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Get Optimism to Go Viral in 3 Easy Steps

Even for the most positive among us, contact with an infectiously negative person can change our mood and outlook on life. At work, toxicity has the potential to dramatically alter the culture. With mountains of data connecting negativity and stress at work to poor health, lower engagement and dwindling profits, negative people have become some of the biggest liabilities in today’s modern economy. Engaging bright side But our research in positive psychology shows an energizing picture: In fact, we have identified the key to influencing an organization’s culture and pushing it into positive territory. By activating what we call the Hidden 31, you have the power—no matter your role at an organization—to rescript the culture at work to enhance talent and achievement. In a cross-industry study with Training magazine, we found that a whopping 31 percent of respondents say that they are “positive but not expressive of it at work.” These people are one step short of being champions of positivity. These optimists are just waiting to be activated, and they are your key to success.https://livehappy.com/blogs/happiness-motion/be-happy-work Read more about what makes for a happier workplace. Air your positivity We are all broadcasters, constantly sharing information with others. What we choose to broadcast predicts happiness and success for all. It’s the focus of Michelle’s upcoming book, Broadcasting Happiness. To overcome the debilitating signals of negative people, it is important to be highly expressive of our own positive mindsets and can-do attitudes and to activate others to do the same. We are often asked whether positive people or negative people have a more powerful influence on a group. The answer from the research is neither. The people who have the most power to influence are the ones who are most verbally or nonverbally expressive of their mindset. Too often, the very vocal negative person writes the social script at work. By broadcasting our optimism, we can tip our companies, families and friendships to positive. Get others to do it, and great transformation can occur. Read our expert tips about avoiding burnout at work. The key is to get the Hidden 31 to speak up. We’ve identified three steps to do this: identify, acknowledge and activate. Identify The most important step is finding out who is in the 31 percent. This can be done through formal surveys or informal conversations. Ask where they stand on a topic and note how expressive they are of their approval or disapproval. Too often managers we have worked with focus on converting the most pessimistic person in the room to be positive. Instead, focus energy on those already primed to be positive broadcasters. Acknowledge The best way to get someone to be more expressive of positive positions is to let them know that they are not alone. If you are a positive person but feel like the people around you are not, you might not act. The research shows that plenty of others around you at work actually are positive, even if they are not expressing it. Once you acknowledge that a third of the people around you are also optimists, it can engender positive change. Activate Activating even a few optimists can tip the culture in your favor. You can activate them in two main ways. First, boost your own signal. As you demonstrate positivity verbally and nonverbally, you change the conversation and show others how to do the same in a rational way. Second, after identifying the Hidden 31, give them easy ways to express their positive mindsets. Suggest sending a positive email praising a colleague or sharing goals with their team that they are excited about. Starting with small steps gives even the introverts safe ways to express their positivity. While this strategy works well for companies and business teams, it works at the family dinner table, too. Customers can also become “enthusiasts,” spreading the word about the product or service they appreciate. And sports teams can recruit and develop the Hidden 31, thereby tipping balances to winning mindsets. If you identify, acknowledge and activate the Hidden 31 by giving people clear ways to express their positive mindsets, you can inspire optimism and happiness to go viral. And that makes it much easier for us all to live happy. What motivates you at work? Let us know in the comments section, below. SHAWN ACHOR is the New York Times best-selling author of The Happiness Advantageand Before Happiness. After he spent 12 years at Harvard University, Shawn traveled to more than 50 countries,bringing positive psychology to schools and companies. He is co-founder of the happiness research and consulting groupGoodthink Inc. MICHELLE GIELAN is an expert on the science of positive communication and how to use it to fuel success. She holds a master’s degree in applied positive psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, and is co-founder of the happiness research and consulting groupGoodthink Inc.Her first book is called Broadcasting Happiness.

