10 tips to make you happier at work

Today is International Day of Happiness

Here are 10 simple things you can do to make you and someone at your work a tiny bit happier today.

1 Talk to a stranger

Talking to a stranger will make you and them happier. Don’t believe me? Check out Nicholas Epley’s Chicago train study - it is one of my favourites. You probably won’t meet a stranger at work, so have a conversation with someone you don’t usually chat to. You’ll make them smile.

2 Say thank you

Feeling recognised for your work is one of the key pillars of workplace wellbeing. Thanking someone today will make you and them a little happier. To make it extra powerful, put it in writing and make it specific. This tip is from Columbia Business School’s Adam Galinsky in his book Inspire: The Universal Path for Leading Yourself and Others.

3 Tell your team the impact they are having

We often hear that to be happy you need to feel your work has meaning. Knowing that your work has more of an impact than just ticking it off a list if often enough. Tell your team a story of how their work has helped someone in the outside world. Steven Bartlett does it in a Slack Channel called “impact”.

4 Learn something new

According to the US Surgeon General, feeling that you are learning and progressing in your career is one of the five essentials of workplace wellbeing.

Take half an hour today and learn something new. 

5 If someone is having a tough time, tell them you’re with them

If you feel you have a best friend at work it has a significant effect on your feeling of wellbeing. People need to feel they have support.

If someone in your team is struggling, ask how they are, listen and tell them you’re there if they need you.

Check out Gallup’s famous annual best friend at work survey.

6 Have a meaningful conversation

Recent research by University of Kansas professor of Communication Studies and friendship expert Jeffrey Hall has found that just one quality conversation with a friend boosts your daily well-being. 

Invite a colleague for a coffee and spend more than just 5 minutes chatting about work. 

7 Recognise an achievement

Tell someone they’ve done a great job. But more than that, tell them why it was great and the effect it had. 

According to Gallup’s 2024 state of the workforce report “regular and meaningful recognition programs can improve morale, increase engagement, and drive better performance.”

8 Don’t have the last word

As a manager you always want to feel you are helping people, but sometimes people just need to feel they are trusted. If someone presents an idea to you today, just say it’s great, don’t have the last word, it’ll go a long way to helping them feel they are trusted. 

In Jocko Willink’s book “Extreme Ownership”, he says that if his team presents an idea that has flaws but is good enough. He just says “good job”.

9 Give someone responsibility

When you feel you have ownership over your work, it significantly increases your feeling of workplace satisfaction. Give someone a task today and give them total ownership of it, they don’t even have to request your approval. You’ll be surprised at how they’ll embrace the challenge. 

Think this is a bad idea? Check out this video from US Navy submarine commander David Marquet. He explains how, when he took control of a new submarine that he hadn’t been trained for, he decided to make no decisions and instead to coach his crew to decide for themselves. It worked out better than OK.

10 Buy everyone breakfast

I’m not a great fan of promoting the use of perks, as many leaders use them as an excuse to avoid focusing on the real drivers of workplace happiness. However, if used strategically, perks can make a real difference.

Buy your team breakfast - tell them it’s to say thank you. They’ll feel appreciated for their work, and the time they spend together eating it will help build a sense of community.

The power of croissants at work.

Happy World Happiness Day everyone.