Do you dread going to work because of a difficult coworker? Are you frustrated by a lack of understanding and communication at work? Research has found that our brains are wired to get along with each other. In fact, relatedness is one of our primary social needs—and when we don’t feel connected with our colleagues we tend to be more stressed out and less engaged at work. To increase compassion in your workplace, apply the following Happy Brain Science research-based suggestions
Face Fears to Boost Your Brain at Work
Courage is the ability to do something that frightens us, and science tells us that how we face fears has a substantial effect on our well-being. Stress and fear are often found together, and when we get scared or stressed our amygdala can largely take over our brains, deciding between fight, flight or freeze, which isn’t always best for brain function. In the workplace, facing your fears may not only boost your brain, but can also improve relationships, productivity and happiness. How can you overcome the negative effects of fear while boosting your brain at work?
Let Go to Thrive; The Science of Forgiving
Let go and forgive. These words are so easy to say, but for some of us–including me–these actions can be hard to do. In fact when someone does something to us that we perceive as inappropriate or unfair, many of us become vengeful. That’s natural, and to be clear, unpleasant emotions such as anger can be read more…
“Mind the GAPs” to Engage Yourself and Others
How do you get, or become, an engaged employee? Engaged employees are enthusiastic about their jobs and organizations; they go the extra mile. Peer-reviewed data suggests that organizations with high engagement enjoy much greater financial success than organizations with low engagement.
Fight Cynicism; Choose Optimism.
Letting yourself become cynical may be hazardous for your health! Optimism on the other hand, is associated with higher levels of happiness and health. To counteract cynicism, scientists recommend being “actively optimistic”. Read more to learn how.
Stress for Success – Not all stress is bad stress.
Science tells us that how we cope with stress has a huge effect on our well-being. For most of us it’s difficult to be stressed and happy at the same time. Our naturalfight, flight, or freeze response is not usually the most helpful reaction at work. What do you typically do under stress? How much read more…
What Leaders Can Learn From Game Design, Part 2: Relatedness
Self-determination Theory suggests that Autonomy, Relatedness, and Mastery are vital human motivators, whether we are talking about working in the office or playing a video game. Every brain in the world is different, but for most of us most of the time, we would rather play games with others than alone. As the title of a just-published study puts it, “Fun is more fun when others are involved”. Science confirms, time and again, that relatedness–connecting to others and feeling something in common–is a key internal motivator.
Building Better Relationships Boosts Happiness.
In the Science of Being Happy and Productive at Work I teach that warm relationships may fuel happiness more than any other single factor science has found. When you invest time and attention in your relationships, they improve, and that improves your happiness. You also improve your coping ability because you have more social support. read more…
Turn Over-thinking Into Action with Awareness.
Do you find yourself playing the same scenario over and over again in your head? Do you find yourself fretting about a situation–hypothetical or not– that hasn’t even happened yet? Are ruminations from the work day impacting your home life? Learn the key steps to turn this pattern around.
Get Into Flow to Boost Happiness at Work
If you have ever experienced being in the “the zone”, when everything is clicking and time seems to disappear, you have likely been in ‘flow’. Flow is that almost-magical-state-of-mind during which you become completely absorbed in a task or activity that is challenging, but possible. When you are in flow you make less mistakes, you are more read more…