work

Know Your Pace

What makes people happy at work? Many things: a friend down the hall, a good boss, meaningful tasks, snazzy office supplies.We’re also affected by whether we feel in harmony with the speed and timing of work. People generally fall into two very different categories when it comes to thriving at work. I call these two categories “Marathoners” and “Sprinters.”Slow and steady workersMarathoners like to work steadily and slowly, over a longer period of time, and they dislike working against a deadline. I know this category well, because I’m a Marathoner myself. We Marathoners feel that working on projects at a steady pace ignites our creativity and keeps our productivity high. We get frustrated and uneasy without plenty of lead time.Find out about 8 Ways to Be Happier at Work.A rush of energyBy contrast, Sprinters prefer to work in bursts of intense effort, and they deliberately wait for the pressure of a deadline to sharpen their thinking. They love the adrenaline rush. A Sprinter told me, “I never prepare a speech until the people are in their seats, and I’m heading to the podium. It drives my staff crazy, but that’s when I get my ideas.”There’s no right way—each approach works well for that type of person. It’s a question of what works for you. Problems arise, however, when Marathoners and Sprinters must work together. Marathoners are driven nuts by the Sprinters’ reluctance to start working on a project. Sprinters are irritated when Marathoners want to tackle tasks before the hour is ripe.Read more about the new science of workplace well-being.Procrastinator—that's a different storyWhen we understand that people have different work styles, we can show more patience toward each other. Here’s something important to remember, however: A Sprinter is different from a Procrastinator. True, Procrastinators resemble Sprinters—like Sprinters, they finish in a rush, at the last possible minute. But they’re actually quite different.Procrastinators wish they could force themselves to start earlier. Also, unlike Sprinters, Procrastinators often agonize about work they’re not yet doing. Before they start, they’re not working, but they’re not having fun, either. Sprinters and Marathoners usually like their work style, but Procrastinators don’t. They’re happier when they change their work habits so they can work more steadily.Learn how to increase your productivity by tricking yourself into getting started.Find the pace that works for youFor all of us, we’re happier at work—and we’re more productive and creative—when we’re comfortable with the environment and pace. It can be surprisingly hard to put your finger on what feels right or wrong about a situation. So, if you find yourself clashing with other people about when and how a task should be completed, or you feel that the work pace is uncomfortable, consider the Marathoner and Sprinter distinction. That difference in work style might be at the heart of the conflict.What's your work pace? Let us know in the Comments section, below.Gretchen Rubin is the bestselling author ofThe Happiness Project,Happier at Home,andBetter than Before.She is considered one of the most influential writers on happiness today, and has become an in-demand speaker and keynoter.You can read about Gretchen's adventures atGretchenRubin.com.

