5. Are in relationships
Many studies show that if you are happy you are more likely to be married, romantically involved and have multiple close friendships. Which came first though? Are you happy because you are in a relationship or are you more attractive because you are happy? Both could be true. Happier people are more attractive and being happier makes you more likely to be attracted to someone else.
6. Have deeper conversations
Findings from a University of Arizona study showed deep conversations contributed to happiness.
“Those who reported higher levels of well-being spent less time alone and more time talking with others. The happiest also had about one-third as much small talk and twice as many substantive conversations than those who were unhappiest. Men engaged in slightly more meaningful conversations than women, contrary to the belief that women are more likely to discuss their deeper feelings.”
Commenting on the research, Sonja Lyubormirsky, professor of psychology at the University of California says: “There’s lots of research showing that happiness is linked with greater social support. Happier people spend more time with others. Substantive conversations would be a marker that they are talking to closer friends.”
7. Look for good
Negative or pessimistic emotions spur us to ‘fight’ or argue by generating chemicals in our bodies. We experience a completely different outlook when we are positive. Happiness spurs us to discover, learn, develop and grow the same way. In short, positive emotions create a completely different way of thinking in our bodies.
Happy people look for the good in things – and tend to find it. Happy people want to ‘make love not war’. The physiological state caused by happiness helps happy people see good and be drawn to avoid conflict.
8. It spreads
Putting it simply, happy people spread their happiness.
The old saying ‘one good turn deserves another’ is true when it comes to kindness and happiness.
There is a strong link between feeling good and doing things to assist other people. So when happy people ‘do good’, they feel good in doing this as well as making another person feel good. It multiplies – and is not linear. Happy people are more willing to share their good fortune, to help others, than unhappy people. Happy people are innately generous and, as a result, the world becomes a better place.
9. Are productive
Happy people = happy profits. Thomas Wright, professor of organisational behaviour at the University of Nevada, states, “employee happiness accounts for as much as 10% to 15% of the variance in performance between different workers”.
In a 40-hour week, that could mean up to 45 minutes of lost productivity per day. Managers who don’t attend to the happiness of their staff are unlikely to be getting the best out of them. Gallup tells us that disengaged workers cost billions in lost productivity. Yet those organisations with a happy workforce also have 20% higher profits.
10. Are lucky
Happy people are luckier. There seem to be several factors that contribute to this. First, happy people are optimistic. Then tend to see opportunity more frequently and they are more likely to make lemonade when life gives them lemons.
Naomi Simson is considered to be one of Australia’s Best Bosses. An employee engagement advocate, she practises what she preaches in her own fast growth business. RedBalloon was named as one of only 13 BRW Best Employers in Australia in 2012 for four years in a row with an engagement scorecard of over 90% in each of those years – the average in Australian businesses is 54%.
One of Australia’s outstanding entrepreneurs, Naomi regularly entertains as a passionate speaker, a blogger and a published author, most recently publishing Five Thanks a Day. She has received many accolades and awards for the business she founded, RedBalloon.com.au including the 2011 Ernst & Young National Entrepreneur of the Year – Industry.
