engagement – Think Organisation

There are hundreds of books written about happiness: what it is, how to achieve it, why it is so important, and why happiness at work is crucial for performance. HBR (2023) highlight research which shows being happy can increase productivity by 13%, whilst being unhappy costs the global economy $8.8 trillion in terms of lost productivity. So if I asked you now, on a scale of 0-10 how happy are you at work? What would you say?

With 16 points to play for in Scrabble, making happiness has clear advantages. But what really is happiness? And can we be happy at work?

What is happiness?

Remember the last time you felt truly happy, have you ever felt truly happy? Have you ever felt truly content? When you think about it, defining happiness or when, where, if you were happy can be difficult. Many people don’t realise they are happy until they are not.

So here are the definitions:

Happiness: the state of being happy

Happy: feeling or showing pleasure or contentment

Which I will be honest, don’t really help. What is contentment or pleasure for one person, may not be for someone else. Plus is happiness a trait? Like ‘Bob is a happy person’, or it is a state ‘Bob looked happy this morning’, or is it a feeling ‘I felt happy this morning’. How often have you felt happy, because for example you got a good score or did something kind, only to feel less happy when someone else ‘out does’ your happiness. Comparisons can be so important when it comes to happiness.

Derren Brown wrote an amazing book called ‘Happy: why more or less everything is absolutely fine’ in which he outlines the history of happiness, defining happiness as a social and historical construct developed since Plato & Socrates (Brown, 2016). But by the end of the book, Derren has the reader questioning whether it is happiness that people should really seek. Afterall, if it is so difficult to define, or understand, how can we aspire to achieve it? Especially within the confines of work.

Happiness is an emotional state, characterised by positive feelings such joy, contentment, satisfaction and fulfilment, as well as life satisfaction.

How Do You Measure Happiness?

Currently, the World Happiness Report claims to measure happiness, after being established in 2012. Led by leading scientists, researchers and experts the 2024 report shows that USA happiness levels have dropped out of the top 20 for the first time since its inception. In reality, this measure focuses on a number of metrics – including health and wellbeing, wealth and perceptions as well as emotions linked to happiness. Yet this is not a viable option for people at work to utilise. So how can we measure happiness at work? Or should we?

No matter which definition used, happiness is positive when, or if, it is achieved. So having people who are happy at work is a definite bonus, imagine if everyone was unhappy at work? In fact, 19% of people across the globe report being unhappy at work (measured by low job satisfaction) according to Gallup (2022). So maybe it is not so difficult to imagine.

Why Does Perception Matter?

Happiness, or being happy, is linked to our personal perceptions. A perception is a belief or opinion based on how things seem. It can be held by an individual, or a group of people. Perception is the quality of being aware of things through your senses, it is how we understand the world around us. Our brains filter and select information, picking up on information we deem important. So perceptions can vary, because it is our brain which decided what we pay attention to. Which is vital for happiness, because in many ways happiness is what we perceive.

Think about focusing on all the good things you have. Spend time on this. Really think about it. Your brain will naturally feel slightly happier than it was because of this positive focus. So in some ways, you can move up the happiness scale – just be reading this article!

Controlling Happiness At Work

In reality, the only thing we can control is our thoughts and our actions. So often, especially at work, we focus on things we cannot control. What others think, how others behave, how rude people are, how much people listen to us, the list is endless. Whilst we may be able to influence some of these aspects, especially as a leader, focusing on what we can’t control is a one way ticket to unhappiness. So how do we increase our happiness at work?

1. Focus On What You Can Control in Your Role

Find aspects of your job which you can influence, focus your time and effort on these, as opposed to elements you can’t control. Deciding how you deliver tasks, how you develop your role is an opportunity to improve your happiness at work. No business, or leader, will be worried if you over deliver your role or job. Think about what the metrics of success are for your job, then work out, how you can increase these, do them faster or to a higher quality, or in a way which save resources. Focusing on what you can control will help improve your own happiness, as well as your effectiveness and efficiency. This will make your boss happy too.

2. Find Opportunities For Growth

This builds on point 1. Look at how you can improve, become more skilled, get better at delivering your role and learn new things. It might be trying different ways to deliver the same thing, or working out how to be more efficient. Find areas which interest you and can help improve your performance. With the advent of the internet learning has become more accessible than ever before. Look at how others have developed or progressed in similar jobs, keep stretching your mind and developing skills to improve your satisfaction and happiness levels. Humans were built to grow, this delivers contentment and creates positive emotions.

3. Look After Yourself

Being happy comes from being present, in whatever form that looks like for you. Having a good night’s sleep, eating healthy and focusing on your own wellbeing is crucial to this. It can be difficult to be happy and have positive emotions when you are in pain, tired or exhausted. But it is possible, many people overcome untold challenges and because they look after themselves manage to be content, satisfied or happy. Undertaking any physical exercise has been proven to raise ‘happiness’ hormone levels, but don’t be hard on yourself. Be kind to yourself. Do what you can.

