Scientific data clearly shows that happiness is contagious – and so are negative attitudes. In graphics showing the distribution of happier and less happy people, you will find obvious clusters of happiness and unhappiness–not a random distribution. But in what direction do positive and negative attitudes spread – and can we influence it? An audience read more…
We can all easily list external factors that will take the joy out of work. Unrealistic deadlines, a constantly negative team member, or construction noise are all obviously destructive to a good mood. Chances are, we each have our own habits that put us in a bad mood – and these internal factors are often read more…
Do you ever play at work? Should you? If you are a regular reader of this blog or participated in a Happy Brain Science workshop, you know that I ground virtually everything I say in science. You also know that was a game designer for much of my professional career, and maybe you’ve heard me read more…
It’s that time again: New Year’s resolutions. The science of happiness tells us New Year’s resolutions are a worthwhile ritual. Goals are vital to motivation, engagement, and happiness, at work and beyond. Statistics suggest that people who explicitly set goals are ten times more likely to reach them. Still, while up to 62% of Americans read more…
Gratitude beyond Thanksgiving. The month of November calls for a focus on gratitude, but the topic is actually an evergreen in neuroscience and positive psychology, relevant all year. By now, several scientific studies have been indicating the effectiveness of so called “gratitude interventions” in increasing our level of happiness. A gratitude intervention is simply an read more…
First of all, I mean passion for your work, not your colleagues! If you want help getting passion with your colleagues, you want a different blog! 🙂 Passion for your work is about energy and meaning. It’s getting energized by your work, and finding–or creating–the meaning in your work. Start with some basics. As I read more…
I’m excited to share some of the amazing things I learned at the International Positive Psychology Association World Congress in Los Angeles. I presented a poster titled “Hacking Into Happiness: Habits for the Workplace.” Please click the preview image on the left to request a copy, and stay tuned for my upcoming book with a similar theme. read more…
As a former programmer, I’m very familiar with “hacks”: short-cuts or tricks to get something working better. You may be familiar with “life hacking“, using a similar approach to finding novel ways to improve life. I want to extend that concept to create “happiness hacks”. Happiness hacks are simply new ways of boosting happiness at read more…
I’m delighted to introduce a great guest blogger to you today. Jill Nelson is the founder and CEO of Ruby Receptionists. Ruby is the #1 best small company to work for in the U.S! I sat down with Jill and asked her how she’s built a wonderful place for people to work. Enjoy the video read more…
A recent study showed only one in five of us is taking a real lunch break. Several studies suggest the productivity benefits of actually taking a lunch break. According to the science of happiness, the best possible lunch break is to exercise outdoors with a friend. This gives us three happiness and brain-function boosts: 1. read more…