Ever heard of a happiness specialist? Neither have we. In fact, this job didn’t exist until Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Telecommunications became the first country to implement such a job in the workplace, allegedly. The Orwellian-sounding “happiness specialist” is responsible for maintaining adequate happiness levels in the workplace without sacrificing productivity.
In mere hours after the news was revealed on Saudi Twitter, the job position went viral. While some applauded the new position, others were hesitant to recognize this as an actual job. In fact, like all news that’s only reported on Twitter, it’s not entirely clear that this is an actual job.
However, if Saudi Arabia really does end up employing a happiness specialist, it wouldn’t be the first position of its kind.
The United Arab Emirates appointed its first-ever Minister of Happiness in 2016 and established the World Happiness Council in 2017.
The Happiness Specialist’s job will be to create events and activities in the workplace in order to boost employee morale and encourage a happier workplace.
Maybe other countries should take note.
In the United States, over half of currently employed individuals are actively searching for a new job. Utilizing a happiness specialist in your career field may be the key to sustaining long-term employees.
On top of that, around half of Americans interviewed for Gallup’s annual happiness poll claimed they were stressed. This almost matched the stress levels of the Central African Republic, the least happy country in 2017.
“Collectively, the world is more stressed, worried, sad and in pain today than we’ve ever seen it,” the group’s managing editor, Mohamed Younis, wrote in a foreword to the study,” claimed Mohamed Younis, Gallup’s managing editor.
Throughout the world, happiness levels are falling due to increased levels of stress, worry, and internal conflict. Creating new jobs to inspire happiness in the workplace might not fix these global problems, but it can certainly ease some of the stress placed directly on the individual.
According to a new poll by Pureprofile in Australia, an estimated two out of three adults value happiness in the workplace over the actual work. Another 56% of those interviewed preferred to find meaning in what they do over the amount of money they make.
It’s apparent that improving the culture of the work environment and providing meaning for employees is essential. However, we mustn’t forget the importance of a livable wage.
While Australian employees value meaning and happiness, the mortgage rates are high and financial strain is a burden. Each day in America, over 2,600 people enter the rental market looking for new or more affordable housing.
So, how do we improve our happiness at work?
While not every job will want to implement a happiness specialist, you can always make small changes at work and in yourself to boost your overall happiness.
Simple fixes like improving your teeth and having a healthier smile can boost confidence and improve your self-image. An estimated 32% of adults are concerned by the appearance of their teeth — by eliminating physical stressors and improving your self-confidence, you’re setting yourself up to work on improving your mental health.
Humans are prone to dwelling on the past, fearing the future, and comparing ourselves to the people around us. The three best things we can do to improve our happiness is notice when you’re participating in mentally exhausting behaviors.
David Schramm, doctor and CFLE at Utah State University recommends following these three steps to improving your happiness: notice, pause, and appreciate.
“Notice what`s going well in your life, notice the good things, then Pause for even a few seconds and soak it in and live in that moment, and Appreciate the good feeling that comes,” he says.
For the job, specifically, you can constantly work on improving your skills, working toward higher goals, and embracing failure.
Ambition in the workplace is essential to becoming happier with your job, but it can get exhausting when your innovative ideas don’t work out. According to Entrepreneur, however, these two skills are vital.
“…whether your ultimate goal is to claim your seat in the C-suite or launch your own organization, at some point, if you want to advance, you’re going to have to learn how to take intelligent risks,” write Danielle Harlan and Anne Loehr.
It isn’t always easy to follow this advice, however. Failure in the job is common, especially if you’re working to make improvements within the company. By taking each failure in stride and learning from the experience, however, you’re able to formulate a more positive working environment.
If you’re feeling burnt out at your job, you must remember to do things you love. Taking time for yourself and creating a healthy work-life balance is necessary to prevent exhaustion and stress from taking over your life. Go for a hike. Talk to old friends. Get a massage. An estimated 87% of people think getting a massage can help improve health and wellness.
At the end of the day, it’s not realistic to expect every industry to utilize a happiness specialist, even if it does sound great. By working on improving yourself and your career, however, you might be able to find happiness in unexpected places.