How to Boost Happiness: Make a Community Table
Discover how making a community table at work can help you build better relationships in the workplace and have more friends at work. Join Scott Crabtree, CEO of Happy Brain Science, on a journey through 100+ science-based solutions from our Choose Happiness @ Work card game! This post features the solution “Community Table.”
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Gather ‘Round: Create a Community Table at Work
This Choose Happiness @ Work card says, “Community Table: Slide together most of the smaller lunch tables at work. Provide at least one large community table where various people can gather. Because happiness is largely social. By eating with others, you relieve stress, boost mood, and improve brain function.”
Indeed, Harvard scientist Daniel Gilbert says, if you had to boil the science of happiness down to one word, that word would be “social.” And yet, many of us can feel antisocial at times. We need a little nudge to get connected with our colleagues. It’s too easy to go find a tiny table by yourself in the lunchroom at work.
All for One, and One for All!
So the suggestion is, slide a bunch of those little tables together. Make a big, long community table. Data has suggested that organizations that have big community tables–and therefore nudge people to getting into casual conversation over lunch–enjoy happier, more engaged employees. Because happiness and engagement are largely driven by quality relationships.
So, I hope you’ll consider trying–experimenting–with a community table at lunch or sitting down at a table with other people next time you go to lunch.
I’d love to hear how it works out for you. Please share in the comments.
Thanks for choosing happiness with me.
(This post is part of a series about science-based solutions featured in our card game & facilitation tool, Choose Happiness @ Work.)