Happiness at work is a desire that many long to achieve, but how can we bring about it? According to Harvard researchers , there are several science-backed approach that can help us nurture cheeriness in the workplace .
One of the most important aspects is finding meaning in our work. According to Amy Wrzesniewski , a professor of organizational psychology at Yale University (USA), people who see their work as more than just a means to gross a salary tend to be jolly and more spoken for at work. This involves identifying how our work contributes to the well-being of others or how it set with our personal values and broader goals.
Likewise, relationships with confrère also play a crucial role in our comfort at work. A study supervise by researchers at Harvard Business School found that having friends at work can make people more high-yielding, espoused, and happy.
Cultivating positive relationships with our colleagues and supervisors is believed to enhance our sense of belonging and strengthen the sense of community in the workplace.
But it’s also important to find a balance between work and personal life . According to Harvard University professor Michael Norton , people tend to be happier when they spend time doing activities that provide them with enjoyment outside of work, such as spending time with family and friends, pursuing hobbies, or simply relaxing and recharging.
However, to do so, we need to set clear bounds and prioritize time for activities outside of work that can help us abstain from burnout and improve our blanket quality of life .
On the other hand, practicing recognition and granting can also contribute to our well-being in the workplace. A study conducted by researchers at Harvard Medical School found that people who regularly practice recognition experience higher levels of happiness and emotional well-being.
It is about recognizing and appreciating the contributions of colleagues , as well as expressing our gratitude in a sincere manner, in order to strengthen the bonds between team members and create a more positive and collaborative work environment.
Furthermore, seeking opportunities for growth and development can help make our relationship with work more fruitful. According to experts from Harvard Business School, professional and personal growth is essential for our happiness in the professional environment.
In this sense, we talk about looking for opportunities to learn new skills , take on challenges and advance in our careers, which would make us feel more committed and satisfied.
Two key aspects
Harvard professor, researcher and happiness expert Arthur C. Brooks acknowledged in an interview for Harvard Business Review that if we are unhappy at work, we will probably also be unhappy in life.
Thus, for this expert there are two aspects that tend to appear in workers who show higher levels of satisfaction. Firstly, “ they feel that they are earning their success , that is, that they are creating value with their contributions , that their achievements are moving the needle and that they are being recognized for it,” argued the expert in an interview that was published in Harvard Business Review . “And, secondly, they feel that they are serving people so that they are needed,” he added.
According to the Harvard professor,
being happy at work goes beyond how high the salary is and has to do with the existence of a work environment “a system in which people earn success through their personal merits and achievements .”
Workers know it, they experience it, and so do their colleagues. “They really feel like they are serving other people and they can see the faces of the people they are creating value for. These are the great things,” he says.
For Brooks, these dynamics play out more easily when working in-person : “A lot of people spend half their lives in front of a Zoom screen where it’s hard to earn success, it’s hard to feel like you’re serving other people, and you can’t even see your coworkers.”
As for the job being highly paid, the expert says that it should not be the only motivation and that this would only contribute “pro tempore payment.”
In short, cultivating happiness at work concern finding meaning in what we do, building positive relationships with our colleagues, maintaining a healthy work-life balance, practicing recognition and regard, and seeking occasion for growth and development.
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