Wellbeing at work for International Happiness at Work week
I’m Emma, I’m a Business Psychologist, Lecturer & qualified Executive Coach with a special interest in the behavioural science of leadership, coaching and wellbeing. I am delighted to have been invited to share with you ways to be more fulfilled at work. My approach is scientific, systematic and preventative. I hope you find it interesting and above all, useful.
How do you fill your days?
I recently came across the phrase ‘how we spend our days is how we spend our lives’. It reminded me how easily we can fall into living our lives on auto-pilot, waiting for the weekend or next holiday. The school children have embarked on a new term, the mornings have a fresh nip in the air when we step out of our doors, and the first of the geese are setting off on their long journey south. It doesn’t seem long since I was prising small arms into fresh new uniform and remarking how much they had grown and yet here we are again, another year flown by. It brought home the stark reminder that the days slip by quickly, often unremarkably, but perhaps we are missing an opportunity to make more of these small, unremarkable, yet still precious days.
On average we spend 90,000 hours at work which equates to around a third of our lives. You cannot argue with the logic of the Happiness Research Institute who ask, as we invest so much time in our work, why not find ways to feel better whilst we do it? On the face of it, this makes a lot of sense, yet in the UK, our statistics tell a different and worrying story. In 2023, employees reported increasing workplace demands, with 1 in 5 UK workers feeling unable to manage the stress and pressure in the workplace . Even if our own workplaces seem healthy and the work feels good, we are likely to be providing the emotional soundboard to perhaps our partners or adult children or friends who are experiencing the exhausting effects of toxic work. If this sounds familiar to you then you’re not alone. The good news is that there is something that can be done.
Happiness at ….. work?
We’re British, typically stoical, how do we feel about happiness at work? Is there anything we can learn from other countries? In his book, Danish author, Meik Wiking, author of ‘How to find happiness in and out of work’, points out that the Danish lifestyle is often regarded as the culmination of a perfect society, with their long summer holidays, hygge cosy culture, remarkable pastries and Lego Empire. The Times described Wiking as ‘Danish, dishy and the world’s happiest man’ so, Reader, we must assume he is on to something. However, there must be cultural differences at work too, as almost two thirds of the surveyed population reported high job satisfaction, with over half of those surveyed (58%) reporting they would continue working if they won the lottery. They can’t all work at Lego HQ, or be crafting beautiful pastries all day long, so what it is about these workplaces that make the difference, and more importantly what can we learn? According to the World Happiness Report (who ranked Denmark #2 and UK clinging on at #20), happiness is closely linked to social equality and community spirit. The Danes score highly on both, as well as trust and freedom, which are also important predictors of happiness.
It will be no surprise therefore to hear that these are very similar to the terms described in psychological well-being . This is characterised by positive relationships, having a purpose in life and mastery and autonomy over one’s environment. Increasing evidence suggests that higher psychological wellbeing is associated with lower disease and mortality risk, meaning that feeling better helps us live longer. There is further good news, in that psychological wellbeing can be improved relatively easily for anyone, whatever their age.
Of course, it is important to say that businesses must take responsibility for structural wellbeing, meaning there are enough workers to do the work, people can take their breaks, and finish on time and not be pestered outside of their contracted hours. The responsibility first and foremost sits firmly and unquestionably with employers and should be taken care of with the same sense of priority that businesses ensure their buildings are structurally sound and adequate risk assessments are in place. We wouldn’t even contemplate walking into a hazardous environment without PPE, the same level of thinking should be applied to navigating unmanageable demands and insufficient resources.
How to have more good days at work
The two important ingredients in psychological wellbeing are the subjective happy feelings, which boost our mood when we do something we enjoy, and the sense that we are spending our days doing things that have meaning and purpose. Here are some easy and proven things to try:
Create positive relationships
When I was a young aspiring psychologist working for NHS adult psychology services, the ‘office’ was a dilapidated four-story house. Every lunchtime it was tradition for the whole troupe, including the head of service, our two secretaries, and the rabble dynamic mix of eccentric, flamboyant, poised and salty psychologists to collect around the dining table for lunch, much like the ultimate blended yet dysfunctional family. Often insightful, frequently hilarious, I learned so much at that table (much of it unrepeatable!) but mostly I learned how valuable it is to make everyone feel included, no matter their pay grade. I’m not sure if it was deliberate but we were doing something similar to Denmark’s neighbouring country Swedish custom of fika, practiced by many companies, including Volvo. Fika is a dedicated pause in the day to make time for colleagues and friends and a little something to eat (back to the pastries again) which everyone from the janitor to the chief executive joins in with. Whilst back in the UK, the majority of us tend to wolf a sandwich at our desks. Taking short, regular breaks like fika can actually boost productivity, as well as refreshing the brain and strengthening relationships. Sweden incidentally came #4 in the world happiness index.
Finding purpose and meaning
The Danes have obscenely shorter working weeks, and yet, they leave work on time . As Helen Danes, author of The Year of Living Danishly says, “unless you’re Hillary Clinton (are you? *waves*) nothing terrible will happen if you actually go home on time. See family; take up a hobby: just clock off and get out.” Having said that, having work that matters to you whilst you’re there really does matter. It can be hard to find your purpose, especially if it’s not already immediately obvious to you. Perhaps you’re just starting out, or you’re not sure what’s next for you? Understanding what you value most is a useful first step. Our values act like a lighthouse in a storm, guiding our decision when the waters feel choppy. Values are also strong motivators for us to act. The New Happy has a illustrative, free download based on over ten years of research to get you started, if you’re ready to explore more. Once you’ve got down to your top five, consider how much you get to live those values every day. It’s likely that the higher the score, the better you will feel. If not, see if you can start to plan how you can build more valued based living into your day.
Once you’ve explored your values, exploring your strengths is a great way to both feel better at work and boost productivity. The more people report using their strengths to do what they do best, the less likely they are to experience stress (Gallup). The VIA institute has a free strengths finder tool which is personalised to you.
Finally….
Whilst in the UK, we may have a way to go to creep up the happiness index, it is encouraging to see there are many small things we can do, to make our days, and those around us, feel significantly better. Whilst the likes of lunchtime yoga and massage are nice-to-haves, there is little evidence they make any real difference, compared to the approaches above . The International Happiness Week theme for 2024 is “Building a Happier World Together.” In the wake of unprecedented global crises and challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, social inequalities, and political unrest, this theme shouts from the rooftops the collective effort needed to cultivate happiness and resilience on a global scale, now more than ever. Let’s do it together. Let’s start today.
Emma Farrell-Thew
September 2024
[1] [1] Personnel Today: Burnout, stress and mental ill health running rampant (personneltoday.com)
[1] [2] Ryff et al (2004). Positive Health: Connecting wellbeing with biology. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, 358, 1383-1394.
[1] [3] Denmark.DK: Denmark | One of the happiest countries in the world
[1] [4] Trudel-Fitzgerald, C., Millstein, R.A., von Hippel, C. et al. Psychological well-being as part of the public health debate? Insight into dimensions, interventions, and policy. BMC Public Health 19, 1712 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-019-8029-x