Pursuing happiness at work, you may be thinking of changing careers, as I did just over one year ago. My first advice is: try before you buy! Too many of us try to think our way into a new career. We decide on a plan that includes going to graduate school. Once we start graduate school, read more…
What if we could game our way to happiness at work? Recently I have become more and more fascinated with that question and started working on a happiness game. It seems like the natural thing to do when you have been living and breathing video game design for years. Stay tuned for more on the read more…
With millions of us working from home at least some of the time, it’s important to do it well. Telecommuting can be awesome or awful, depending on how we manage it. From a science of happiness perspective, I offer you these three brief productivity tips. For geeks like myself, I have included links to in-depth read more…
Note: This article was originally published in Positive Psychology News Daily. Visit the PPND website or contact me for a list of references. Until recent years, the story of your brain was pretty discouraging. When I was getting my degree in Cognitive Science in the 1980s, I was told what you may have heard: you read more…
I am a geek. I love technology, programming, design, and other nerdy delights. I’ve worked with geeks for most of my career, and love working with them! I was recently asked for input on managing geeks, and specifically for help addressing myths about geeks. I would love to hear your thoughts about these: Myth #1: read more…
I met with a friend and former colleague yesterday, who said he thought he had trust problems on his team of (mostly) engineers. What might I suggest to help build trust on the team? I love this question because it’s so important. Trust is the foundation of teamwork in many experts’ eyes; see Patrick Lencioni’s The read more…
If you are a geek–as I am–then you love learning more about the latest science. I love it so much I decided to make a career out of learning and teaching the science of happiness and the mind! Despite my passion for new knowledge on this subject, I find it challenging to find the time read more…
If you walk around the block for just five minutes, are you more likely to resist dessert at lunch, stay focused on a difficult task, or resist yelling at a colleague? Can you exercise your way to better self-control and will power? If you’ve heard me present or read some of the books I recommend, read more…
“Money can’t buy you happiness, but it can buy you a yacht big enough to pull up right alongside it.” – David Lee Roth While that’s a funny quote, it’s not terribly accurate according to the science of happiness. Long story short, money helps many individuals, families, and countries to be happier, but it typically doesn’t read more…
To boost your happiness at work next week, would you choose: A) A good but ordinary lunch with a different colleague every day for one week; or B) Grinding through lunch alone at your desk each day for four days, then a special delicious lunch out with a colleague one day? Thinking about the San read more…