Alive HR

From the recent Oprah show on happiness, what would you say is the happiest job in the U.S.?

1. Travel Agent
2. Clergy
3. Special Education Teacher
4. Firefighter

What do you think?

Drum roll please….

As it turns out, it’s a trick question. According to happiness expert and author Dan Buettner who appeared on the show,  these professions are ALL among the happiest jobs–an interesting finding since they all generally pay less than $50K/year.

What gives these jobs high potential for happiness? One reason is the amount of interpersonal interaction inherent in these roles. According to extensive Gallup and Healthways research, the happiest people experience eight or more hours of social interaction every day. The jobs listed above help deliver that, apparently.

We all have  about sixteen waking hours available each day. But when you subtract  breakfast, getting ready for work, commuting to work, commuting home, having dinner in whatever form that might take, housework, not to mention any familial responsibilities such as children’s homework/bathtime/bedtime, and any other To-Do items, there’s not much time left. As quickly as our “leisure” hours disappear, we may want to make the very best of any interpersonal connections at work.

Coincidentally, in the last month I’ve been making an effort to have more personal conversations and less e-mail at the office. Although I made this decision for unrelated reasons–to reduce in-box clutter and to get quick answers–I’ve also noticed a side benefit: my relationships at work seem to be improving.

And yes, I think I do feel the ‘happiness benefits’ resulting from increased connection. Since watching this little Oprah clip, I’ll definitely be looking for more ways to expand the conversation.Who doesn’t want to be happier at work and throughout life?

If you’re interested, you can take Oprah’s quiz about happy habits here.

photo by nayrb7