Why is happiness in the workplace important?
Maybe you question whether you should spend your time making sure your employees are happy at work. Afterall, you are not responsible for their happiness and even if you were, how would you start to make them happier, short of giving everyone a promotion and crippling your bottom line. So, how are you supposed to make your employees happier? First let’s consider the concept of happiness in the workplace a little further.
Many people mistakenly believe that success leads to happiness. They work hard to gain that promotion then wonder why, after a short time their baseline of happiness has returned. The truth is success doesn’t lead to sustained happiness but happiness leads to sustained success. The figures show that a happier workplace leads to greater levels of revenue growth and more successful and engaged employees.
How do we create a happier environment at work?
Short of telling you, you should hire me to generate more happiness in your workplace, let me tell you how I would go about improving the levels of happiness and wellbeing in your workplace.
Firstly, I would address what is keeping your employees held back from happiness at work. Do they see their work as just a pay cheque and a means to pay the bills or do they see a greater purpose in what they do. If they can’t see how they contribute to society and to others in their office I would make this apparent to them by identifying key aspects of contribution that they are unaware of. My work is about giving individuals a sense of purpose. It inevitably leads to a greater sense of achievement, engagement and happiness, not to mention improved bottom lines.
It could be as simple as making them feel heard which is such an important component of happiness. I would then encourage that they identify where they make others feel heard in their working life and contribute to another’s happiness and wellbeing. Small things that contribute to the happiness of the organisation should be rewarded and nurtured. It’s not about monumental changes, that’s disruptive. It’s about making several small changes to daily behaviours in the office.
Stress
Stress deserves a title on its own. Stress has to be mitigated at all costs. Maybe it’s a case of being more compassionate as a leader in an organisation. But stress breeds stress so it can be difficult. All employees should be encouraged to take time off work with the expressed goal of completely switching off for a period of at least a week. If you don’t like taking holidays then I would suggest you get in the habit. It’s best to take four weekly holidays a year. That way, every 3 months sees you get a week’s holiday and complete switch off. Don’t see it as wasted time away from the office as you will inevitably perform with far more grace and professionalism if you are permanently well rested. Furthermore, you will be less stressed and more able to cope with the inevitable curve ball. Stress is also a cause of early deaths, so you improve your longevity by taking regular breaks.
Take regular exercise
I cannot stress how much exercise contributes to happiness. When we exercise chemicals called endorphins are released which make us feel joyful. You’ve probably noticed how good you feel after exercise. It’s not a coincidence. In fact, it’s science.
You can encourage your employees to get into shape my offering them incentives. Research local 10k or even marathons which can give people a goal and purpose as well as having an impact of their wellbeing. Furthermore, it will give people something to talk about and to work together towards improving relationships in the workplace, which will again improve levels of happiness. Organising something like this has a great many advantages.
Conclusion
There are many small things, that if done right, can improve the levels of wellbeing and happiness in the workplace. This improvement in workplace happiness ultimately leads to better profits and a more functional workplace. If you want to work with me as your corporate happiness coach, then please organise a free hour’s consultation by clicking a link on the website. Together, we will put together a plan to make your workplace a happier and more profitable environment to work in.
Alternatively, you may want 1:1 personal coaching. This is also available through the website.