By Lydia Vidal. There is intention in the question that titles this post, which could have been "can you be happy working? But, as can be sensed in "how to be happy working", our starting point is to assume that yes, indeed, we can be happy working (even just after returning from holidays) and that the only thing we still need to know is the method, the path and the process to achieve it.
I feel that the return to routine is a good time to rethink how we relate to what we do and how to make it enjoyable... for as long as possible.
One of the ways to be happy at work could be to enter the state of Flowthat feeling we get when we are so focused on one activity that time seems to disappear, effort feels natural and the mind flows without resistance.
This concept of flowdeveloped by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyipsychologist and pioneer in the study of the happiness sustainability optimal experienceoccurs when our skills and challenge we are faced with are in balance. It is neither too easy (we would get bored), nor too difficult (we would get frustrated), but there is the exact point at which we work with mindfulnessclarity and enjoyment.
We have all felt flow sometime: when we are so immersed in a task that we are we lose track of timeOur concentration is absolute and everything seems to flow effortlessly. It can happen when we are playing sport, painting or playing an instrument.
The question that Csikszentmihalyi asked himself, what makes us really happy, serves us today for the question of how to be happy at work?
What would our day-to-day lives be like if everything we did led to a state of flow?
Csikszentmihalyi found that Happiness is not linked to having fewer problems, more money or better external conditions.. In his studies, he interviewed people with very different profiles - from executives to artisans, monks, surgeons, musicians and elite athletes - and found a pattern: flow.
He found that it was not so much what they did that mattered, but how they related to what they did: people who reported feeling happier and more fulfilled were those who were able to enter into a state of flow frequently.
People doing simple and even repetitive jobs such as cooking, painting, writing, solving a technical problem, coaching or teaching felt that they were not only fulfilling their tasks, but that they were providing opportunities to learn, grow and connect with their purpose.
8 key conditions to get into flow and be happy working
As Csikszentmihalyi details, the flow is not random: it happens when our skills and the challenges we face are in balance and certain conditions are met. The expert identified eight key elements:
- Clear objectivesKnowing exactly what to do at each step.
- Immediate feedbackThe following are some of the key issues: receiving quick signals on how we are progressing.
- Balance between challenge and capacityThe challenge is stimulating, but achievable.
- Mindfulnessconcentration is fully task-directed.
- Disconnection from the externalThe environment ceases to matter.
- Sense of controlWe feel we have a handle on the situation.
- Disappearance of the egoWe forget ourselves.
- Transformation of timehours seem like minutes.
In other words, the psychologist finds that we can all train our mind to enter into flow more often: learning to focus, challenge ourselves and connect with our abilities no matter what the task.
Thus, in the work context, understanding and practising these principles can change the experience of work and bring us closer to that feeling of being happy at work.
When we learn to focus our attention and connect with our tasks, motivation increases, creativity expands and a sense of satisfaction grows. As Csikszentmihalyi states, "when a person organises their consciousness to experience flow frequently, the quality of their life begins to improve".
Can flow be applied in teams?
In Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience (1990), Csikszentmihalyi focuses primarily on the individual experience from flowHow it is activated, what conditions generate it and how it impacts on personal happiness.
What Csikszentmihalyi does mention is that the flow may arise in social contextsfor example, in team sports, concerts or collaborative work environments.
It was other researchers who later coined the term "team flow": Rijn Vogelaar and Jef van den Hout extended the theory to find out how teams can experience team flow. flow This enhances collaboration, creativity and collective performance.
The same as the state of flow does not occur spontaneously in individuals, certain characteristics and conditions must also be present in teams. Specifically, the experts identify seven fundamental conditions.
7 preconditions for the team flow:
- Collective ambitionIntrinsic shared motivation to work together towards a common purpose.
- Common goalClear and meaningful goals for all members.
- Aligned personal goalsIndividual objectives that complement and contribute to the common goal.
- Skills integrationDistribution of tasks according to the strengths and competences of each member.
- Open communicationConstant and transparent exchange of information.
- Psychological securityEnvironment where members feel safe to express ideas and make mistakes.
- Mutual commitmentShared responsibility and dedication to the success of the team.
Entering a state of flow is neither a luxury nor an accident: it is a way to connect with what we do, enjoy the process and develop our potential.. At work, this experience transforms routine tasks into fulfilling opportunities; on a personal level, it helps us focus our attention, find purpose and improve our quality of life.
As Csikszentmihalyi says, happiness depends on how we live each experienceand training our consciousness brings us closer to living with fulfilment, motivation and meaning.