Caitlyn Jenner's transformation will pave the way for others

Self-Care

Transformation Can Bring Happiness

"I'm so happy after such a long struggle to be living my true self. Welcome to the world Caitlyn. Can't wait for you to get to know her/me," Caitlyn Jenner tweeted while revealing her Vanity Fair July cover photo by famed photographer Annie Leibovitz. When Fran Fried read of the Olympian's transgender transition, she thought it sounded similar to another story—her own. Eight years earlier, Fran began what turned out to be a depression-lifting transition, experiencing a life-changing epiphany that “he” was in fact a “she” at age 46, while working as a newspaper editor in Fresno, CA. Everyone's experience is different, but both Fran and Caitlyn say they are happier after coming out as transgender to friends, family and eventually the world. "My smiles now are a hell of a lot more genuine; even my smiles looked sad before," Fran told Live Happy. Fran's story According to Fran, her transition added a new dimension to her life. "You feel much more the self you really are," she said. It's evident in talking to parents and friends. "I didn't trade in all my boy cards. Now I can talk to them about shoesandfootball." After years of struggling to hide that she felt like one of the girls despite being born a man, Fran began her transition in 2008 by coming out to close friends. In 2009, the newspaper where she worked laid her off in a staff reduction unrelated to her transition. After five months living full-time as a woman, she started therapy. In 2010, after undergoing psychological tests, a doctor gave Fran her first hormone treatment. "Two days later, my depression was gone," she said. Today, she says, she walks more confidently in heels, figuratively and literally. Now that Fran is well through her transformation, she describes herself as an "accidental human rights activist." "Just living is a political act sometimes. Just living out in the everyday world is my own little victory and my own little blow for civil rights. It took all the strength and the acceptance of people around me to help me become happier. You realize why were you hiding all these years. It's not a thunderclap." Tough transitions Psychologists and counselors say transitions are tough, but they usually have positive results despite challenges that remain. A study led by two University of Kentucky professors, Sharon Rostosky, Ph.D., and Ellen Riggle, Ph.D., revealed eight positive outcomes from identifying as transgender: Congruency of self Enhanced interpersonal relationships Personal growth and resiliency Increased empathy A unique perspective on both sexes Living beyond the sex binary Increased activism Connection toLGBTQcommunities "LGBTQ people clearly use their identities as opportunity to create positive meaning," Rostosky and Riggle wrote in their book, A Positive View of LGBTQ: Embracing Identity and Cultivating Well-Being. "Transgender people are happier in the sense they have less anxiety, less dysphoria and they feel better in their own skin," said Ami Kaplan, a New York-based licensed clinical social worker who counsels people about transition. How happy they are depends on how their transitions went, Ami says. People entering a stigmatized group face many land mines that could blow up relationships with family, friends and work, she said. "People come out pretty much as they were before, only in a new gender." Liberation, and discrimination "Coming out helps individuals reconcile conflicts and ambiguity," said JoAnne Keately, MSW, director of the Center of Excellence For Transgender Health at the University of California, San Francisco. "People not able to do that end up dealing with a lot of dysphoria and anguish and fear they will be found out. Coming out publicly is "liberating" because the "process eliminates fear of disclosure." Still, the process is fraught with danger. Regardless of socio-economic status, most trans people will experience stigma, bias and discrimination, JoAnne cautioned. Even Caitlyn, despite mostly friendly media coverage of her transition, has seen less-than-favorable responses, attempts at mockery and pushback on pronoun usage. "As celebrated an athlete as Caitlyn was before transition, as big a public figure as she's been, Caitlyn is not immune to bias many experience on a daily basis," JoAnne said. "However, Caitlyn's coming out won't hinder her ability to earn income," she said. "A lot of other trans people, if they are lucky enough to be employed, to come out would put them in danger of losing their employment." The more transgendered people rgar come out, the more likely acceptance and the waning of discrimination are to follow, JoAnne said. "Living in a closet builds a lot of self-doubt and lowers self-esteem. It eats at you if you can't be who you feel you are authentically. Living as your authentic self is a good thing for us all," she said. JoAnne credited Caitlyn with planning to use her position of privilege and her upcoming E! reality show to shed light on the conditions in which many of America's estimated 700,000 to 3 million transgendered live and on issues such as suicide. Getting a clear picture Transgender people are pretty common, Ami said, "We shouldn't think of it as people 'out there,' Hollywood celebrities or on society's fringe. "These are people in our lives, in our workplaces, who are gender variant. And never assume. Not everyone who is gender variant looks gender variant." Vanessa Fabbre, Ph.D., LCSW, professor at Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis, focuses on late-life transitioners. "To really understand the experience, the magnitude and the implications of transitioning, you have to understand the social context of people making the decisions," Vanessa said. "We all have gender identity, a common connector. We all have gender expression." Her 2014 study, "Gender Transitions in Later Life: A Queer Perspective on Successful Aging," shows how transgender older adults experience challenges to their gender identities that put their emotional and physical well-being at risk. In the end, experts and people who have been through it all agree—transitions are incredible difficult. It may feel easier to sit it out and not rock the boat. But in the end, if you do not embrace who you really are, you may have trouble finding true, authentic happiness. Jim Gold is a veteran journalist who splits his time between Seattle and the Bay Area.

