The Blue Zones of Happiness: Lessons for Well-Being Leaders

How happy is your workforce? And… how happy are you? If your answer to either is not very, Blue Zones^® founder and author Dan Buettner offers good news. In The Blue Zones of Happiness, Buettner takes a deep dive into cultural, economic, and behavioral factors behind the happiest countries in the world (Denmark, Costa Rica, Singapore). After consulting the world’s top happiness research experts, he distills the science and lessons into action items for individuals, communities, and organizations.

3 Strands of Happiness

Buettner characterizes the primary elements of well-being as strands (pleasure, purpose, and pride) that are woven together to foster resilience and happiness. He describes how citizens of the world’s happiest nations generally combine all 3 strands as they go about their lives, for example:

• Spending time with friends who make them laugh
• Living according to their values
• Doing meaningful work that provides a sense of accomplishment.

Buettner encourages us to design our lives for greater happiness by personalizing his science-based recommendations, intentionally weaving the 3 strands into everyday experiences.

Engineering Happiness

It’s no secret that health and happiness go hand in hand; when workers thrive, business thrives. With competition for top talent heating up, positioning your workplace as one where employee happiness is a priority will enhance its curb appeal. Why not team up with other leaders to get cracking on strategies known to enhance happiness? A few ideas based on Buettner’s work:

• Help workers get to know each other. Grease the skids for coworker friendships with thoughtfully designed common areas, team well-being challenges, and affinity groups. Ask leaders to make a point of introducing new hires and employees across functions. Encourage cross-department after-hours fun like recreational sports leagues. Launch a moai project, described by Buettner as “an American version of an Okinawan custom,” where 5-7 people commit to gathering for walks and meals for at least 10 weeks, developing friendships along the way. Buettner gets rave reviews from companies that make moais a part of their culture, citing stronger relationships and higher morale as top benefits.

• Support work-life well-being. Join with management to establish standards for reasonable workloads and appropriate levels of employee autonomy in getting the job done. Establish new norms as needed, like leaving work in time to enjoy dinner with family, flexibility for tending to personal and family needs, taking workday breaks, and using vacation time. Train managers (and anyone else interested) in human relations skills like communication, kindness, and respect. Work environments that support well-being naturally promote happiness.

• Advocate for streets that invite physical activity. Join with community leaders to offer input into city and county planning. Buettner points to research showing active living street designs boost exercise by at least 30%. Easy access to public transportation as well as pedestrian and biker-friendly routes promotes active commuting. In larger Danish cities like Copenhagen, residents enjoy riding bikes everywhere as their primary form of transportation. Better air quality and fewer car accidents enhance happiness, too.

• Encourage and support personal happiness efforts. Create a challenge to spark worker interest in designing their homes, social networks, finances, and personal habits for greater happiness. Get the word out with blog posts, testimonials, resource links, and special events that teach Blue Zones-inspired ways to craft a happier life.

May You Be Happy

The best way to learn more about happiness tips is to try them yourself. As well-being and HR leaders, you’ll be better equipped to help boost happiness in your organization with a solid understanding of the science behind the strategies. Interested? Pick up a copy of The Blue Zones of Happiness, enjoy a fascinating read, and use what you learn to make a difference.

Learn More

Check out Top 10 Must-Reads for Well-Being Practitioners for more books on the science of happiness.

• Choose the Life You Want: 101 Ways to Create Your Own Road to Happiness by Tal Ben-Shahar, PhD (2012)
• Dan Buettner on the Blue Zones of Happiness — World Economic Forum (2017)
• The How of Happiness by Sonja Lyubomirsky, PhD (2007)