Five Books to Help You Work Smarter (and Happier)
Happy Brain Science’s Top 5 Recommended Books for Thriving at Work
Note: This book recommendation blog post was originally written for and published by Happy People Better Business, a Netherlands based company that also teaches the science of happiness at work.
At Happy Brain Science, we empower organizations and individuals to boost happiness at work through the application of cutting-edge brain science and research. Through our work with clients around the United States and internationally, we continue to come back to the same recommended readings–we’ve listed and described each book below; and we encourage you to check them out for applicable strategies to increase your happiness, productivity, creativity, engagement and success at work.
The How of Happiness: A New Approach to Getting the Life You Want
Written by researcher Sonja Lyubomirsky and based on years of groundbreaking research, The How of Happiness is a comprehensive guide to understanding the building blocks of happiness and positive psychology. In Part I, Sonja speaks to the what and why of being happy, as well as the happiness myths that we tend to believe. In Part II, the book contains a variety of happiness activities that readers can apply to boost happiness and well-being, from practicing gratitude to committing to goals and taking care of your mind and body.
This book is highly recommended for anyone interested in positive psychology and happiness at work–it is data based, thorough, and practical—the best of the bunch.
Your Brain at Work: Strategies for Overcoming Distraction, Regaining Focus, and Working Smarter All Day Long
The purpose of Your Brain at Work is to teach readers about the brain and how to get better work from it. Author and leadership coach David Rock wrote the book much like a play, going scene-by-scene as the two main characters, Emily and Paul, experience many of the same challenges we all face at work.
Your Brain at Work is power-packed with stories, strategies, and research on the brain and how to maximize its abilities to do better work with yourself, with colleagues and with clients and customers—it is highly recommended to everyone, especially those seeking personal growth and effective change at work.
Mindsight: The New Science of Personal Transformation
Written by Dr. Dan Seigel, M.D., Mindsight: The New Science of Personal Transformation is focused on mindfulness and awareness, teaching readers strategies for how to use focused attention to mitigate inter- and intrapersonal conflicts. In this book, Dr. Siegel guides readers through lessons on the brain’s areas and functions, as well as through new discoveries in neuroscience. He then walks readers through case studies where focused attention was used to boost success and happiness.
Mindsight is a great read for those interested in learning more about the brain, and is especially fantastic for teaching readers how to harness the power of attention and mindfulness to rewire the brain for more happiness and better relationships.
Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Performance
Published in 1990 by one of the founding fathers of positive psychology, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Flow is the result of decades of research on “optimal experience”. As Flow says “The best moments usually occur when a person’s body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile. Optimal experience is thus something that we make happen.”
Tying games and work together, Csikszentmihalyi says work can be a better experience when it’s more like a game. “The more a job inherently resembles a game–with variety, appropriate and flexible challenges, clear goals, and immediate feedback–the more enjoyable it will be.” Flow is highly recommended to anyone who wants to achieve more peak experiences at work and in life.
12: The Elements of Great Managing
12: The Elements of Great Managing introduces the Q12, a set of twelve questions that Gallup uses to measure employee engagement. At the heart of the book is a chapter for each statement in the set, focusing on stories and research. Gallup’s extensive data suggests these 12 questions are key to measuring the things that make a performance difference, making this book recommended for anyone looking to increase engagement, productivity and happiness in teams at work.
Together these books create a comprehensive understanding of how you can retrain your brain, using findings from science and research, so that you are happier, more engaged and more successful at work.
What books for workplace happiness and thriving are your favorite? Let us know if the comments and join our Happiness @ Work Facebook Group.