Arianna Huffington: Balanced Media Mogul

People

Arianna Huffington is Redefining Success

Arianna Huffington is passionate about success. And while success has been a focal point throughout her life, she sees it much differently now than she did even a few years ago. Today, her view of success is tied closely to happy living: “Well-being is now going to be in the center of my life, not on the edges.”Speaking at the International Symposium of Contemplative Studies in Boston in November, Arianna shares how she has accomplished the far-reaching goals she set for herself and did it in a way that helped define many of the major topics of our lifetime: women’s roles in the workplace and the world, the changing nature of political leadership and 21st-century innovations in media. Now, she has turned her attention to living a good and happy life.Playing the game of life“We have, if we’re lucky, about 30,000 days to play the game of life,” Arianna says in a recent interview. “How we play it will be determined by what we value. A huge part of that is our relationship with time. So for me, a well-lived life is one where there is ample time for the people in my life who truly matter, time to pause and wonder at the world, and time to delight in the mysteries of the universe, as well as the everyday occurrences and small miracles that fill our lives.”In her 2014 best-selling book, Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder, she asks us to consider redefining success beyond the timeworn standards of money and power: “To live the lives we truly want and deserve, and not just the lives we settle for, we need a third metric, a third measure of success that goes beyond the two metrics of money and power, and consists of four pillars: well-being, wisdom, wonder and giving.”The value of failingArianna credits her mother with instilling optimism and resilience. “My mother taught us that failure is not the opposite of success, it is the stepping stone to success.”She lives that life philosophy firsthand. After graduating from Cambridge, she wrote a successful book, The Female Woman. But 36 publishers rejected her second book, and a seven-year relationship ended shortly after that.“By about rejection 25, you would have thought I might have said, ‘Hey, you know, there’s something wrong here. Maybe I should be looking at a different career.’ ” Instead she walked into a bank in London where she was living at the time and asked for a loan. “Even though I didn’t have any assets, the banker—whose name was Ian Bell—gave me a loan. It changed my life, because it meant I could keep things together for another 13 rejections and finally, an acceptance.Getting up one more time“In fairy tales there are helpful animals that come out of nowhere to help the hero or heroine through a dark and difficult time, often helping them find a way out of the forest. Well, in life, too, there are helpful animals disguised as human beings, as bank managers like Ian Bell, to whom I still send a Christmas card every year. So, very often, the difference between success and failure is perseverance. It’s how long we can keep going until success happens. It’s getting up one more time than we fall down.”Arianna moved to New York, where she continued writing books and magazine articles. After weathering ups and downs in love, career and even politics, Arianna co-founded The Huffington Post in 2005.The site was not an immediate success; it faced a storm of negative reviews, including one particularly harsh but memorable criticism from LA Weekly’s Nikki Finke, who called it “the movie equivalent of Gigli, Ishtar and Heaven’s Gate rolled into one.”Yet Arianna refused to be diverted by the criticism. Today, she says that backlash gave her the incentive to persevere. The truth is, we are always going toget bad reviews, she says. The answer is to rely on our personal resilience and continue our journey. In her case, the critics may remain, but the site has gained respect, credibility and worldwide recognition.The most powerful blog in the worldIn 2012, The Huffington Post won the Pulitzer Prize for a 10-part series on wounded veterans, becoming the first commercially run digital site in the United States to win the prize. It also has been ranked No. 1 on the Most Popular Political Sites by eBizMBA Rank, and The Observer, a British newspaper, named it the most powerful blog in the world.“At some point, I learned not to dread failure,” she says. “I strongly believe that we are not put on this earth just to accumulate victories and trophies and avoid failures but rather to be whittled and sand-papered down until what’s left is who we truly are.“My advice to those facing critics or challenging times is to refrain from adding our own self-criticism into the mix. This means dealing with the voice I call the obnoxious roommate living in our head, the voice that feeds on putting us down and strengthening our insecurities and doubts.”Refocusing attentionArianna now uses her media platform to showcase her happiness discoveries. The Huffington Post regularly includes news on happiness and how to achieve it. It’s a journey she embarked on after receiving a serious wake-up call in 2007.Exhausted from the relentless hustle of running a booming media enterprise, Arianna collapsed while at her computer in her home office. As her head hit the desk, she injured her eye, broke her cheekbone and ultimately realized she needed to find a new approach to her hectic life. She returned to the meditation and yoga exercises her mother had shown her as a child. She says now, “I wish they had just told me, ‘You have civilization disease.’ ”That’s how she sees it today, she explained at the Boston symposium: If you are driven to focus only on wealth and power, you, too, might have civilization disease. “Our society is made of highly educated good people making bad decisions. It’s not that they’re not smart, it’s that they’re not wise. We all have that wisdom in us,” she says. “I would never again congratulate someone for working 24/7. It’s like coming to work drunk.”Arianna is using her resources—such as books, speaking engagements and her media company—to help others learn how to adopt a lifestyle that encompasses well-being and wonder, wisdom and giving. She sees mindfulness as an important element in redefining success, in slowing down or even stopping the busyness of our lives, if only for a few important moments to begin each day.“The fact that there is now so much scientific exploration that builds on ancient wisdom is cause for great optimism,” she says. “It doesn’t matter why we start on this journey…at some point we’ll all realize that we’re bigger than our jobs.“However great your job is, you are more marvelous! Getting in touch with that magnificence is part of your journey.”Jan Stanley is a writer, coach and speaker who has worked with Fortune 500 companies to develop leaders and with many people to help them find meaning and joy in work and life.

