Can you find happiness in your cubicle?
The Gallup organization undertook an enormous study on wellbeing in 150 countries, and found that the most important of the five areas of wellbeing they identified was “Career Wellbeing”: feeling happy and satisfied at work.
Researchers gave subjects hand-held tools which they would use, when alerted at random times during the day, to measure stress hormone levels in their saliva. They also wore tiny heart rate monitors which kept and tallied information about their heart rates. They even gave blood to check the levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in their bodies. They answered questions, too, about their moods and experiences during the day.
Researchers identified several aspects of jobs that made for greater career wellbeing, including having a great boss and a sense of job security. But there was one element that was clearly the most important factor in Career Wellbeing: being engaged.
People who are interested and focused when they work are happier, less stressed, and have lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels than those who feel distracted and uninvolved. Yes, being focused on your work actually improves physical health as well as mental health.
Interestingly, it didn’t seem to matter what the subjects actually did for a living. People who were intent on doing anything were happier than those who felt disengaged — no matter what kind of work they did.
When you plan your work spaces, you can and should think about productivity, efficient use and space, and making a good impression on visitors. You can also think about engagement:
- Does the traffic flow or sound flow of your work space allow workers who need quiet, focused time to get that time without excessive distraction?
- Are there spaces that allow creative collaboration?
- Is the balance of privacy and access appropriate for the work being done?
- Does the look and feel of the office show that the company likes and respects the workers?
- Does the condition and care of the office show that workers feel pride in the company?
Give your workers a head start on engagement by providing a thoughtfully planned working environment. EthoSource can help with complete furniture management services.