Have you ever wondered why some people are happier at work than others. Whilst everyone wants to be happy at work it often appears as though this is an impossible ask, a vision, rather than a reality for many.
Before we consider how we can achieve this let’s focus for a few minutes on why being happy at work is so important. Writer Annie Dillard famously said,
“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.”
For many of us, a large portion of our days are spent at work; in fact, the average person will spend 90,000 hours at work, over a lifetime. That’s approximately a third of your life at work – suddenly the importance of happiness at work is crystal clear, happiness at work not only affects your job but can have a huge impact on your overall quality of life.
And it’s not just employees who want to be happy at work, for employers there is huge benefit. Conventional wisdom holds that if employees are paid enough, they’ll be productive, but of course it is just not that simple. We know from our understanding of neuroscience that the brain works much better when a person is feeling positive, and we know that a state of happiness drives positive emotions; financial incentives alone aren’t enough to make for productive employees. For employers’, happiness is the ultimate productivity booster, that’s because happy people:
- work better with others.
- fix problems instead of complaining about them.
- have more energy,
- are more creative, optimistic, motivated, and healthy (i.e., they take fewer sick days);
- worry less about making mistakes (and then actually make fewer mistakes);
- learn faster; and
- make better decisions.
If you want to get more done at work, the productivity gurus out there will tell you that it’s all about having the right system. You need to prioritise your tasks, you must keep detailed logs of how you spend your time, to do lists are, of course, essential and you must learn to structure your calendar and much, much more. But that’s not where you should start. You should start by liking what you do.
The single most efficient way to increase your productivity is to be happy at work. No system, tool or methodology in the world can beat the productivity boost you get from really, really enjoying your work.
Think back to a situation where you felt that you were at peak performance. A situation where your output was among the highest and best it’s ever been. I’m willing to bet that you were working at something that made you happy. Something that you loved doing. Now imagine having this feeling for a third of your life, that is definitely something worth fighting for.
Now comes the crunch, whilst your employer might be aware of the power of employer happiness, they are not responsible for your happiness – you are.
“Happiness depends on ourselves.”
Aristotle enshrines happiness as a central purpose of human life and a goal in itself. As a result, he devotes more space to the topic of happiness than any thinker prior to the modern era.
So how do we achieve happiness at work?
In essence happiness has three distinct sources – Our Genes, Our Environment and Our Actions.
Our Genes: Some people will be born with a set of genetic variants that makes it easier to feel happy, while others are less fortunate. Some scientists argue that this is the biggest source, perhaps 50% or more, but it is scientifically very difficult to prove. But whatever the percentage is, its fixed, it’s part of us and we can’t do much about it.
Our Environment: Our environment continually influences our lifestyle, our decision-making process and the way we interact with the world around us. Each one of us has an innate awareness of our surroundings which impacts our happiness.
Our Actions: Such as life skills, habits or behaviours. What we do and how we do it can have a positive impact on our happiness. We can change this source of happiness.
Given that you have no control over your genetic makeup, let’s focus on the other two, if you are unhappy at work then it could be that the environment you are working in and the skills and behaviours you are being asked to undertake are not suited to you. If you are reading this at work, feeling unhappy, then this probably resonates with you.
Take some time to consider these questions:
“What three words best describe you as an individual?”
and
“What is it about you that leads to your happiest times and best performance at work?”.
By answering these questions, you are embarking on a journey of self-awareness.
Self-awareness seems to be the latest social media buzzword, but for good reason. Having self-awareness gives us the power to influence outcomes; helps us become better decision-makers and gives us more self-confidence. When we are self-aware, we make better decisions, have stronger relationships, and communicate more effectively. We can be better at our jobs, and with it more satisfied in our private life as well.
Most people believe that they are self-aware, but self-awareness is indeed a rare quality. Studies show that only about 10% to 15% of the population are truly self-aware. Luckily, self-awareness is something PRISM Brain Mapping can help with.
Let’s think back to the three sources of happiness – Our Genes, Our Environment and Our Actions.
We can do nothing to affect our genes, however through PRISM we can discover the work environment which would be best suited to us, our preferred behaviours and how much we use these at work. If we are predominantly using our natural, preferred behaviours at work then that will instantly reduce stress and frustration.
Greater self-awareness will also influence your future actions, you will be able to consider your options and the impact of your choices. Having identified your strengths you will be better able to make choices that align with your goals, values and preferences and move on from old habits and patterns that led to bad choices. Self-awareness will empower you to ask the right questions which will help you recognise the best course of action and communicate your intentions with clarity. Understanding your own thoughts, feelings and motivations can only help you make decisions that align with your values and goals which will ultimately lead to a happier and more positive future.
