Opinion | International Day Of Happiness: Is Workplace Bliss Achievable?
The thing about ‘happiness’ is that it’s bound to fluctuate and will look different for different folks. To make things truly work, cultural context, demographics, location, nature of work and other specifics will have to be accounted for
It’s a Monday morning and I turn on my laptop. As soon as I log in, I am hit by a barrage of emails … many of them reeking of the ChatGPT brand of verbosity, flowery language, and much ado about nothing! One of them catches my attention, announcing the ‘International Day of Happiness’ on March 20. It set me thinking about the idea of happiness at workplaces.
Skimming through my emails, I realised how we have all become accustomed to receiving gentle reminders on otherwise not-so-genteel communications. Emails opening with “Hi! Hope you are well", often followed by a tone and contents sufficient to make you unwell; and finally closing with the “Kindest regards" after delivering a rather unkind blow. Jokes apart, it is ever so common to breeze past colleagues waving a greeting, accompanied by “How are you?". Very often, one has already walked past before the person could possibly offer an authentic response. In the unlikely scenario where this innocuous question was to elicit a genuine response detailing the other’s problems, the situation would be less than ideal.
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As the world marks International Day of Happiness on March 20, here’s a gentle reminder to organisations and fellow members of the workforce alike that workplace happiness and well-being calls for scratching beneath the surface. Doses of happiness delivered via khushiyon ki home delivery (read Friday pizza parties), bright yellow cafeterias, chirpy red and purple-hued recreation rooms, and once-in-a-year Zumba sessions may be good but not good enough.
All these measures look to add a touch of the ‘pleasant’ stuff. But there’s more to happiness. And thankfully so! Us thinking-feeling beings seek something more beyond hedonic pleasure (hence the eat, drink, and be merry model has limited utility), and its impact begins to dwindle sooner than later. In fact, even if we factor in more robust carrots and incentives (something like a lavish spread of food at work every day, an extra day off each month, or a better annual raise), we as humans are hardwired for hedonic adaptation.
Simply put, humans just tend to get used to the good stuff and their accruing happiness returns to baseline.
Much like the trending ‘Good Vibes Only’ signage at entry doors, these kinds of measures to promote employee happiness are often disconnected from the reality of the whole spectrum of emotions that are integral to us all. We may dress up and show up, often carrying the baggage of various strains and pressures as we walk into our workplaces. For those working remotely, the situation has its own nuances and nuisances.
So, what then? A more fulfilling recipe for happiness at work (and beyond) ought to feature a sense of engagement and purpose too. Research suggests that the best ways to boost happiness tend to be the ones that focus on long-term self-improvement and on deepening connections with others.
This also points to another important aspect. The onus of workplace happiness lies not only on the workplace, but on individuals themselves too. Truth be told, this is not just commonplace wisdom, but perhaps the only sustainable solution. To keep things in context, I am, for the moment, steering clear of the ‘inner work’ one may undertake to channelise their own energies, strengths, and difficulties to attain Zen and bliss. We are also, of course working with the premise that happiness is indeed a worthy pursuit, and here are some concrete research-backed elements that can be a great starting point.
Engagement, not the one signalled by a ring on the finger (the jury is still divided on how that one impacts long-term happiness). Individuals could strive for engagement at work by fully utilising their skills, and attention for a challenging task, aimed at experiencing a ‘flow’ state. Employers, managers, and personnel departments of organisations could facilitate this process by creating better alignment between people and jobs where possible, offering role diversity and rotation.
Next come healthy relationships. Sure, we don’t go to work to make friends. But having trusted interpersonal relations at work is a huge plus. Courteous, amicable and supportive work networks at all levels can often be the magic sauce. What a lack of these can do, we all know too well.
Interestingly, ‘caring and sharing’ is also the theme of the latest World Happiness Report (a collaborative output of Gallup, the Oxford Wellbeing Research Centre, and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network) to be released by this month. The theme for the latest edition spotlights benevolence and empathy as integral dimensions of both individual and national happiness. So next time you think of acts of kindness or empathetic colleagues, remind yourself that it is more than bells and whistles. This is often the real good stuff.
Purpose and meaning is another solid pillar of happiness at work. This one perhaps is not easy or quick to come by, but look around at those who have managed to define this and you can see how far-reaching its implications are. Psst, it comes easily to you when you look beyond yourself and focus on a larger cause or others.
This discussion cannot be complete without a mention of health. Health and happiness go hand in hand, and we are talking here about physical as well as mental health. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), depression is the leading cause of illness and disability globally – leading to monumental losses of workdays and revenue.
It is a no-brainer that health is a precursor for, as well as an outcome of happiness at work. And here, charity does indeed begin at home.
No matter which coloured collar job you identify your employment with (there’s white, blue, yellow, gold –the list goes on), if one is part of an organised workforce meeting, the basics of health and wage- ‘happiness at work’ ought to be a real pursuit on the table. And no, I am not living in la-la land advocating cakes when one can’t afford bread, but trying to emphasise the value of happiness as a means to an end (greater productivity and performance); and also, an end unto itself.
The thing about ‘happiness’ is that it’s bound to fluctuate and will look different for different folks. To make things truly work, cultural context, demographics, location, nature of work and other specifics will have to be accounted for. It is also essential to steer clear of the idea of toxic positivity that often disregards anything besides the shiny, glossy, cheery end of the emotional spectrum.
Stress, rejections, failure, angst, anger and the whole gamut of less than ‘happy’ stuff will always be there, but here’s to the idea that we do not lose sight of our individual and collective happiness as we chase personal and organisational goals. Blame it on the beautiful spring air that is making me too optimistic, but may we prioritise happiness enough to make it part of personal and organisational goals.
Pulkit Khanna is Professor and Dean at Jindal Institute of Behavioural Sciences. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18’s views.
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