by Amie Hare

Created on: June 27, 2009

A happy person being more productive is not a myth. However, the productivity levels do tend to taper off or be short lived in general. The endorphins set off by the feeling of happiness do make one work much quicker and more effectively. Upon the exhaustion of the chemical highs within the brain and body the productivity drops back to normal which may be much less than what it was before. In the case of individuals who suffer from Bipolar illness or manic depression the state of hypomania will produce tremendous amounts of productivity fallowed by a devastating slump into depression, as a result nothing gets done for days, weeks, maybe even months.

In the corporate office environment faking productivity is relatively easy to do. In some cases the most productive employees are in reality the least productive. They certainly are happy individuals though; they visit, smile, and take part in functions all the while carrying around a sheet of important looking material. Mistaking busy for productivity is an all time biggest mistake in all of America. People who are running around like beheaded chickens, racing from place to place have been shown in studies to be no more productive than anyone else. In most cases they are actually less productive overall. Productivity and great planning (with room for correction in case of plan error) equates to a truly happy individual which this would in essence equate to a productive individual. Since most of the general public in America does not know how to take a step back and breathe for a moment I would say the ones who appear to be happy probably are not very productive.

Happiness is like a drug the effects of which are fleeting, euphoric, and not long lasting. It is like when one is falling in love. During the first stages of love one is on a high, feeling young again. The feelings produced create a sense of empowerment. Most who are falling in love feel more alert and energized. However, after a few weeks or months the feeling starts to calm. With that calming effect individuals start to see more clearly the faults of their partner. The happiness is calmed, as is the energy and empowerment clearly resulting in a decrease of productivity not just in the relationship but in the life of the individual. This is includes a decrease of creativity, work output, and some times over all lifestyle for example leaving the couch in front of the television. The right question here would be are happy people more productive over the long haul? The answer is absolutely no.

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