One of the many benefits of attending the ICD conference are the fantastic sessions offered. One of the sessions, The Science of Being Happy & Productive at Work by Ayla Lewis, is full of ideas that I want to share.
Ayla shared various studies that showed that happier people are healthier and more creative, energetic, productive, resilient, cooperative, social, and engaged at work. Wow! I know that when I feel upbeat, positive, and grateful, I can more easily stay focused and not fearful. Who knew this is really backed up by science. Ayla’s four main points were:
Practice Positivity:
Science tells us that when we practice positivity by being optimistic, visioning our best possible future, and focusing on the positive, our happiness factor increases.
2. Flow to Goals:
Make sure your goals have milestones. Savor and celebrate the progress. When you focus completely with no multitasking for about 20 minutes or more on a task that is challenging but possible, you end up in a state called flow. Multitasking can ruin that flow and make you miserable and stupid.
3. Subdue Stress:
Science states that how we cope with stress has a huge effect on our well-being. Even how we think about stress is important. We can see that some stress is good. Stress gets our heart beating and we breathe harder. This can get us moving toward reaching a goal. It is important to use effective coping strategies, however. The strategies that Ayla named were physical exercise, connecting with a friend, mindfulness mediation, and viewing stress as energizing.
4. Revitalize Relationships:
Prioritize people. Happiness is contagious. We all have mirror neurons which give us that ability to understand each other and catch emotions from each other. It is important to interact, forgive, be kind, and express gratitude. Even just acting like a happy person can make you and others actually feel happier!
For more depth on her presentation, check out http://firstround.com/article/Heres-Why-Founders-Should-Care-about_Happiness.
Jonda S. Beattie Professional Organizer
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