June 21, 2017
3 Ways to boost your happiness and productivity during summertime
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According to a worldwide Gallup study, only 13% of people are happily engaged at work. That leaves a whopping 87% of workers who aren’t happy or emotionally committed to their jobs. Surely with the summer season right around the corner and with vacations, beach breaks and sunny BBQ’s on the horizon, our happy vibes should permeate in the workplace?
There’s almost universal belief that you don’t have to be happy at work to succeed or be productive. But research by positive psychologists like Shawn Achor is turning this theory upside down, with academic studies showing that a positive mindset results in 31% higher levels of productivity. Happy, engaged people are better workers. FACT. They process information more effectively, think more creatively and make more accurate decisions. So, the best way to unleash your potential and that of your team is to first maximize your own happiness and wellbeing.
Being happy at work shouldn’t be a rarity. There are many ways you can enhance your good-time feeling at work. Here are just a few tips to put a smile on your face this summer season.
1. Get to know one another
No matter how much we might like to work alone, we humans are social creatures at heart. Liking your co-workers and enjoying their company is the cornerstone to creating a fun, trusting and cooperative workplace. In a job satisfaction survey by the Conference Board research group, ‘people at work’ is cited as a key determinant of job satisfaction, with 60.6% of workers saying it makes them happier in their vocation. A good friendship network acts as a worker support system and promotes an open environment for resource and idea sharing.
Encourage friendship-building in your team through off-site play days or social lunches. Make the most of the warm weather and take a walk outside with your colleagues, and use this as a chance to bond with each other over an ice cold lemonade. (Trust me, you’ll feel refreshed when you return to the office.) Continue to build friendly connections with one another and use the Comments and Messaging feature in DropTask to stay in touch and share helpful information, all to make that working day that little bit less stressful.
2. Always look for the good
Research by Harvard professor Teresa Amabile and psychologist Steven Kramer reveals that one of the best ways to boost positive vibes while on the job is to make progress on meaningful work. Having a gigantic work goal ahead of you can feel overwhelming. But there are lots of small steps you can take each day or week to move you forward and increase your enjoyment on the journey. But when the view outside of the office window is teasing you, cracking on with work can sometimes take a backseat to daydreaming about summer plans.
Thinking positively and maintaining motivation are some of the key factors in maintaining happiness at work. While motivation pushes you forward to succeed, a positive frame of mind will help you to overcome obstacles that may stumble upon your path. Fuel your drive to keep moving forward and take a glance at your Completed Tasks. You’ll want to avoid spending too much time looking back, but you can review a library of all of your accomplishments which may just provide you with a boost of encouragement to keep going. Combined with a rush of feel-good hormones, you’ll be determined to get back to the work at hand which was pushed aside after the sun made its long awaited appearance.
3. Brighten up your workspace
Look at how your workspace is organized. Is it attractive and vibrant? Is it cluttered? Is it dull and drab? You’ll be surprised by how much your physical surroundings can affect you on a mental and emotional level. Take the outside for instance, studies show that warm weather not only boosts our creativity but makes our brain more mentally fit. Bring in the joyous feelings from outside and do some rejuvenating to get rid of the junk on your desk and purify your office space. Ditch messy paper to-do lists and notebook planners and consolidate all of your tasks into DropTask. As new-agey as this all sounds, the process of de-cluttering signals respect for your work environment and brings in a fresh, positive energy.
Quick tip – Research shows that colors not only affect our mood, but also have a profound impact on our productivity. Decorate your workspace with DropTask’s unique color palette to stimulate your creativity. Next, encourage your team to customize their workspace by adding Cover Images to tasks. With a tweak here and a splash of color there, it can do your mood the world of good.
Maintain your productivity and happiness this summer with Ayoa. New to Ayoa? Discover more and sign up for a free trial today here: www.ayoa.com/signup
How do you stay happy at work? Share your tips in the comments below and help others find something to smile about.