3 Research-Backed Ways to Boost Happiness at Work Today

In 2012, the United Nations declared March 20th the International Day of Happiness, recognizing well-being as a universal human goal. But happiness isn’t just a global aspiration, it’s a workplace advantage. Research shows that happier employees are more creative, productive, and engaged, and less likely to experience burnout and leave.

In honor of the day, here are three research-backed ways to boost your happiness at work today:

Gratitude

Research suggests that recognizing and appreciating the good in our lives can increase well-being. In a classic study by Emmons and McCullough, people who kept weekly gratitude journals exercised more regularly, reported fewer physical symptoms, felt better about their lives overall, and were more optimistic about the week ahead than those who recorded hassles or neutral life events.

In the words of Oprah Winfrey, “Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough.”

Try this: Write down three things or people you are grateful for at work today. If you already do this and want to try something new, try mental subtraction (Koo et al., 2008): imagine that a positive part of your work life had never happened. Ask yourself: What if this team, project, or opportunity had never come along?

Kindness

Research also suggests that acting with kindness can increase happiness. In one delightfully fun study, participants were asked to spend money on themselves or on others. Most assumed that spending money on themselves would produce the bigger happiness boost. Self-care for the win, right? But the research found otherwise: the bigger happiness bump came from spending money on other people.

In the words of the Dalai Lama, “The basic source of all happiness is a sense of kindness and warm-heartedness towards others. We are all the same as human beings. We are born the same way, we die the same way, and we all want to lead happy lives.”

Try this: Pick one act of kindness today. Offer to mentor someone, take something off a colleague’s plate, hand out some free KIND Bars, or give someone their flowers by acknowledging their impact—whether in a meeting, over email, or one-on-one.

Friendship

The Harvard Study of Adult Development, the longest-running scientific study of adult life, found that the quality of our relationships, not status or wealth, is the strongest predictors of well-being and healthy aging. In fact, one could argue that social connection is a mediating factor in the positive effects of both gratitude and kindness.

In the words of Laurie Santos, Yale professor and host of The Happiness Lab, “Social connection isn’t just nice to have, it’s essential for our well-being. If I had to pick one thing you could do to be happier, it would be to improve and engage in social connection.”

Try this: Pick one relationship you want to deepen at work and invest in it today. Invite someone you enjoy to grab coffee, share something a little more vulnerable than usual, or gossip positively about them to colleagues.

Curious how to build more happiness at work? Reach out to learn about our Happiness at Work workshop!