The Complex Relationship Between Happiness and Motivation

Everyone is fuelled by their own dreams and ambitions, but taking a close look at the complex relationship between happiness and motivation might give us a hint at what drives people to do their best work. Does happiness drive motivation?

Are Happy People More Productive?

There is enough evidence, by now, to believe that happy people are more productive. In fact, a Gallup-Healthways study estimates that unhappiness among workers in the US is costing a whopping £180 billion per year in lost productivity.

A series of studies by Andrew J. Oswald and his team also provide evidence that happiness positively impacts productivity. In one experiment, subjects have their happiness levels increased by being shown a clip of comedy routines. The subjects who had watched the comedy clip showed 12 per cent greater productivity than those who had watched a "placebo" clip.

A second study by the same group of scientists took a look at major, real-life unhappiness shocks such as bereavement and family illness and how they impact productivity. In this study, a random group of subjects was given a questionnaire about their happiness level and possible negative life events. Then they performed the same tasks as the subjects in the previous experiment. It turns out that having had a bad life event in the previous two years lowers people's performance by approximately 10 percent. Continue reading.

Originally posted on Lifehacker.