For weeks 7-10 of this article series on “The Science of Well-Being,” I am going to move away from the class structure because the last four weeks of the class are more about accountability with setting goals and sticking to them. Though this is important, it doesn’t give me as much to write about, so I will delve into details I skipped over from previous weeks.
If you would like the accountability piece to help you stick with healthy happiness habits, please email me at jamie.bright@unl.edu so I know if there is enough interest for an in-person class.
Though last week we talked about finding a healthy work-life balance, a good job can also make us happy if we have the right mindset. Instead of focusing on our salary, we need to use our signature strengths in our career and increase “flow.” Did you do the exercise the first week to find out your strengths? If not, now is a good time to do that.
Using our strengths makes us feel more engaged, happier, and less depressed. Research shows that jobs we consider a “calling” use more of our signature strengths than those we just consider work.
Flow is a mental state where we feel fully immersed in an activity. Flow comes from activities that are challenging but attainable, intrinsically rewarding, where we lose track of time and completely focus on the activity. We feel better when we are challenged and thinking rather than when we are passive. Feeling challenged but still able to accomplish the work we do gives us a sense of confidence, while leisure time often gives us feelings of apathy and boredom. If your current job doesn’t provide this for you, be sure to engage in hobbies that do!
Tip of the Week
Think about how to use your signature strengths at work. Is there a way to shift your job duties to spend more time on activities that put you into a flow state?