Why work is good for us (apart from the money!)

Work is central to our lives. Before the pandemic, we spent about a third of our waking hours at work. Recent International Labour Organisation analysis reveals that in the 2020 lockdown, 8.8% of global working hours were lost, equating to 255 million full-time jobs. Redundancy, furlough or reduced working hours have both financial implications and a knock-on impact on wellbeing. But the relationship between money and happiness is not straightforward. If we are doing better than others around us, this boosts our wellbeing and if we are earning less, we don’t feel so good. Comparing ourselves to those who have more can undermine our wellbeing, so it makes sense to avoid this and focus on what we actually have.

Psychologists use the term ‘hedonic treadmill’ to explain how we adapt to positive experiences like getting a pay-rise or promotion.  Initial elation or pride wears off and we return to our earlier level of wellbeing. The good news is that this adaptation also applies to negative experiences.  Although, wellbeing might take a serious knock, it eventually recovers. Unemployment, however, has a more permanent effect. Research consistently shows that even after finding work again, people do not return to the same level of wellbeing as before.

Even though we might complain about it, work is nevertheless a critical determinant of psychological wellbeing – the vast majority of people rate work as important or very important. Employed people have higher life satisfaction and more positive emotion than unemployed people. Work can also satisfy significant human needs: to be autonomous, connected to others, feel competent and have meaning.

Work satisfies the need to be autonomous

People are motivated by having personal influence and a sense of control over what they do at work, such as setting goals and making decisions. Although you might think that more seniority leads to more stress, the classic ‘Whitehall Study’ of UK civil servants found that people in lower grade roles were significantly more likely to suffer ill-health than higher grades because they had less control over their work.

Work satisfies the need to be effective

People naturally want to perform well; they want to make progress and feel a growing sense of mastery. We can facilitate this by doing work we are good at – not always as easy as it sounds! Many people do not know their strengths. As well as supporting colleagues to improve on weaknesses, giving feedback on what they do well is beneficial.  According to psychology professor Alex Linley, playing to our natural strengths at work not only leads to high performance but also increased energy, confidence and resilience.

Another way to feel more effective at work is through flow experiences. Flow is when we are so absorbed in the task that hours feel like minutes. We’re more likely to experience flow, sometimes called ‘being in the zone’, when we face a challenge that builds on ability but is slightly out of reach. We can help others experience flow by increasing or reducing the complexity of the challenge and offering training, mentoring or coaching to develop skills.

 Work satisfies the need to connect

Not only are good relationships essential to wellbeing, in the workplace they also enhance trust, resilience, creativity and openness to learning, and lead to higher individual, team and business performance. Leaders and managers can help develop collegial relationships by creating a climate where it is safe to share emotions, reflect on and learn from what is going well or is challenging, share ideas and take risks. We can develop a more human-centred environment by openly expressing compassion to those having a difficult time, appreciation to those who have done a good job and forgiving those who have made a mistake.

Work provides meaning

Meaningful work is linked to a wide range of benefits including higher wellbeing, lower anxiety and depression, greater motivation and perseverance, better teamwork and greater commitment to the organisation.  Although finding meaning at work is a personal endeavour, managers can support employees by exploring motivations and setting goals in line with these and making the long-term benefits of work outcomes clear. Studies also show that people who use their strengths at work are more likely to view their work as meaningful.

Work can be challenging, stressful and exhausting at times. Leaders sometimes fail to lead, allowing toxic environments to develop. But, despite this,  work makes an important net contribution to our wellbeing. If we play to our strengths, have positive relationships and find meaning, there can be no doubt that work IS good for us!

 Bridget Grenville-Cleave is a positive psychology consultant specialising in happiness and wellbeing at work and co-author of Creating the World We Want to Live In (Routledge) available now £19.99.

Written by Bridget Grenville-Cleave

Prepared by Ebony Ximines-Parke