People

Good Morning America Loves Live Happy!

Today, Good Morning America and Live Happy joined together to spread joy and positivity around the world.Love what you doYou heard right: The amazing cast of ABC’s flagship morning show are the cover models of the new issue of Live Happy magazine, available on newsstands today. The issue features an in-depth section on happiness in the workplace, with the cast and crew of GMA right at the center. When you get up at 4 am every day to give America the breaking news, you had better love your work, and feel a sense of meaning and camaraderie, or you simply won’t make it.The joy shines throughWhat we found is that these talented, dynamic folks do a lot more than make it—their vibrancy and joy shines through every day, bringing happiness and sense of comfort to their devoted audience.On this morning’s broadcast, the show featured a Happiness Sidewalk where kids and adults could write joyful messages in chalk; the anchors, meanwhile, mentioned that they were “honored” to be on the cover of the magazine. Well, we’re honored to have you.

Self-Care

11 Ways to Be Happier Today!

Happiness is the gateway to success, but like most good things in life, it also takes some work. Roll up your sleeves and put some effort into becoming a happier you. Here are 11 things you can do to enhance your happiness today. (For all of you happiness over-achievers, click on the headings below for more information on each tip!) 1. Take a look back If you aren’t sure of your passion as an adult, revisit your youth for clues. Perhaps when you were a child, teenager or even a young adult, there was something that you were passionate about. Maybe there was something you loved to collect, a place you loved going, or an activity that you loved doing. Bring those old experiences back into your current life. 2. Go in search of awe A sense of awe may help you fight depression and inflammation. Find awe by visiting a natural wonder. Listen to your favorite music. Lose yourself in an art museum. Go in search of what inspires you deeply. 3. Connect with people Our relationships can have an almost magical effect on our happiness. Singer-songwriter Lisa Loeb feels fulfilled when she’s collaborating and connecting with others. You can find inspiration in others, too. 4. Value experiences over things Things are nice, but the joy we get from experiences lasts longer, causes less waste and probably has a smaller negative environmental impact. Walk to a destination with your family to enjoy the outdoors and connect through conversation. Take a hike in nearby hills. Plan an exciting trip together. All of these things will give enjoyment that you can anticipate, experience and then savor afterward. 5. Get a pet Your new dog can make you more active. What's more, our pets bring bundles of emotional benefits to the humans who love them, according to a study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 6. Cultivate your courage Identify your strengths and the areas in your life where you could be a little more courageous. Start working on those areas where you could use a little improvement. 7. Host a dinner party Recent research by psychology professor Barbara Fredrickson shows that even casual positive interactions with acquaintances can cause a major lift in spirits. 8. Start off a meeting with a compliment Kick off your next office meeting with a compliment roundtable. Pay a compliment or say a kind word about a coworker or employee. Employees feel more valued, happier and more productive when there is a focus on what they're doing right. 9. See possibilities everywhere Do you see your glass as half-full or half-empty? If you choose to see the world optimistically, you can more fully appreciate everything and enjoy your life more. We can't always choose to be happy immediately, but we can always choose to work toward being happier. 10. Get a happy app Start your happiness track backed by science on Happify. Each day you can participate in fun and easy-to-follow activities, like taking a Savor Quest or relaxing for a few minutes in a Serenity Scene. Explore different tracks to stay on course to living the good life. 11. Strike a pose Research shows that even standing in a "superman" pose (standing tall, hands on hips, legs slightly apart) a few minutes before a job interview can actually improve performance. Fake it till you make it!

