How To Develop A Happiness Advantage At Work

On almost every measure of performance, happier people do better at work than those with a more negative mind-set. By understanding why this should be and what you can do about it, you are armed to develop your own happiness advantage at work.

We tend to think that happiness follows success: "when I get the new job I will be happy" or "I'll be happy when I get this project finished on time." Well, we are happier but only for a short while until the next challenge or desire emerges.

In fact it's the other way around; success follows happiness. An analysis of 225 academic studies, by researchers Sonja Lyubomirsky, Laura King, and Ed Diener showed strong evidence that higher life satisfaction leads to successful business outcomes.

Science gives us some clues why this might be the case. When we are dissatisfied with our lives we tend to be more stressed and anxious and this has a physiological effect. The part of our brain that processes threats-the amygdala-is active and cuts off resources from the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for a wide range of performance factors. Happier people are better able to:

Deal more constructively with criticismResolve complex problems betterBuild relationships through improved social skillsSee the big picture and think creativityCreate and articulate compelling visionsMake their case through better verbal reasoningBe more trusting of others

Raising your happiness advantage
In some ways your brain is like a muscle; you can train it to be more positive by daily exercise. The exercises for the brain though involve developing new habits. Even in adulthood the brain is quite malleable and new habits create new neural pathways that over-write old mind-sets.

Developing new habits can be easier than you think. Taking just a few minutes each day to practice a new habit can have an amazing effect on your happiness advantage. Here are some habits you can practice. You don't need to do all of them. Just pick one and stick with it for at least 3 weeks.

Note three things you were grateful for each day.Write a positive message to someone in your social support network.Meditate at your desk for two minutes.Exercise for 10 minutes.Take two minutes to describe in a journal the most meaningful experience of the past 24 hours.

When Shawn Achor, CEO of Good Think, tried this with a group of managers and evaluated the outcomes, he found that the managers who did this scored significantly higher on all metrics than the control group. And the effect lasted for months.

So, what's stopping you trying it for yourself? Have a good over the next few weeks and see what difference it makes.

Mike W Bell has over 15 years international experience teaching people how to be happy. You will find this expertise here http://www.mutualinspiration.co.uk/behappy/ Learn about his free 8-part Strengthen Your Inner Happiness course here http://www.mutualinspiration.co.uk/behappy/strengthen-your-inner-happiness/

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