My recent brush with burnout left me reeling for a bit but ultimately set me on a path of learning and growth. Funny how our struggles tend to do that! I am fortunate to work for an incredible company that listens and supports its employees. When I went to our CEO to share my struggles and propose my plan (which included creating an entirely new role in the company), she supported me without hesitation. Thank you, Rebecca Metter!

Part of that proposal was obtaining a professional certificate to learn more about the Science of Happiness at Work. I am happily making my way through the excellent curriculum put together by the team at UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center. I would like to “pay it forward” by sharing a little of what I have learned so far. I have seen and felt an impact in my daily life, both at work and elsewhere. If you are also interested in fostering deeper connections at work and home, here are some things you can try.

Start with gratitude. 

Our grandparents were onto something here! Gratitude is good for us. In sharing thanks and appreciation, we see the good in our lives and acknowledge that the source of that goodness lies outside of ourselves. Expressing gratitude leads people to be happier, healthier, and more optimistic. When we receive gratitude, we feel valued and motivated, and we want to pay it forward by thanking someone else. Gratitude is a superpower we can tap into every day to lower stress and strengthen connections with our families, friends, and colleagues. It is also the beginning of empathy, as it requires that we see the positive intentions and effort in another’s actions.

Try this:

• Write down three things you’re grateful for, and if one of them is a person, write them a note of gratitude sharing the things you most value and appreciate about them. If that person is a work colleague and your organization uses Wambi, you can write them a Carepostcard! Chances are, receiving that note will make their day, and yours, too.
• If you are a leader, you can put team members on the “appreciation hot seat.” During your next team meeting, pick one employee and have everyone on your team share what they most appreciate about that person (you too!) Wambi users can memorialize this appreciation with Carepostcards, so team members can look back at this gratitude any time they feel depleted.

Seek out and savor moments of positivity resonance.

You might be less familiar with this term, but I guarantee you’re familiar with the effects! Dr. Barbara Fredrickson at UNC-Chapel Hill defines positivity resonance as “a synthesis of shared positive affect, mutual care and concern, plus behavioral and biological synchrony.” Or put more simply, those moments of connection when we are with people who just seem to “get us.” Of course, these can be people we know well – our partner, bestie, favorite colleague, etc. But the great thing is that these can also be strangers we are meeting for the first time: the new barista who treats us with kindness and loves Harry Potter as much as we do, a new colleague with a mutual appreciation of apples with peanut butter, the parent at the park who shares our love of slides (or at least watching our kids on the slides). We’ve all had that experience of hitting it off with someone and walking away feeling that life is good. And our body feels it, too. These moments of positive connection impact our health by improving our body’s inflammatory response and immune function.

We can seek out more of these moments with our favorite people and also with strangers. Every new person we meet is an opportunity to experience the glow of positivity resonance, even if just for a moment. All we need to do is look up from our phones and engage.

Try this:

• Reach out to the friend or family member who always makes you feel loved and valued, and schedule time to connect either virtually or, if possible, in person.
• The next time you are waiting in line, strike up a conversation with the person nearest you. It might seem awkward at first, but we are all craving a smile and understanding. Chances are, they’ll appreciate the effort, and you’ll reap the psychological and biological rewards.
• Introduce yourself to a new colleague at work. We make this easy in Wambi by presenting profiles of folks on the team so you can see who is new. Wambi users can send a Carepostcard to say hello to new team members and get to know who they are outside of work.

Embrace civility, kindness, empathy, and compassion to strengthen connections.

Sharing gratitude and moments of positivity resonance with others will increase positive emotions and give us the building blocks for an upward spiral of positivity. You’ve probably heard of, and maybe experienced, the downward spiral of negative emotions. The good news is that positive emotions have a similar but opposite effect. When we intentionally cultivate positivity and connection, we impact ourselves and those around us by “paying it forward.”

Relating to others with civility, kindness, empathy, and compassion has a multiplying impact, causing positive emotional contagion. Plus, these are the building blocks for trust and deepened connection.

Try this:

• Perform random acts of kindness. These can be for family, friends, colleagues, or strangers and can be as small as smiling and saying hi as you pass someone on the street or in the hallway at work. Or, for Wambi users, send a Carepostcard to a colleague, telling them why you love working with them. You’ll make the recipient of the kindness feel great and will increase your happiness in the process!

Fostering connection, and consequently, our sense of belonging is easier than we think. Hopefully, some of the ideas shared here were helpful! Here’s a final thought as you go out to spread positivity: “It is one of the most beautiful compensations of this life that no person can sincerely try to help another without helping themselves.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

• https://wambi.org/the-gratitude-toolkit/
• https://www.edx.org/professional-certificate/berkeleyx-science-of-happiness-at-work
• https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/key
• https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/why_gratitude_is_good
• https://www.positivityresonance.com

As our Product Evangelist, Mel brings over 13 years of experience to support the growth and development of Wambi’s sales team as they seek to help healthcare organizations create cultures of appreciation and kindness. She is committed to helping both her team and Wambi’s clients achieve their business objectives while living Wambi’s values of compassion, imagination, gratitude, fearlessness, and joy. Mel’s sales experience spans healthcare, technology, legal, and academic content solutions. She has been a consistent top performer and is most proud of her work fostering innovation, evolution, and team cohesiveness in each role. Mel grew up in West Michigan, where she still lives and enjoys running through the beautiful wooded dunes. She received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan. When she’s not exercising or spending time with her family, you can find her indulging in her love of learning about anything and everything.

• Connect with Mel on LinkedIn 
• Learn more about the Wambi platform