And let’s face it, happiness and work do not always go hand in hand. A 2013 Gallup study, which reported data from more than 180 million people, found that just 13% of us consider ourselves to be “happily engaged at work.”
Those who do rate themselves as happy are 36% more motivated, six times more energized, and twice as productive as their unhappy counterparts.
Happiness actually has less to do with your circumstances than you might think. A University of Illinois study found that people who earn the most (more than $10 million annually) are only a smidge happier than the average Joes and Janes who work for them, and psychologists from the University of California found that genetics and life circumstances only account for about 50% of a person’s happiness. The rest is up to you.
So, we went digging until we found some great ways that emotionally intelligent people create their own happiness:
- They don't obsess over things they can't control.
- They choose their battles wisely.
- They get enough sleep.
- They exercise during the week.
- They have a growth mindset.
- They clear the clutter.
- They lend a hand.
- They let their strengths flow.
- They believe the best is yet to come.
-- Travis Bradberry
