Coca-Cola workers help bring happiness to other people

08/08/2010

In line with becoming “Happiness Ambassadors” in support of the company’s Open Happiness campaign, Coca-Cola Philippines employees gathered at the Makati Shangri-la Hotel recently for a talk with Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar, author of the New York Times bestseller Happier: Learn the Secrets to Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfilment. His new book, The Pursuit of Perfect: How to Stop Chasing Perfection and Start Living a Richer, Happier Life, is fast becoming a favorite among motivational books.

Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar reinforces the mission of becoming Happiness Ambassadors by stating that employees who are happy tend to find success easier than those who are not.

“One of the recent findings within the field of psychology is about the relationship between success and happiness. While success does not necessarily lead to long lasting happiness, happiness does lead to more success,” he said, adding “happy employees tend to be more creative, they think outside the box more. They are more productive, have more energy and work harder. Happier employees also form better relationships within the organization thereby fostering better teamwork. Happiness is a win-win situation — a win for the individual, a win for the company, and a win for society at large.”

Happiness, when shared, can also bring a positive difference to other people, he said.

“There is a very close relation between personal happiness and other people’s happiness, and it works in both directions. When people become happier, they tend to become more generous and kind to other people. When we are kind and generous to other people, we become happier. It can potentially work as a virtuous cycle of contributing to other people’s happiness, which contributes to our own happiness, which in turn enhances other people’s happiness, and on and on.”

To this effect, Coca-Cola regularly holds volunteer activities for employees to help bring happiness to other people, and in turn experience the joy of helping others.

Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar goes on to highlight two practices which contribute to happiness. The first is constant appreciation for what you have. “The important thing when we are in good times or in difficult times is to be appreciative of what we have rather than to take them for granted. When we are appreciative of what we have during good times, it not only makes us happier but it makes us more resilient and better able to deal with the hardships and difficulties when these arise.”

The second practice is regular physical activity. As Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar explained, “A lot of research has been coming out over the last decade showing that physical activity is equivalent to some of our more powerful psychiatric medication. Thirty-minute physical exercise three times a week has the same effect as some of our more powerful drugs, whether it’s in dealing with depression, unhappiness or anxiety.”

“When implemented in schools, physical activity has been shown to increase performance, reduce violence and increase physical health as well as overall levels of happiness,” he added.

According to him, “It’s one of the most important, if not the most important intervention that we should encourage in children as well as adults, for physical and mental health.” Coca-Cola programs such as the Kineti-Kids physical activity guide and Coca-Cola Hoopla, a grassroots basketball league, aim to help increase physical activity among children and teens.

Photo shows Guillermo Aponte, The Coca-Cola Export Corp. president and General Manager (left), and Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar, psychologist, author and lecturer at Harvard University, during a discussion with Coca-Cola employees on how to live happier lives at the Makati Shangri-La.

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