The Business Case for Joy: Why Happiness Matters and Starts with YOU

In the hustle and bustle of professional life, joy and happiness can sometimes feel like optional extras—things we’ll get to once the deadlines are met and the targets are hit.

But here’s the thing: happiness isn’t just the cherry on top of success; it’s one of the main ingredients. Arthur Brooks, the celebrated author and professor behind The Science of Happiness, shows us that happiness isn’t just achievable—it’s essential for performing at our best.

Happiness starts with you.

When you choose to prioritise your own well-being, it shines out and creates a ripple effect, positively impacting those around you. But to truly spread joy, we need to start by focusing on ourselves—putting our own oxygen mask on first. By making the change within, we can inspire and uplift others, creating a culture where everyone thrives.

Let’s chat about why joy matters at work and how we can intentionally create it to boost not only our own effectiveness but also the well-being of everyone around us.

Why Happiness is Key to Success

Science tells us that happiness has a direct impact on how our brains function. It helps balance our parasympathetic nervous system—the part that keeps us calm and focused.

When we’re happy, stress hormones drop, creativity flows, and we’re better at problem-solving.

It’s like giving our brain a superpower for clearer thinking, smarter decisions, and stronger communication—all of which are pretty handy at work!

Arthur Brooks highlights three key ingredients of happiness:

1. Enjoyment: Taking pleasure in activities that feel meaningful and fun.
2. Satisfaction: Feeling good about what we’ve achieved and the progress we’re making.
3. Purpose: Connecting what we do every day to something bigger that really matters to us.

When we bring these elements into our lives, the benefits spill over to those around us. Teams gel better, leaders inspire more effectively, and workplace cultures flourish.

Spreading Joy at Work

Happiness is contagious—in the best way. Studies show that when one person brings positivity into a room, it lifts the mood, morale, and energy of everyone there. This ripple effect creates a workplace where innovation thrives, collaboration improves, and stress levels drop.

So, investing in happiness isn’t just about feeling good; it’s about achieving great results and building workplaces that people are excited to be part of.

Three Ways to Create More Happiness and Joy

Want to bring more joy into your day-to-day? Here are three simple but powerful actions you can take:

1. Make Gratitude a Daily Habit

Start or end your day by jotting down three things you’re grateful for. Gratitude helps shift our focus to the positives, boosting resilience and satisfaction. At work, make it a point to share your thanks—whether it’s a quick “well done” to a colleague or a shout-out for a team achievement. Gratitude strengthens relationships and motivates everyone to do their best.

2. Nurture Your Relationships

Strong connections are at the heart of happiness. Take time to invest in relationships with colleagues, mentors, and loved ones. Set up regular catch-ups with your team or organise informal gatherings to build that sense of belonging. When people feel connected, they’re more engaged and more productive.

3. Find Your Flow

Flow is that magical state where you’re so absorbed in what you’re doing that time seems to disappear. It might be a work project you love, a hobby you’re passionate about, or solving a tricky challenge. Find those activities that energise you and encourage your team to do the same. Aligning tasks with strengths and interests makes work more enjoyable and effective.

Thriving Together

Happiness isn’t a distraction from achieving our goals—it’s a secret weapon.

By embracing the science of happiness and making joy a daily priority, we can transform not only our own lives but also the lives of those we work with.

Arthur Brooks reminds us that happiness isn’t a destination; it’s a skill we can all learn and practice. By focusing on gratitude, building strong connections, and finding our flow, we can create a ripple effect that helps everyone around us thrive.

So, as you dive into your next meeting or project, remember this: a happy mind is a high-performing mind.

Let’s lead with joy, focus on ourselves first, and watch the incredible impact it has on our work and our lives.

And when we get this right, everything becomes much easier.

The better it gets, the better it gets!

At Shine Executive, we love supporting organisations to create a high-performance culture by bringing out the best in their people. We can help your people succeed personally and professionally.

Our Neuroscience for Success, High Performing Teams, Sales Leadership and Psychological Safety workshops are here to help build cohesive, engaged, productive and effective teams.

We are here to help with speaking, consulting, training, conferences, coaching or offsite events and specialise in the following areas:

High Performing Teams | Leadership | Sales Training | EQ & Neuroscience | Financial Services Sales & Service | DISC Personality Profiles | Five Behaviours of Cohesive Teams | Positive Psychology | GROWTH Coaching

Our bespoke people and performance solutions are created to meet your unique business needs, time available and working environment - so if you have something that's important to you why not Book your free 30 minute call now to discuss. We'd love to hear from you.

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Naomi Oyston has more than twenty years leadership experience within the Corporate, Financial and SME Business sectors.? She has had extensive executive level success, with direct responsibility for leading the implementation and performance assessment of Customer Service Excellence, Sales Performance, Performance Coaching, Organisational Culture, Productivity and Leadership training within multiple major corporations.

Passionate, engaging and insightful, Naomi specialises in helping business leaders to create High Performing teams through a combination of mindset, toolkits and skillsets that are street proven to deliver results that matter.