For many people, it’s normal to see work as something to be endured, not enjoyed. A large proportion of the workforce simply tolerate their work and assume that life really begins when the lights go out and the shutters come down in the evening, or alternatively at the weekend. The assumption is that work is about stress and necessity, while the rest of our life is where we derive true meaning and happiness.

However, that perspective does not survive scientific scrutiny. Evidence from psychology, neuroscience, leadership and management studies, supports a different view. Not only is it possible to find happiness at work but doing so is extremely beneficial at both an individual and organisational level. Employees with high levels of wellbeing do better on all fronts, from day-to-day productivity to levels of engagement, and this consistently benefits the bottom line for the organisation as a whole. In a climate where stress and burnout are on the rise, coupled with difficulties in staff retention, this is an area well worth considering.

People who experience high levels of wellbeing have an easy time feeling good, recovering

from adversity, and have close, supportive social connections. They believe that their presence in the world matters. Wellbeing and happiness do not equate to a brief emotional state like joy, amusement, pleasure or pride, nor can you arrive at happiness by stringing together a stream of positive experiences. It is more accurate to describe wellbeing as an elevated quality of life, where we both feel good and function effectively.

Wellbeing at work

Wellbeing at work can be described in similar terms. Feeling a general sense of enjoyment at work, being able to handle challenges & setbacks, connecting well with colleagues, co-workers, and customers, and knowing that your work matters to yourself, your organisation, and beyond.

With that in mind, high wellbeing at work has been correlated to just about every desirable outcome that individuals, workplaces, and organisations could hope for. Being happier at work is associated with better health and wellbeing, more creative and effective problem solving, more productivity and innovation, and better customer service ratings.

In the face of adversity and setbacks, people with high wellbeing tend to see the bigger picture, making them less stressed, better at coping with and recovering from work strain, and also better at reconciling conflict.

Socially, those with higher wellbeing at work are rated by others as more likable, more trustworthy, more deserving of respect and attention, and more effective leaders. In workplaces where wellbeing is a priority, people are also more helpful to each other and more supportive of one another during difficult times.

Organisations who focus on the wellbeing of their teams report less turnover, fewer mistakes and accidents, more efficiency, and quicker rebounds in the wake of adverse events or failures. They also earn higher customer loyalty and customer service ratings.

PERMA V

With a seemingly endless list of benefits for both the individual and organisation, the next obvious question is how can we foster, support, and build wellbeing at work? How can we make our work lives feel more satisfying, and something that meaningfully contributes to our overall happiness & wellbeing in life? There’s no single, simple answer to this question. However, positive psychology has identified six key pillars of wellbeing that apply to humans which are can be applied across all life domains and therefore apply to our personal, family or working lives. Positive emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, Achievement, and Vitality — or PERMA V all contribute to wellbeing in life and at work.

Studies report multiple ways to strengthen each pillar at work, through individual interventions and activities, the development of key social skills, changes in leadership style, organisation-wide initiatives, and changes to company policy. Through all of this the framework PERMA V offers a roadmap to help guide thinking about how to increase wellbeing at work.

Positive Emotions: Is your workplace conducive to the experience of positive emotions? Is there room for excitement, enthusiasm, and fun? Positive emotions are critical to boosting wellbeing and engagement at work. Apart from merely feeling good they promote creativity, collaboration and co-operation, making us feel more open and engaged with the people around us and the problems and challenges we face.

Engagement: Does your team generally enjoy their work or are they just going through the motions? One way to increase engagement is to give people more ownership over their day-to-day schedule, tasks, and professional development, and build in opportunities to learn and grow. Also, shifting away from a hyperbusy, multitasking, hectic schedule and making space for immersive, uninterrupted period of focused work can increase the experience of flow. This is more likely to be achieved in a well organised, structured, adequately staffed environment.

Relationships: How do you interact with your colleagues and those close to you? Do you consciously spend time and effort improving connections with colleagues? Employees who report having positive connections at work are not only more likely to be happier and healthier, but they also have higher levels of work engagement, productivity, retention, and job satisfaction than those who don’t.

Meaning: Does your work feel meaningful to you? Can you connect to the benefits that accrue to others as a result of your hard work & effort? Teams who are connected to a sense of meaning and purpose about their work are more fulfilled, engaged and exert more effort. Their work is not solely a source of income or status but is an opportunity for them to use their talents to contribute to the world.

Achievement: Do you regularly set meaningful goals for yourself & your team? People experience higher levels of wellbeing and engagement when they know where their work is heading and why it matters. Clear goals whether daily, weekly, or monthly give teams a sense of direction, progress, focus and achievement. When people have conflicting, or unclear goals and priorities, they become frustrated and demotivated.

Vitality: On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate the energy levels of your team, and what can you do to improve that number? There are many factors affecting vitality, including the ability to mentally detach from work. Psychological detachment can assist recovery from work-related stress, reduce burnout and emotional exhaustion, improve wellbeing, and boost overall life satisfaction.

Conclusion

Many people continue the internal narrative that work is something to be endured rather than enjoyed resulting in high levels of boredom, disengagement, chronic stress, and even cynicism. However, a different outlook towards work can be a game changer. A belief that happiness at work, like happiness in life, is a basic human aspiration and quite possibly the most attractive perk a workplace can offer. Research shows that wellbeing at work is essential to an organisation’s success, is entirely possible to foster, and is well worth the investment and effort.

Séamus Ruane is a community pharmacist and Positive Psychology Practitioner. Visit www.iThrive.ie for more information.