Encouraging kindness at work leads to money and mental health

Imagine that the company you work for decided to reward you with 75 riyals on the condition that you pledge to spend the money I really can. You can pay your cell phone bill, go to a restaurant, or even buy a bottle of wine. Now, let's say the company gives you the same amount of 75 riyals, but you are forced to buy a gift To a coworker. Which of the two initiatives would it be? You Do you have a better job performance in the future?

Because Harvard scientist Mike Norton conducted a similar experiment, only in euros – 15 euros, to be precise. The result: those who received the personal bonus returned €4.50 to the company in “extra productivity,” so to speak. Those who bought gifts for their colleagues brought in 78 euros in return.

In another study, Norton found that spending Any quantity Being with another person increases our happiness. in other words: Represent Buying someone a gift – not its value – is what contributes to happiness.

These are just two of dozens of pieces of evidence proving this Positive social spending Investing money in other people is a cheap way to “buy happiness” at work. Fortunately, hundreds of scientists have been studying interventions to increase people's happiness and results in the corporate world. Below are some of the most impactful results.

Gratitude

Martin Seligman of the University of Pennsylvania revealed that encouraging people to write letters of gratitude to those who have helped them in the past produced huge mental health gains in one experiment.

The most significant benefits occurred when participants delivered the message PersonallyWhich shows that the real effects of gratitude are intensified in… Offline world. Taking advantage of opportunities to thank colleagues is one of the shortest paths to happiness.

cooperation

Sonya Lyubomirsky from the University of California conducted a study in which a group of participants were encouraged to do this Perform acts of kindness For co-workers, such as holding the elevator door and grabbing a surprise coffee. The kindly treated employees began to cooperate 278% more With your peers.

But the best is yet to come: By measuring the happiness of all participants, scientists discovered that those who had the biggest gains were those who… Actions have begun. This means that helping increases your happiness more than receiving help.

relations

Scientist Elizabeth Dunn conducted research on why people should eat a meal with their friends. One group needed to put their smartphones on the table, while the other group had to leave them in another room.

When phones were on the table, people were more distracted and reported enjoying conversations less.

Relationships are The main indicator of happiness for a personSo the simple way to be happier at work is to treat everyone who comes through your day with great care and kindness, while leaving your phone out of reach so positive interactions are possible.

+Read also: Formulas for happiness: There is a lack of evidence for most of them

Find Happiness

Although everyone wants to be happier at work, you may have noticed that this is not an easy task, mainly due to the fact that the interventions presented here do not give us the impression that they will lead to happiness.

Being happier is like going to the gym: expecting activity does not generate pleasure. But after months, we were able to understand the benefits that this activity brought us.

The advantage is that, in order to build your own happiness, you do not need to pay a monthly fee: plans start with an investment of zero SAR. How about trying?

*Louise Jaziri, professor of behavioral sciences and author of The Science of Happiness