Self-Care

Be Happy at Work

I’m writing this amidst the friendly patter of my colleagues’ voices ... chatting, laughing and relaxing together. It’s not a special occasion—just an ordinary Thursday at Hallmark, where I work. We’re doing something we call “Breakfast With Friends.”It’s an idea that was born out of a random conversation around someone’s desk. There was talk about how much we all love breakfast food. Someone volunteered to send out an e-mail inviting other co-workers. Next thing you know, a workday morning started with cinnamon rolls, bacon, cantaloupe, and lots of easygoing happiness.Intentional funWhich brings me to my point. Happiness can be easy and readily available. It doesn’t require mountain-moving efforts. But, it definitely helps to make it intentional. Cultivate it, and allow serendipitous little moments to unfold, with the awareness that they add up to make a big difference.At my office, we like to have fun. We celebrate each other’s birthdays, life events and successes. Occasionally we hang out at lunch and play Scrabble or Bananagrams. Sometimes we declare a “Golden Retriever Day” or “Nostalgia Snacks Day.”Whether we do something up big (like a noon-hour, themed and decorated baby shower complete with games) or whether we just grab a few friends and serenade someone on her birthday, it softens the edges of our little workplace world. And that makes us very happy.Here are some of my tips for staying happy at work:My wordI have a word of the year. By the time I’ve selected it, I’ve spent months watching for it, listening for it, living with it and letting it roll around in my consciousness. Once I’ve settled on my word for the year, I take a Sharpie, write it in flowing script and tack it on my pin board right in front of me. I buy it in letter blocks or paint it and frame it. As my eyes and thoughts drift around, I can be sure they will see and absorb my word over and over. It’s quite powerful. My word for this year is “Flourish.”EvolveI’m a writer, and, well, creative types get bored easily. We have curious, wide-open brains, and we’ve got to give them adventures. Last summer, I chopped off my waist-length blonde hair for a super-short pixie cut. I got new purple glasses and some funky, fun jewelry. A fresh look, which reflects “me, now” began to emerge. This outer evolution both reflects and encourages my inner evolution. I feel fearless and bold, and that energy carries over into my writing.Do something nice for somebodyIt’s kind of like magic, so don’t hold back. Loan someone a novel or movie they’ll like. Bring in flowers (or a yummy tomato) from your garden. Leave a note complimenting someone on that thing theydid really well. Offer to share the load on a project your teammate is struggling with. These are simple things that will put a happy glow over your whole day.Once in a while, blow your own mind!I take this motto to heart. Whether I decide to kick butt on a particular project, to dazzle at a presentation, or to lead a writing exploration—the person I’ve got to impress is me. If I can do that a few times a year, I’m super happy.How do you have fun in your workplace? Let us know in the comments section, below!Jeannie Hund, author of gift books, children’s books and greeting cards, works for Hallmark Cards, Inc. She loves dancing in her kitchen, playing tug of war with Lucas, her wild Cairn Terrier, and hosting taco night with her extended family.To read more about happiness at work, see our special feature section in the June 2015 issue of Live Happy magazine.

science

Are Extroverts Happier?

