Want to Be Happy About Returning to Work? Here’s How

Want to Be Happy About Returning to Work? Here’s How

Joy or Dread? People have various reactions to returning to work in person, new jobs, or jobs from which they were laid off. Some are annoyed, having relished the time with their dogs or the lack of a commute, others look forward to the escape from pinch hitting as remote learning instructors for the kids and a relief from endless video conferences.

What you may not have thought about, according to Adam Grant, Wharton professor, organizational psychologist, and author of Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know, is that we’ve been missing a “particular kind of joy” over the past year.

As he explains the problem, we’ve lacked “collective effervescence”, that’s sense of energy and harmony we feel with others during an engaging brainstorming session or an unexpected team win.

Emotions Are Catching: According to Grant, research has shown that people laugh five times as often with others than alone. All emotions: sadness, joy, depression can be contagious. The lethargy we feel after too much Zooming may be due to too many hours spent communicating with people who are also sad and lonely, in addition to screen fatigue.

The Depression Epidemic: In addition, four in ten adults report feeling depressed in the past year and one-half, as opposed to the previous one in ten. Surprisingly, introverts report feeling even more depressed than extroverts during the pandemic: they need the energy of connection also.

What Should You Do? 

Leaders: If you’re inclined to bring your team back to in-person work, realize that the move may benefit individuals, as well as the organization. When your associates complain about the directive, banish your guilt, and consider sharing some of the research in order to persuade the troops.

Individuals: If you’re moping about moving back into the office, take heart: you may find your mood improves.

Organizations: In a competitive labor market, while you may be tempted to offer increasing flexibility of work hours and work from-home options, consider a hybrid model so that people are in the office together at least some of the time.

For more information on this subject read Three Ways to Banish the Blahs for You and Your Team and check out our other articles.

What Do You Think?

Have you found that you or your team feel happier together? Contact us at: 303-216-1020 or Lynne@workplacesthatwork.com