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Happiness Is a Terrible Life Goal, at Work or Anywhere Else
Tuesday, October 07, 2025
Happiness is overrated—especially at work. Sure, free snacks, casual Fridays, and the occasional ping-pong table might make employees happy, for a minute. But if you think that’s what keeps them engaged long-term, you might as well be handing out cupcakes and hoping it solves burnout.
Here’s the thing: Happiness is a terrible life goal, at work or anywhere else. Let’s talk about what actually works.
The Problem With Chasing Happiness
Happiness is a slippery little thing. You get a dopamine hit after crushing a big presentation or celebrating a team win. But like a sugar rush, it fades fast. If we make happiness the goal, we’re setting employees up for disappointment when reality (i.e., deadlines, difficult clients, and Susan from accounting who keeps "circling back") kicks in.
Even science agrees—trying too hard to be happy actually makes people less happy. Psychologists call this the paradox of happiness, in which the more we chase it, the more it slips through our fingers (Gruber et al., 2011). And when happiness inevitably dips, employees can start feeling like something’s wrong with them, leading to disengagement and burnout.
Forget Happiness. Aim for Meaning.
If happiness is the sugar rush, meaning is the well-balanced meal that keeps you going. Unlike happiness, meaningful work isn’t about chasing good vibes. It’s about doing something that actually matters.
That doesn’t mean work has to be all sunshine and rainbows. Sometimes, meaningful work is hard, frustrating, and exhausting. But it’s the kind of challenge that feels worth it. It aligns with personal values, makes an impact, and builds a deep sense of pride—one that lasts far longer than a fleeting moment of joy (Allan et al., 2019; Rosso et al., 2010).
Studies back this up: People who find meaning in their work report higher job satisfaction, better mental health, and greater resilience (Rosso et al., 2010). And let’s be real: Your top performers probably aren’t showing up just for the free coffee.
Leaders: Be the Meaning-Makers
You don’t need to roll out another wellness initiative. (More random acts of wellness, anyone?) Instead, give employees a reason to care about their work. Here’s how:
Tie daily tasks to a bigger mission. Even the boring stuff matters when people know how it contributes to something bigger. Don’t let employees feel like cogs in a machine—show them the impact of their work.
Celebrate milestones that mean something. Not just the sales numbers, but why they matter. Did you hit a revenue goal? Great. Now tell your team how that revenue fuels innovation or helps customers.
Tell real stories. People don’t get inspired by spreadsheets. Share examples of how their work has made a difference—whether it’s solving a client’s problem, creating something new, or just making someone’s life easier.
Research shows that people who see their work as a calling rather than just a job are more engaged, perform better, and have greater overall well-being (Wrzesniewski et al., 1997). And no, that doesn’t mean every job has to be saving lives—it just means helping people see why their work matters.
The Real Payoff? A Thriving Workplace
Meaningful work does more than make employees feel good—it makes them stick around, work harder, and actually care. And that’s not just nice in theory. Studies show that meaningful work leads to higher job performance, stronger commitment, and lower turnover (Allan et al., 2019).
So if you want an engaged, high-performing team, quit chasing happiness and start building a workplace where people feel like what they do matters.
As you head into the new year, ditch the cycle of failed resolutions and embrace a more science-based, sustainable approach to change. Your future self will thank you.
Final Thought
If your strategy for keeping employees happy is mostly about perks, consider this:
- Do your employees know why their work matters?
- Are you creating moments of real pride and purpose, not just fleeting fun?
- Would your employees stay if you took away the free snacks? (Be honest.)
The best workplaces aren’t obsessed with happiness. They’re obsessed with meaning. Build that, and engagement, retention, and performance will take care of themselves.
References
Allan, B. A., Duffy, R. D., & Douglass, R. P. (2019). Meaningful work and mental health: Job satisfaction as a moderator. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 110, 164-177. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2018.11.002
Gruber, J., Mauss, I. B., & Tamir, M. (2011). A dark side of happiness? How, when, and why happiness is not always good. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 6(3), 222–233. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691611406927
Rosso, B. D., Dekas, K. H., & Wrzesniewski, A. (2010). On the meaning of work: A theoretical integration and review. Research in Organizational Behavior, 30, 91-127. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.riob.2010.09.001
Wrzesniewski, A., McCauley, C., Rozin, P., & Schwartz, B. (1997). Jobs, careers, and callings: People's relations to their work. Journal of Research in Personality, 31(1), 21-33. https://doi.org/10.1006/jrpe.1997.2162Rosso, B. D., Dekas, K. H., &
Meet Dr. Dayna, Ph.D.
Dr. Dayna Lee-Baggley is a Registered Psychologist with two decades of professional experience in clinical psychology, health psychology, and organizational psychology. She has extensive applied experience and research knowledge on burnout, psychological safety in the workplace, behaviour and organizational change, and wellness leadership. She is an internationally recognized expert in human behavior. She conducts innovative research at Dalhousie and Saint Mary’s University, with a distinguished track record of 55 peer-reviewed publications and over 140 scholarly presentations. She is the author of "Healthy Habits Suck: How to get off the couch and live a healthy life even if you don’t want to"
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