4. Build Positive Relationships

Having meaningful conversations, connecting with your colleagues and working with others can all have a positive impact on how we feel at work. The degree to which individuals need this connection varies widely, so listen to others as well. The focus is building positive relationships at work. Connecting with people. Have people who support you, whilst you support others, helps promote a culture of positivity. Just smiling at another person has shown to lift how people feel, having a positive impact.

5. Work With Your Values

For many this is really difficult, as often we have jobs just to survive. But generally, it can be possible to work with your values. For example, different organisations have different cultures and produce different products. The key to working with your values, is that you focus on living your values every day at work. Offering to do projects, or help others, in the workplace which align to our values can really increase our perception, or feeling, of how happy and content we are at work. The small things, quickly add up to bigger things so go back to number 1 and focus on what you can control. How can you increase your role to become more fulfilling, especially if you are trained and experienced in your role, talking to your manager is always the first step.

And finally….

So, when we ask the question of whether anyone can be happy at work, think about what this really means, to you and to others. Having positive emotions, positive experience and focusing on what you can control is the start of achieving happiness, which will always ebb and flow throughout our life and experiences.

In the 1980s asbestos had been killing people in the workplace for years. The research was there, but it took years before governments would do anything about it. The same is true for the fine dust air pollutants which killed people working in the coal industry. Both of these issues are physical dangers, and thanks to health and safety legislation, our workplaces are now much safer. In theory. Today, stress appears to be the biggest killer of people in workplaces. Yet how can we protect ourselves?

The environment we work in is vital to maintain our well-being and health. In 2021, research showed that working long hours was associated with coronary heart disease (CHD), as was job strain. People who recovered from their first myocardial infarction who worked longer hours when returning were more likely to suffer a second infarction, compared to those that didn’t. And whilst correlation does not mean causation, it is important to understand this data. In reality, other factors such as smoking, higher alcohol consumption, and physical inactivity are also more prevalent in people who work long hours (Trudel et al., 2021).

Eustress and Distress

In fact, it is much more complicated as some stress is actually good for you. Yes, you heard that right. But it depends on the ‘type’ of stress. Eustress occurs when you are excited, maybe it is the first date or you are doing something you love? Whereas distress, which is what people are often referring to when they mention stress is the other end of the scale. Stress empowers people to get things done, without any stress we may never get anything delivered.

Another article tracked thousands of white-collar workers over 18 years. Job strain (with high psychological demands) combined with low-decision latitude showed a twofold increased risk of atrial fibrillation. So what can employees do if they think their job makes them sick?

1. Look after yourself

Getting enough sleep is fundamental to looking after yourself, although in times of distress this can usually be the first thing which declines. Worrying, focusing on the problems and trying to ‘get everything done’ can all reduce the amount of high-quality sleep that people have. Try to keep a routine, with a set time you go to sleep. A good night’s sleep can be key to ensuring you overcome times of high stress.

2. Take breaks

When we are busy, under pressure, or suffering in times of stress it can seem impossible to take breaks. Often we keep going, pushing through, missing lunch and breaks which is proven to be detrimental. Even taking a micro-break, which is a few minutes to get some fresh air, will help clear your mind and provide some breathing space, allowing you to be more productive.

3. Build a Support Network

Humans need humans. We are social beings so it is vital to build a support network in times of high stress. Talking things through with trusted people, or having trusted advisors you can ask for support from can help reduce the isolation people can feel when under pressure. In times of high stress, it can be difficult to focus, having someone to talk to is invaluable.

4. Be More Selfish

So often people are keen to please others, or behave in ways detrimental to their own well-being for the risk of offending others. In times of distress, being selfish and putting your needs first is vital. Saying no and being clear about your boundaries can be vital to ensure you manage through times of distress. You cannot do everything, no matter how hard you try. Talk to others, ask for help and maybe work with someone who can advocate for you?

5. Prioritise to reduce stress

Distress can arise when we have too many priorities and it can be difficult to see the ‘wood for the trees’. Listing everything you have to do is always a good start. I advise using post-it notes as then you can move around your list. Ask yourself is this really urgent? Is this really important? What will happen if I don’t do this? Being able to work fewer hours is the outcome, and often being able to say no can come back to being able to prioritise.

We understand how hard this can be, and if you are reading this and your internal voice is saying – ‘I wish‘ or ‘IF I could do that I wouldn’t be feeling this way‘ or ‘easier said than done‘. Then, it may be worth reaching out for professional support. Many workplaces have EAPs (Employee Assistance Programmes) which can provide support, and there are online solutions which can also help.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, more help can be found here.

Unlike the 1980s, when people were forced to work in asbestos-riddled environments, today we can have more control over whether we take on the distress which can make us sick. People respond to different stresses, for one person the stress of being a blue light first responder may be eustress, for someone else it could be distress. Understanding yourself is the start of ensuring your own health and wellbeing.

NHS help can be found here or reach out to us to improve the culture in your organisation. We recently helped reduce workplace stress by 45% based on employee feedback due to our work supporting job design and aligning teams across the organisation.

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What is Happiness? Can Anyone Really Be Happy At Work?