Do you enjoy work-related cocktail parties? Have you ever talked to a stranger on a bus just for fun? Do you know the barista’s name at your local coffee shop? If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, you may be an extrovert.If you prefer spending Saturday nights reading novels on the couch, and haven’t spoken up in a meeting since that time in 1998—congratulations, you’re an introvert!It feels good to be socialSince the 1960s, psychologists studying personality and happiness have found that extroverts report higher levels of happiness. According to Richard Lucas, Ph.D., who studies the connection between extroversion and happiness at Michigan State University, extroverts seem to have more frequent positive emotions than introverts. This could be because extroverts tend to take more actions that strengthen well-being, seek out social situations or because their brains are just fundamentally different.Flaws in the research?Some critics question the validity of this research. Psychologist and mindfulness expert Arnie Kozak, Ph.D., author of The Awakened Introvert, to be published later this year, believes the battery of questions researchers ask are designed by Western psychologists who have certain sensibilities.“There seems to be a cultural bias: the idea that in order to be happy you have to be active and social,” Kozak said. In his opinion, the studies linking extroversion and happiness often paint introvertedness in a negative light and don't capture the positive feelings introverts have about themselves.However, similar studies done in China and Latin America still show a relationship between extroversion and happiness (although slightly less strong), reinforcing the conclusions.Read more about the benefits of social interaction.“People who are extroverted tend to be happier than those that are introverted. The strength of that effect can depend on culture and what you mean by happiness, but on balance it’s still true,” concludes John Zelenski, Ph.D., who studies the connections between emotion and cognition at at Carleton University.What causes the difference?Scientists have found that asking introverts and extroverts to be social, at least in a laboratory setting, makes both groups happier, at least for a little while. This could mean that extroverts’ increased happiness comes from the sheer number of their social interactions, compared to the lower volume introverts have.Other scientists are looking at physiological differences in the dopamine system—the part of the brain that controls risk and reward. Extroverts may, in theory, be more sensitive to dopamine and get bigger bumps in pleasure. This is a promising area of research still very early, according to Lucas.Embrace your inner introvertEven though the extroversion-happiness relationship has been proved time and again, introverts shouldn’t worry. As Susan Cain points out in her bestselling book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking, there are many positives to introversion. While introverts were once thought of as shy, aloof or detached, many experts would now argue that they have excellent observational skills and sensitivity to their environments—qualities that provide unique value in the workplace and personal relationships.They’re also really good at acting like extroverts whenever they want. In one of Zelenski’s studies, introverts had a much easier time acting extrovertedly than extroverts did acting like introverts. This may be because they had a lifetime of practice acclimating to an extroversion-centric environment.And, it’s important to remember that no matter where you fall on the introvert-extrovert spectrum, chances are you’re already happy. “Most people are happy most of the time… There are a lot of happy introverts walking around,” Zelenski says.Are you an introvert or an extrovert, and how do you think it affects your happiness? Let us know in the Comments section, below.

science

5 Expert Tips for Avoiding Burnout at Work

Soldier on. Suck it up and drive on. Hang in there.I can’t tell you how many times these phrases zipped through my head as a busy, practicing lawyer. If I was sick, I went to work. If I was exhausted from working 14 days straight, I dug in and did more. If my clients made unreasonable demands, I’d fake a smile, nod my head and do whatever it took to make the deal close smoothly.Those work growing pains were all part of the process, I told myself. To prove myself and make partner, I had to go through the wringer; after all, hadn’t every lawyer before me working in a firm done the same thing?I convinced myself it was just a rite of passage. Then, seven years into practicing law, I hit a wall—I burned out. I had been so busy putting my head down and powering through that I completely ignored the warning signs that I needed to slow down.Tuning in to burnoutBurnout is a process of chronic stress and disengagement typically related to work but can impact many areas of your life. The big three dimensions of burnout have been defined as: chronic exhaustion, cynicism and inefficacy.Burnout doesn’t have to be an inevitable consequence of ambition. Here are five proven ways to avoid burnout on the job:1.Clear your mental clutterMost go-getters I know run on some combination of guilt and anxiety. When you catch yourself feeling guilty, do a mental check to see whether in fact you have something to feel guilty about. Have you let someone down? Your bosses? Your children? More than likely, you are busy judging yourself for imagined crimes. Try to give yourself a break.When you experience a stress-producing event at work, do you see where you have any control, influence or leverage, or do you fold?Some people jump to conclusions while others maintain a flexible and accurate thinking style. Some people catastrophize—their worst-case scenario thinking gets the best of them, and it stops them from taking purposeful action. Resilient employees under stress track their thoughts, emotions and reactions to notice counterproductive patterns that might undercut success.2.Let go of perfectionismPerfectionists are notoriously hard-working, conscientious high achievers—traits frequently rewarded at work. Their stress and calls for help tend to go unnoticed by parents, significant others and bosses.Perfectionists strive for “the best” even when “good enough” will do. As a result, they experience a lot of regret and anxiety about missed opportunities. You can minimize regret three ways: adopt a standard of “good enough;” reduce the number of options you consider before making a decision; and be grateful for the good decisions you make instead of focusing on disappointments.3.Change your job without leaving your jobJob crafting has been shown to be an effective strategy to prevent burnout. Job crafting is the term for actively changing the content or design of your job by choosing tasks, negotiating different job content and assigning meaning to different components of your job.One way to job craft is to re-order your day. What tasks are sources of energy and engagement for you? When do you do those tasks? Would you rather work on those most-engaging tasks in the morning or at the end of your day? Match the order to what works best for you.4.Manage your energy, not your timeGetting adequate opportunities for recovery during your workday, after work and on the weekend is critical. Pick one or two 5-minute strategies you can do daily. I downloaded an App called 7 Second Meditation, which prompts me to take a break each day at 2 p.m.5.Become more of a giverWharton professor Dr. Adam Grant has identified sub-sets of givers, two of which are “selfless” givers and “otherish” givers. Selfless givers give their time and energy without regard to their own needs (hey – it’s 3 p.m. and I haven’t eaten yet today!). Selfless giving, in the absence of recovery, becomes overwhelming and can drive burnout. Otherish givers, however, find a way to balance giving with their own self-interest and self-care. As you probably guessed, selfless givers are more likely to burn out. You can determine your giving style at www.giveandtake.com.It is possible to have the life and career you want and avoid burnout. Choose a strategy that will help you move forward in a less crazy busy direction and embrace the perfectly imperfect journey.Paula Davis-Laack, JD, MAPP, is a burnout prevention and resilience expert who helps companies and busy professionals prevent burnout and build resilience to stress and change.Paula is the author of the e-book, Addicted to Busy: Your Blueprint for Burnout Prevention, which you can download at her website, www.pauladavislaack.com.To read more about happiness in the workplace, see the special section in the June, 2015 issue of Live Happy magazine.

