You can be happier at work — here's how from Fixable
Dr. Laurie Santos, a cognitive scientist and Yale professor, discusses how to become happier at work. She explores concepts like job crafting, the importance of a "best friend at work," and how employers can foster belonging and mattering to boost performance and company success.
Deep Dive Analysis
15 Topic Outline
Frances Frei's Caitlin Clark Game Day Ritual
Introduction to Dr. Laurie Santos and The Happiness Lab
Laurie Santos's Journey from Primate Research to Happiness Science
Lessons on Presence and Flow from Studying Monkeys
Defining Happiness and Well-being in the Workplace
The Counterintuitive 'Sweet Spot' for Free Time
The Individual Benefits of Being a Happier Worker
The Contagious Nature of Emotion at Work
Job Crafting: Aligning Work with Personal Strengths
Cultivating Human Connection and Belonging at Work
The Business Case for Investing in Employee Happiness
Key Factors for Employers to Boost Worker Happiness
Barry-Wehmiller's Example of Fostering Belonging During Crisis
The Practice of Keeping a 'Delight List'
Reflections on the Power of Belonging and Mattering
4 Key Concepts
Time Famine
A subjective sense of lacking free time, which can negatively impact well-being as much as self-reporting unemployment. It's the opposite of time affluence, where one feels they have sufficient free time.
Job Crafting
An approach where individuals actively shape their job description to infuse their signature strengths, values, and habits into their daily tasks. This practice leads to greater happiness at work and a perception of one's job as a calling.
Affective Spirals
The phenomenon where emotions are contagious, meaning an individual's mood can spread and influence the emotional state of others in a team or organization, creating either positive or negative emotional cycles.
Beautiful Mess Effect
This concept suggests that when people show occasional vulnerability or admit to needing help, it can actually make others feel more connected to them, rather than less, as it highlights their humanity.
7 Questions Answered
She pivoted from studying monkeys to human well-being after observing a crisis of depression, anxiety, and suicidality among her students at Yale, realizing psychology had much to offer in alleviating stress and burnout.
Monkeys tend to be very present, not ruminating on the past or worrying about the future, which teaches us the importance of being in flow and in the present moment for greater well-being.
Research suggests that having less than two hours or more than five hours of free time a day can be detrimental; the sweet spot is having structured amounts of free time for enjoyable activities.
Happier workers perform better, earn more money, come up with more innovative solutions, and contribute positively to the emotional climate of their team, fostering an 'affective spiral' of optimism.
Individuals can actively and intentionally connect with others by engaging in deeper conversations beyond surface topics and by asking coworkers for help, which makes others feel needed and increases connection.
A study correlating Indeed data with stock prices found that companies with higher employee happiness ratings consistently outperformed the S&P 500, NASDAQ, and Dow Jones, demonstrating that happier workers lead to more successful companies.
The biggest predictor of happiness at work is employees' sense of belonging, which is comprised of having a best friend at work, believing their work matters to the company, and feeling that they matter to the people at work.
15 Actionable Insights
1. Prioritize Personal Happiness at Work
Focus on increasing your own happiness at work because happier workers perform better, are more innovative, and achieve greater career success, including higher salaries and promotions.
2. Practice Present Moment Awareness
Strive to be in flow and present in whatever you are doing, rather than ruminating about the past or worrying about the future, to improve overall well-being.
3. Job Crafting: Infuse Strengths
Actively modify your job tasks and relationships to align with your personal signature strengths and values, which can increase job satisfaction and make your work feel more like a calling.
4. Intentionally Connect with Coworkers
Make a conscious effort to build connections with colleagues, as a strong sense of belonging and having friends at work significantly predicts happiness and better performance.
5. Engage in Deeper Conversations
Move beyond surface-level topics and engage in more personal conversations about feelings, values, and hobbies to foster closer connections and a stronger sense of belonging with colleagues.
6. Ask Coworkers for Help
Overcome the fear of asking for help from coworkers, as it allows them to feel needed, increases their positive emotion, and ultimately strengthens your connection with them.
7. Embrace Vulnerability for Connection
Allow yourself to show occasional vulnerability and express gratitude for help received, as this “beautiful mess effect” can foster deeper connections with others rather than making you seem less capable.
8. Improve Your Mood to Help Others
Recognize that your positive mood is contagious and can uplift your team members, making your personal happiness a mechanism for caring for others in the workplace.
9. Boost Mood Before Tricky Tasks
Intentionally put yourself in a good mood, such as by watching silly videos, before tackling challenging tasks to foster more innovative problem-solving.
10. Experiment to Find Your Sweet Spot
When given general advice, experiment with it yourself to discover what works best for your individual needs and preferences, rather than blindly following universal prescriptions.
11. Maintain a “Delights” List
Keep a personal list of “delights” – small or large things in the world that bring you joy and make you feel grateful – to regularly revisit and boost your happiness.
12. Leaders: Prioritize Belonging & Mattering
As a leader, intentionally focus on fostering a culture where employees feel a strong sense of belonging, believe their work matters, and feel they matter to their colleagues, as these are the biggest predictors of happiness and company success.
13. Foster Shared Sacrifice Culture
During tough times, implement shared sacrifices across all levels of the company, rather than layoffs, to foster a strong sense of belonging, meaning, and collective care among employees.
14. Hire Friends to Build Belonging
Consider recruiting friends together for teams or organizations, as this strategy instantly creates a sense of belonging and can model positive social connections for other colleagues.
15. Create Personal Game Day Rituals
Establish a specific routine for enjoyable events, like telling family members the schedule, setting up a comfortable viewing space with elevated feet, specific snacks (apple juice and pretzels), and ensuring personal space, to enhance the experience.
7 Key Quotes
I was never happier in my life than when I was out in the field studying monkeys.
Laurie Santos
Just not having any free time at all is as bad as that in terms of your happiness.
Laurie Santos
If you focus on becoming happier yourself on the job, then that will have a huge effect on your team members.
Laurie Santos
One of the main things that predicts happiness at work is a sense of belonging.
Laurie Santos
The happier companies wound up having better stock prices.
Laurie Santos
The top thing on the list was workers' sense of belonging at work.
Laurie Santos
Showing that you occasionally need help or and kind of being really grateful for that help winds up making you feel more connected to people, not less.
Laurie Santos
3 Protocols
Frances Frei's Caitlin Clark Game Day Routine
Frances Frei- Begin every morning at breakfast to tell the boys what time the game is on.
- Keep checking the clock and reminding others of the game time.
- Set up on the couch with feet elevated.
- Have apple juice and pretzels ready.
- Ensure a light is on and nobody sits right next to her, requiring a lot of space for movement.
Individual Actions to Increase Belonging at Work
Laurie Santos- Actively and intentionally try to connect with other people.
- Dive into deeper conversations beyond surface topics to foster closeness.
- Ask coworkers for help when needed, as it makes them feel needed and increases connection.
Employer Intervention for Employee Happiness
Laurie Santos- Focus on increasing workers' sense of belonging at work.
- Ensure employees feel that the things they do at the company matter.
- Ensure employees feel that they matter to the people at work.
- Promote situations that can increase friendship at work, especially in remote environments.