Love your workplace and you'll live a happier life – 7 factors that shape happiness at work

People wait all week for Friday, all year for summer, and all their lives for happiness." – Umberto Eco

Why keep postponing it when we can choose to be happier now?

Happiness and its effect on working life have become increasingly common topics of conversation. A great deal of research has explored this connection, and the conclusion is consistent: happier people tend to perform better than unhappy ones. In business, where results are always in focus, that matters. In this article, we look at seven factors that influence happiness at work.

1. Organizational climate

Organizational climate is at the core of creating a happy workplace. It is the unwritten rule people follow simply because "that's how things are done here." That is why it matters to work in an environment whose culture supports employees' wellbeing and sense of fulfillment. Of course, people are different, and there is no single model for what that culture should be. What matters is that employees feel well in their workplace so they can contribute fully and feel engaged in what they do.

2. The opportunity to make an impact

Most people want to work in a place where they feel their work matters and has a real effect. The business world is made up of all kinds of companies, varying in size, structure, and purpose. Some people prefer large corporations, where there may be more room for career progression or geographic mobility. Others are drawn to smaller or start-up environments, where each individual has a more direct effect on the company's results. Whatever your preference, the important thing is to find a place where you have room to stand out and use your strengths. That is often what leads to greater motivation and a stronger sense of satisfaction at work.

3. Freedom to act

One of the last things anyone wants at work is someone constantly looking over their shoulder saying, "Change this," or "Do it differently." Freedom is one of the key ingredients of happiness at work – not only because no one wants to feel like they are back in school, but also because people want to feel trusted. They want to know that others believe in their abilities, in the tasks they are handling, and in their competence to do the job well.

Being given the freedom to manage tasks you are qualified for, without having every step questioned, builds confidence and makes work feel more satisfying. Freedom matters in every area of life, and work is no exception.

4. Seeing work as a calling

It is difficult to feel happy – or to hide your dissatisfaction – if you believe your work goes against what you are meant to do in life. Following your intuition and doing what genuinely feels right for you can bring far more satisfaction than seeing your role as "just a job." If you come to see your work as a calling, as something you are truly meant to do, you are likely to experience not only more happiness at work but also a deeper sense of meaning – two important parts of a fulfilling life.

Seeing work as a calling does not necessarily mean becoming an astronaut or a professional basketball player. If you can recognize the positive impact your work creates and the way it contributes to the world around you, then almost any kind of work can be experienced as meaningful and connected to a sense of happiness.

5. Good relationships

Every day, you go to work and interact with other people. These relationships are inevitable, so it is only natural that their quality has a strong influence on happiness in the workplace.

The relationship you have with your manager is certainly one of the most important ones at work and can have a major effect on how happy you feel there. Your manager has expectations of you, sees your performance up close, and can become one of your strongest supporters, especially when it comes to career development and advancement.

At the same time, given how many hours you spend with your colleagues, it makes sense that your daily interactions with them also shape your overall satisfaction at work. Whether you enjoy talking with coworkers about their weekend or chatting about a favorite sports team, these relationships can help you feel part of a team and more connected to what you do.

A study by Virgin Pulse found that nearly 40% of respondents see their colleagues as the main reason they love the company they work for. In addition, 66% say these relationships have a positive effect on their focus and productivity at work, while 55% report that they help reduce workplace stress. If you genuinely enjoy the people you work with – especially if some of them become friends – going to work each day becomes a more positive and rewarding experience. And that, in turn, contributes to better results.

6. Learning and development

As surprising as it may sound, learning and development have a strong influence on happiness at work. Not only does a company's investment in your growth make you feel more valued, but development is also an important part of long-term success. Whether you are preparing for a job change or have the opportunity to move into a different role within your current company, your ability to gain new skills and experience will strongly affect both your job satisfaction and your personal sense of progress. And the more successful you feel, the more that sense of happiness tends to spill over into other parts of life as well.

7. Work–life balance

Without a doubt, what happens outside of work has a major influence on whether you feel happy or not. If your personal or family life is difficult, it will affect your whole life, including your work. There is no clear line between work and the rest of life. If you think that once you arrive at the office, the "battle" from that morning will simply disappear, you are probably fooling yourself.

We often carry negative emotional energy from one place to another – from work to home, from home to work, and everywhere else in between. But that does not mean you are doomed. It simply means that you cannot neglect one part of your life and expect another part to make up for it. When you work on yourself, your inner peace, and your happiness outside of work, you are far more likely to experience greater happiness at work as well.

In closing

These are only some of the factors that shape happiness in the workplace. When it comes to my own happiness, I often return to Aristotle's words:

Happiness depends upon ourselves.

Perhaps the easiest way to reconnect with that truth is to remember that happiness depends, to a great extent, on us.