going there for a second didn't we?

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The statistics are rolling in and the research says "yes." According to Sonja Lyubomirsky in her book called "The How of Happiness," happiness is a huge factor in the productivity of staff and employees. Scientific research says employees have the ability to be happy and can change 40% of their happiness levels.


That 40% is not by changing our circumstances but in changing our daily intentional activities. It is in our power to fashion happiness ourselves. The only person who has the power to make happiness is you. It is what we do or think in our daily lives. The secret lies in the 40%.


If we observe genuinely happy people, we will find that they do not sit around being contented, rather they make things happen. They pursue new understandings, seek new achievements and control their thoughts and feelings. Our intentions and effortful activities have a powerful effect on how happy we are.


If an unhappy person wants to experience interest, enthusiasm, contentment, peace and joy, he or she can make it happen by learning the habits of a happy person. "As Jim Smith, the executive happiness coach puts it "Happiness is a decision, not an event. He goes on further to makes some suggestions:

  • Smile.
  • Make a joy list.
  • Write down 100 things that make you happy.
  • Sit with a new co-worker at lunch.

Whether it is your personal or workplace life, most people look for happiness in all the wrong places. In your workplace, happiness is not found in a bigger paycheck, more flexibility or the perfect boss; it starts with you. What exactly is happiness at work? "Happiness at work is a feeling of happiness derived from work," says Alexander Kjerulf, author of Happy Hour 9 to 5. According to Kjerulf, happiness is:

  • Enjoying what you do and being proud of it.
  • Knowing what you do is important.
  • Getting to take responsibility for your work.
  • Making a difference.
  • Feeling motivated and energized.

Being happy makes a huge impact on our lives and we have a much higher quality of life overall. Is it any surprise that performance is better? Therefore, employees who are unhappy not only suffer mentally, but are prone to stress, depression and various diseases including heart disease and cancer. Happiness at work is different for everyone.


One worker's happiness is another's sheer misery. That is why happiness at work means treating everybody differently, because treating everyone the same only makes a very few people happy. It's contagious whether it is happiness or unhappiness in the workplace. One happy employee can lift the spirits of an entire office force.


One manager can spread a positive, happy atmosphere throughout the whole company. Unhappiness unfortunately is more contagious than happiness and can spread throughout an office quickly.Happiness is long-term. It is not about ignoring your responsibilities or duties.


It is about a long-term commitment, doing your best, being engaged in your work to make a difference in the company. Happiness is a goal.Here are some important reasons that happiness is the number one productivity and bottom-line booster. Happy people:

  • Work better with others. This translates into better teamwork, better employee relations, satisfied customers, and improved bottom line.
  • Are more creative. If people are in a good mood on a given day, they're more likely to have creative ideas that day.
  • Fix problems instead of complaining about them. When you're happy at work and you run into a problem - you just fix it.
  • Have more energy. When you are happy, you are more efficient, too.
  • Are more optimistic. Happy people have a positive outlook.
  • Are more motivated. Liking what you do gives you a great attitude and produces results.
  • Get sick less often. If you are happy at work, you tend to be healthy.
  • Learn faster. Happy people learn new things and thereby increase their  productivity
  • Worry less about mistakes - and consequently make fewer mistakes.
  • Make better decisions.

Happiness at work does not come from mission statements, corporate values, committees or workplace policies. It comes from things you and I do, here and now. It's not something we can do tomorrow or next week or next fiscal quarter. Happiness is something you have now ---or never.

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