Science has long documented the toll that negative emotions such as anxiety, fear and sadness have on our minds and bodies. Recent evidence, however, highlights the previously under appreciated benefits of positive emotions, emotions such as contentment, joy, awe and gratitude.
A surge of studies in the past fifteen years have examined the correlations and consequences of the experience of positive emotions. Although researchers are still working on understanding the precise pathways that link positive emotions to these important outcomes, what is clear is that when people frequently feel positive emotions they are better off at home and at work.
As a result, corporate wellness programs that enhance positivity in the workplace are becoming powerful tools to produce desired positive outcomes that improve overall employee well-being and productivity.
Positive Emotions Are Correlated with Better Health and Stress Management
Recent research includes studies that measure positive emotions occurring spontaneously in the course of daily life as well as studies that induce positive emotions in the laboratory. In the latter, positive emotions can be effectively elicited in a variety of ways, for example by showing people brief film clips that target a specific emotion, such as joy.
Overall, these studies have documented valuable outcomes associated with experiencing positive emotions that range from improved physical health to lower job turnover. One of the most powerful findings in this research is that positive emotions are associated with higher quality physical health and longer life spans.
One way that positive emotions benefit the body is by undoing the damage of negative emotions and stress. That is, positive emotions are associated with faster recovery from stressful events, as happy people seem to bounce back more quickly from a variety of stressors compared to unhappy people.
Positive emotions can be an important tool in the defense against the cumulative effects of stress. In addition, research also shows that positive emotion may have a direct effect on health through other pathways.
For example, some studies have shown that positive emotions are correlated with more effective immune system functioning which likely influences our ability to fight of diseases, which can lead to reduced employee absenteeism and sick days. Regardless of exactly why or how positive emotions lead to better health, the association between happiness and health is strong and well documented.
Positive Emotions Enhance Interpersonal Relationships and Creativity
Positive emotions also are closely tied to better interpersonal relationships. Of course, good relationships are a source of many positive emotional experiences, but many studies have also shown that positive emotions improve social interactions.
We know that happy people are more approachable, are liked more and get along better with others than unhappy people. And studies have clearly shown that employees’ emotional experiences have an impact on interactions with clients, customers and co-workers.
There also is solid evidence that positive emotions influence important work-related processes, like creativity. In laboratory studies, people made to briefly experience positive emotions (such as through watching brief film clips) were able to solve problems more creatively and see the big picture more easily using well-validated cognitive tasks.
Company Wellness Programs Can Increase Positive Emotions at the Workplace
There is a lot of potential for harnessing the benefits of experiencing positive emotions for the workforce. However, a critical question is whether a company can intervene with programs or practices that increase positive emotions in its workforce. A recent review by Christina Meyers and her colleagues in the Netherlands that focused on studies of interventions specifically aimed at increasing positive experiences among employees at organizations gives reason for optimism.