We have been focusing on energy levels the last few
articles. Specifically the four levels of energy which are:
- Physical
- Emotional
- Mental
- Spiritual
Last week, we looked at the physical elements which include:
- Sleep – enough rest and relaxation for your body
- Nutrition – eating good healthy food regularly especially breakfast in the morning
- Water – ensuring your body stays hydrated
- Exercise – daily activity assists your body to perform at its best
- Breathing – take the time to breathe deeply
This week, we will focus on our emotions. Emotions strongly
impact our productivity. Positive emotions include enjoyment, love, gratitude,
hope, challenge, adventure and opportunity. Negative emotions are costly in
that they take away our focus and ability to concentrate. When we’re filled
with negative emotions we can be like a time bomb ready to ‘go off’ at any
moment.
When we’re emotionally balanced, we can deal with mishaps,
changes, challenges and difficult circumstances with a clear head, and we
become less stressed. Take a moment every day to think of what you’re grateful
for. It’s easy to find things that you’re grateful for - from having a house to
live in, clothes to wear, food to eat, and clean water to drink. It’s often the
most basic of items that we do take for granted, but if we didn’t have these;
our lives would be incredibly different.
A study by the Gallup Organisation found that the
productivity of an employee is greatly influenced based on his relationship
with his direct superior. Gallup found that the key factors of productivity for
employees include:
- Feeling cared for by a supervisor or someone at work
- Receiving recognition or praise
- Having someone at work encouraging their development.
Shawn Achor presents on the Happiness Advantage and comments
that you could improve your productivity by 30% just by being happy. Wow –
that’s a huge increase in productivity just through happiness. Shawn has
discovered that happiness actually fuels success. If you can find a way for
your brain to become positive our success rates will increase. As a result,
work will become more productive, enjoyable and rewarding. By doing this we
will be able to maximize our brains potential. This means that we aren’t
waiting to be successful to be happy, we are happy we will be successful and we
are happy in the present, this moment, not waiting for some unknown to make us
happy.
I know this sounds bizarre because we have thought for so long
that it is the other way around. However, there is research to back it up. Think
of organizations like Google, Apple and Zippos’ that are massive
internationally successful companies. They have a strong focus on their staff
and allowing their staff to be comfortable, relaxed and happy at work. This
focus then means the staff are engaged, their values are aligned with the
company. It is a massive shift from so many of the serious companies that are
so flat out that staff don’t even have time to chat and have a basic
conversation. Let alone a laugh at work.
A study in 2006 by the Gallop poll organisation revealed
that disengaged employees that are 21% of the workforce cost at that time the
Australian economy over $32 billion dollars.
In the book
“Delivering Happiness” by Tony Hsieh, he commented that “Studies have shown
that engaged employees are more productive, and that the number of good friends
and employee has at work is correlated with how engaged that employee is. In The
Happiness Hypothesis, author Jonathan Haidt concludes that happiness
doesn’t come primarily from within but rather from between. This is one
of the reasons why we place so much emphasis on company culture at Zippos.”
We need to schedule time for activities that give us
enjoyment and fulfillment as this delivers positive emotions both at work and
external from work. What activities do you enjoy? I find that when I spend time
gardening, I relax. It’s quiet time and I’ll find myself smiling for no reason
in particular. It’s an activity that gives me time to recharge my batteries.
Then when it is time to work I am ready to go. My body and mind have
disengaged, relaxed, I am happy. What is it you need to do to bring positive
emotions into the workplace?
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