Happiness in everyone’s life can be defined as a different thing. In the work place it could be working with some great people and feeling appreciated or it could be as simple as the company providing great coffee.

One thing is certainly true, not all of us love our jobs. In fact job engagement according to Gallop Research shows around 87% of employees worldwide are not engaged at work. It used to be all about getting paid well, but now employers are starting to look outside the box because we are finding that when companies invest in employee support and satisfaction – the end result is usually happier workers.

According to Shawn Anchor, author of “The Happiness Advantage” the brain works much better when a person is feeling positive”. This positivity can have be beneficial to employees by assisting them with better problem solving skills to become effective collaborators and eventually this can lead to greater levels of profits.

Harvard researchers found that relationships and mindfulness matters A student with strong social support, at school and at home was generally happier and better at dealing with stress. Carrying on these practices as we get older is key to being happier in your work life and can lead to developing better leaders. The University of Warwick also tested the idea that happy employees work harder and they found that happiness made people 12% more productive.

Some suggested practices that are currently implemented are:

Mentoring and supporting co-workers
Reflection on appreciation or gratefulness

Determining how many resources to provide and which of these are the most effective requires more research, however, recognition of this subject is gaining momentum and shows us that there is a strong belief that we can find the right formula to help people be happier at work.

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