The Science
Of Happiness, In Four Simple Work Habits
One
happiness researcher believes we’re all capable of becoming happier in our
jobs. It just takes a little bit of deliberate practice.
There might be many reasons why your job makes you miserable.
Maybe your work is boring, your manager is terrible, or your company just has
awful benefits or a crappy work culture. If you aren’texperiencing
any workplace malaise, bravo! You’ve hit the jackpot.
But if you crave more satisfaction at work, you don’t necessarily
need to find a new job or escape your boss. According to Dr. Emiliana
Simon-Thomas, a happiness researcher at UC Berkeley, where she teaches a popular edX course called “The Science of Happiness” and serves
as Director of the university’s Greater Good
Science Center, we’re all capable of making ourselves
happier at work–we just have to, well, workat it.
“Some people have a greater capacity for happiness than others
do,” Simon-Thomas recently explained to me, mainly because of genetics or life
experience. But she claims that “if you want to maximize your potential for
happiness, there are things you’ve got to do.” Here are four habits everyone
can practice in order to feel happier at work no matter what.
1. INTENTIONALLY SAVOR THE GOOD TIMES
Simon-Thomas poses the question: “How likely are you to say,
‘Yes,’ when asked, ‘Did you enjoy your day at work?’ Two individuals can face
the same set of challenges, and one will leave the workplace invigorated, and
the other anxious or depressed.”
“Our days at work, as in life, will rarely be uniformly
pleasurable,” she continues. “Such times do exist. When you
find them, appreciate and cherish those stretches.” It’s easier said than done,
and Simon-Thomas recognizes that. “More often than not, workplaces are
pressured and challenging,” she adds. But it’s “those who can laugh at their
foibles, be mindful, advocate for their own ideas, and dwell on what has gone
well [who] will thrive on those challenges,” she explains.
“They realize creative solutions to those setbacks” thanks to the
positivity they’ve built up and taken time to appreciate when good things do happen.
2. FIND (OR CREATE) THE PURPOSE IN YOUR WORK
The people who are happiest in their jobs, says Simon-Thomas, are
“driven by a higher purpose.”
There’s plenty of data to back this up, even outside
Simon-Thomas’s field of happiness research; we know, for example, that a sense of purpose is fundamental to
the psychology of motivation.
“People whose daily activities are guided by or framed in accordance with their
sense of purpose are happier in life,” Simon-Thomas points out, yet that sense
of purpose is not something we define strictly by ourselves.
“It really matters to one’s happiness at work that [one’s]
organization has a mission or overarching ethos about what they do and why it
matters,” she explains. Managers need to help team members see “why their
contributions matter and how their activities advance the goals of the
department, the company, and the world at large,” says
Simon-Thomas.
Obviously, that doesn’t always happen. So if
you feel like a “cog in the wheel,” she suggests, take steps to
“reframe your work.” You can also try talking it through
with your boss: Ask your manager to help you connect the dots between what you
do and what the company puts out into the world. Otherwise, consider becoming
more intrapreneurial in your existing role. Create something
new–a program, a service, an event, or a project
that has an impact you can actually witness.
“Or if you can’t find a match between your values and your current
position,” says Simon-Thomas, “seek it out in another role.”
3. IMPROVE YOUR RESILIENCE
The third attribute of happy employees, she continues, is
resilience, “the ability to recover from adversity that might seem overwhelming
[to others], and keep on going.”
Let’s say, despite your best efforts, you’ve flubbed an important
project and your boss has made her displeasure known. You could lash out
defensively, stifle your shame, retreat, and decide that in the future you’ll
steer clear of major projects–and your boss. Or you could respond as
Simon-Thomas would advise: “Take a few deep breaths, remind yourself that this
episode is temporary, and reflect on the external circumstances that
contributed to it.”
This simple mindfulness exercise can help you become more
resilient in facing similar setbacks–which, after all, is inevitable. “With all
that in mind,” says Simon-Thomas, “make it clear to yourself and to others that
you’ll do better next time.” Carrying this positive outlook forward will help
you avoid dwelling on past failures–and feel happier about opportunities to
grow.
4. PRACTICE KINDNESS
The fourth habit to practice, says Simon-Thomas, “is social
connectedness, the ability to build relationships with others.” Happy employees
feel like they’re part of a team they trust and that supports them in return.
How do you develop this sense of connectedness? According to Simon-Thomas,
“it’s by tapping into our innate kindness, taking a genuine interest in others,
and showing more empathy, compassion, generosity, and gratitude.”
“Kindness,” she notes, “also entails being willing to reconcile
interpersonal conflict. Workplace apologies garner respect, and forgiving
others relieves stress, strengthens closeness, and creates a sense of
belonging.”
These are all basic interpersonal skills that we’re taught in
kindergarten but don’t always keep working on as grown-ups–in part because our
jobs don’t always encourage that. As Simon-Thomas argues, “in the workplace the
culture of hierarchy and stoicism is incredibly ingrained. And all those things
make it much more difficult for people to trust each other and treat each other
in a respectful and supportive way.”
But, she believes, practicing kindness is one of the simplest and
most effective ways to break down those norms–no matter how stiff or stale your
work culture may be–and become happier in the process. Chances are your efforts
will be contagious, making the people around you happier, too.
BY JUDITH HUMPHREY
https://www.fastcompany.com/40554865/the-science-of-happiness-in-four-simple-work-habits?utm_source=Greater+Good+Science+Center&utm_campaign=65e33d993e-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_GG_Newsletter_May+16+2018&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_5ae73e326e-65e33d993e-51482775
No comments:
Post a Comment