BrandYoga, an organisation passionate about improving company culture, alerted us to a thought-provoking TED interview with psychologist, Shawn Achor, exploring the link between success in the workplace and happiness.

Most of us believe that if we are successful, then we’ll be happy. But Shawn Achor has conducted extensive research which suggests that just the opposite is the case..

Gaining ‘the happiness advantage’ through positivity in the present moment

We assume that our external world, and our place in it, is predictive of our happiness levels.  But Shawn suggests that 90% of our long-term happiness is predicted by the way our brains process the external world, i.e. it’s all about the lens through which we view the world – rather than the external world itself.

In his informative and humorous TED talk, Shawn says that if we can increase our positivity in the present, and experience what he calls ‘the happiness advantage’, our brains can perform significantly better than when we feel negative, stressed or neutral.

He has found that, when we’re feeling positive, our brains are 31% more productive than when we feel negative, stressed or neutral. Our intelligence, energy and creativity increase and all business outcomes improve.

Taking practical steps to promote positive thinking

Shawn’s research has found that a person’s way of thinking can literally be re-wired to become more positive within a matter of weeks. He suggests that there are key steps that can be taken to train a person’s brain to become more positive. These steps include meditating, noting three things you’re grateful for each day, keeping a journal that notes positive experiences, taking part in exercise and random acts of kindness.

Shawn claims that by training our brains in this way, we can ‘reverse the formula for happiness and success, create ripples of positivity – and start a real revolution.’