science

The 3 Secrets of Happy Employees

Shhh….Can you hear it? There’s a revolution taking place in our workplaces, and employees like you and I are leading it.Fed up with energy-draining bosses, soul-sucking jobs and the financial uncertainty that cheats us of our choices, a grass-roots campaign is underway in a growing number of workplaces that’s aimed at restoring people’s happiness—and new data suggests it’s about to hit a tipping point.What are your signature strengths?I recently partnered with the VIA Institute on Character to release the 2015 “Strengths @ Work Survey,” and here’s what we discovered:While in 2001 only 2 out of every 10 people said they had the opportunity to do what they do best each day at work, this number has increased by 30 percent to 5 out of every 10 people.Today, 56 percent of employees can name their top five strengths, compared to estimates a decade ago that only a third could.A resounding 64 percent of employees say they believe developing their strengths will make them more successful at work, compared to the 63 percent in 2006 who believed they’d grow most in their weaker areas.Even without organizational and supervisor support, 49 percent of employees can name their strengths and 26 percent still find the opportunity practice them each day.So why are these employees bothering to take time to grow their strengths? Because it makes them happier.We found that 70 percent of the employees who say they have the opportunity to use their strengths regularly look forward to going to work. Not only that, but 78 percent report feeling engaged and energized in their jobs because they believe they’re making a difference and their work is appreciated. And, most important, 70 percent of these employees describe themselves as flourishing at work over the last six months.How are they achieving these results, even without a supportive boss? Many are doing three simple things:1. Discovering their strengthsThe best way to identify your strengths is by taking the free, 10-minute strengths assessment at viacharacter.org. Then pay attention to your best moments at work—when you feel really engaged, you’re energized and you enjoy what you’re doing—to see which of your top strengths are at play so you know how to apply them to your role.2. Meeting their best-possible future selvesOnce you’ve discovered your strengths, boost your optimism and self-belief by imagining what might be possible in the year ahead if everything went as well as possible and you were using your strengths daily. Journal whatever comes to mind for 15–20 minutes a day, three days in a row. Try to detail what you’d spend your time doing, what your colleagues or clients might say and which strengths you’d be using.3. Creating a small, daily strength-development habitPick a strength to develop that will bring you closer to the future you’ve described. Think about how you could use this strength for at least 10 minutes each day as you go about your job. For example, use your curiosity to learn one new thing, your gratitude to genuinely thank a client or a colleague or you persistence to power through on a task you’ve been putting off. (For more ideas, check out this free e-book with over 70 strength-development habit ideas.)Are you ready to join the revolution? It is possible to feel more engaged, energized and happy at work—you just have to take a moment each day and do what you do best.To read more about happiness in the workplace, see our special feature section in the June 2015 issue of Live Happy magazine.Michelle McQuaid is a best-selling author, workplace well-being teacher and playful change activator. She is passionate about translating cutting-edge research from positive psychology and neuroscience into practical strategies for health, happiness and success.To learn more about Michelle visitwww.michellemcquaid.com.

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