Many people underestimate the importance of a holistic approach to small business growth. We fully agree with Albert Schweitzer’s quote:

“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.”

Do you love what you do? Do you do what you love? In today’s post, we’re going to discuss the three reasons why happiness boosts success, and 5 easy ways to become happier in your career.

3 Things That Happen When You’re Happy

When you’re happy, these 3 things happen, acting as catalysts for business growth.

1. Happiness Breeds Creativity

While spending time on creative activities can make you happier, the reverse also applies. According to University of California, San Francisco, a collection of studies showed that a positive mood increases creativity. When you are happy, your body releases more dopamine, which is a neurotransmitter that has been linked with motivation. In turn, dopamine increases the control you have over your mind. It also boosts activity in the areas of your brain where processing, learning, and decision-making take place.

It goes to show that happiness can help you come up with more creative ideas, which in turn will improve your business processes, whether it is marketing or better ways to handle people and processes.

2. When You’re Happy, Your Customers Will Be Happy

The University of California Riverside did a study, led by Professor Sonja Lyubomirsky, which investigated the link between happiness and success. She said that they found strong evidence to show that happiness causes people to be more sociable and generous, healthier (stronger immune system) and more productive at work. Likewise, happy people also tend to make more money.

When you’re sociable and generous towards your clients, they will, in turn, feel happy and more likely to use your services. It is contagious!

3. Happy People Work Harder

Economists at the University of Warwick carried out a number of experiments to see whether happy employees work harder, and indeed, they found that happiness made their subjects 12% more productive.

It’s clear to see that happiness has a positive effect on a person’s performance, but now do we cultivate a spirit of happiness in the workplace?

5 Steps to Becoming Happy at Work

Gallup revealed that in 2013, two-thirds of the workforce were unhappy. Many people believe that work and misery go hand-in-hand. Becoming happier at work does not need to be an insurmountable task. Here are some proven ways to be happier at work.

1. Find Meaning In Your Work

If you’re in your own business, you already have many reasons to be happier than someone who is pushing the clock from 9-5. If you don’t already do what you love, perhaps it is time to strategize a new approach. Find ways to change the world, even if it is in a small way, daily.

2. Create a Cozy Office Environment

Most of us spend many hours in our offices every day, and therefore, it should be as comfortable as possible. Decorate it as you wish; get some music going and put up pictures that make you feel good and remind you of why you do what you do.

3. Smile 🙂

Did you know that you can trick your body into believing you’re happy?

That’s right!

When you smile, your body releases neuropeptides that tell your brain to be happy. And when you smile, it will touch everything you do.

4. Leave Home at Home and Work at Work

Don’t bring personal issues to work and don’t take work problems home. It’s easy to do when you have a dedicated office at home – simply shut the door when you “go home” and return with a fresh perspective tomorrow. Likewise, when home issues are killing your focus, close the door, turn on focus music and get to work.

5. Say Thank You!

Gratitude is the ultimate happy-maker. Whether you express gratitude to your clients for their business, or to your family, or even to yourself, it will result in a heightened sense of self-worth that results in even more goodness.

Of course, when you’re feeling overwhelmed, taking a 5-minute breather can go a long way to making you feel fabulous again. Either way, you really should do whatever you can to get the happy hormones flowing, because it will not only make you feel good, but it will bring about a positive shift in your results.