TRAINOLOGY: Can Simple Fun Change Your Happiness?

I recently discovered “100 Humans,” on Netflix, where three hosts test 100 different people of all different ages, races, sizes, etc... on various theories around human behavior. One very interesting episode on happiness wanted to see if groups had more fun creating something as a team for fun or for money. The first group of people were told that a cash prize would go to the winner but the second group was simply told to build something as a team for no reward other than fun.

So who ended up happier?

Interestingly, being creative for the sake of creating made people looser and more expressive, thus having more fun. This means that while earning money is fun, the road to earning that money isn't; so happiness isn’t achieved when money is the lonesome reward.

In a study across 48 countries, psychologists Ed Diener of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Shigehiro Oishi of the University of Virginia discovered that people rated happiness as being more important than other highly desirable personal outcomes, such as having meaning in life and becoming rich. Given the current COVID-19 situation, happiness still rates highest although there is a steep incline towards financial security.

Happiness and fun levels are being tested around the world whether by stress and the environment working at home or personal challenges around COVID. Having fun and pursuing creativity is critical now as it will help you discover positivity, a sense of peace and boost your functioning immune system.

How do we continue to have fun, given the difficult surroundings at home and work? Here are some ways to pursue fun that promotes well-being whether you are stuck at home or working remotely:

1.      Make Fun A Team Sport

• At Work: if you are working from home and have a team to lead, instead of telling employees to work on goals or assigning them tasks/projects, schedule more frequent calls to work on items together even if it isn’t something you normally do. This avoids making the task something “they have to do,” [not fun] into a task that “they want to do” [super fun!] as it makes activities into a team sport.

Think - people in a stadium vs. people watching from home.

• At Home: turn daily responsibilities into a fun game that others in the house can join in. Create a mindfulness area for others to regulate their emotions, invite others to cook with you. Even if you prefer an activity alone (i.e crosswords), chances are there is an online community that you can join and connect with.

2.      Don’t Look For “Fun Signals”

• At Work: stop asking your employees “how are you doing?” every week because chances are [A] “it really sucks and you don’t need to remind me,” or [B] “I am loving it so don’t disturb me.” Communication is important but repetition isn’t fun. You will know when your employees are having fun when tasks are being completed with creativity in mind, professionalism and a sense of ownership.
• At Home: in a family surrounding you will know when others are having fun because it will probably be driving you crazy if you are not joining in.

3.      Smile & Laugh Readily

• At Work: having fun doesn’t necessarily mean bouncing from one joy to the next, it could be a simple smile from seeing something pleasant or hearing something funny. Perhaps start your next virtual meeting with an appropriate joke or wear something ridiculous to get some giggles. Do something that will put an unexpected smile on their face.
• At Home: gluing yourself to a screen and watching “funny videos,” isn’t the solution here as they will only provide small flashes of fun and laughter. There are countless ways of how people are being creative and genially having fun at home, just check out these examples below from parents: https://bit.ly/3aD2MnU

4.      Exercise & Self-Care

• At Work: research shows that much of happiness is under personal control. So instead of sharing tips on how to stay healthy, fit, mobile and mindful; send photos and videos of what YOU are doing to have fun. Not doing anything … well then how do you expect others to follow in your footsteps?
• At Home: an easy way to promote self-care is maintaining close social ties and exploring your own purpose in life. Brush the dust off that resume and update it. Pursue that interest you always had but never “had time for.” You will find fun in a sense of discovery and it’s the actual pursuit that’s key.

5.      What About Money?

If the current circumstances have landed you unemployed, then YES money is important to you right now. More for survival rather than happiness, money buys freedom from worry about the basics in life – shelter, food and clothing.

What is interesting about money is that research from the journal Nature Human Behavior shows that the sweet spot for yearly income is between $60,000 and $95,000 a year, not a million-dollar salary. Meaning if you make, you wont be necessarily happier than a person who makes less. This can be explained by something called the hedonic treadmill which says people return to their set point of well-being no matter how high moods rise or how low they dip.

So how do you have fun making money? I am not saying that you need to go and rob a bank. If you are still blessed to be working at a job that you enjoy, you will realize the importance of having fun at work. The same applies if you are working from home but remember that money is not the reason you have fun, but live a life where you can have fun and still make money.

About the Author: Robert Kostecki is a Group HR & Training Manager passionate about expanding the borders of education in the tourism industry. With his journey in training he never forgets that in hospitality – no two days are ever the same.