Wellbeing News and Research

Within this section we will post interesting news and research based on wellbeing. Let us know if you have found or heard of an interesting tip or advice so that we can share it with all our users. 

An obvious place to begin is with the workplace – after all, most people will spend a significant proportion of their lives at work. And whilst statistics suggest that that levels of absenteeism due to stress now number 13 million working days each year and are on the rise, unemployment has consistently been shown to have a devastating effect on people's wellbeing, over and above the impact of earning loss.

More than this, however, good work can be one of the most positive drivers of wellbeing. Firstly, jobs provide opportunities to mix with other people and can help to give us a vital sense of identity. Secondly, one of the key strengths of working environments is their ability to engage our interests and abilities, which in turn leads to a sense of purpose, self-worth and satisfaction. US psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi has coined the term “flow” to describe the experience of being so immersed in an enjoyable activity that we lose track of time; at its best, work can provide these experiences.

Of course, finding a job exciting and challenging is most likely to occur when there is a good fit between the tasks set by an employer and the skill level of the employee. Results of a recent survey have shown that employees who have a positive view about their managers are “those who are most engaged with their work, perform better and less likely to quit their jobs”. Leadership styles that are supportive, offer constructive feedback and encourage autonomy are important for wellbeing at work.

So, the research indicates that work can make us happy. But it is a complex cocktail of job characteristics and management styles that, in reality, holds the key to our wellbeing.