3 simple ways for Singaporeans to get happier

There has been some provoking media recently asking whether or not Singaporeans are actually happy. We hear about findings that point to poor mental health, work-related/academic pressure and of course the hotly-debated global ‘happiness survey’ listing Singapore as the 90^th country and the least ‘happy’ in Asia.

Singapore has responded to these claims of poor morale, high stress and apparently off-the-charts unhappiness by advertising quite the opposite.

The country has made a considerable effort to encourage people to recognise the good here with examples like Starhub’s ad campaign illustrating why Singaporeans are the happiest people, National Day’s “One Singapore”, the 2012 movement sponsored by the National Health Promotion Board and the Youth Council, known as the “THR” (The Happiness Revolution).

You can also see mini happiness campaigns popping up in residential areas, like Tiong Bahru’s drive to recognise happy customer service experiences in local businesses.

This is a country with low income tax, low unemployment, low crime, it’s the regional hub for hundreds of global brands, home to 51 per cent of the world’s top companies, it’s known as the world’s easiest country to do businesses in, is home to the highest concentration of millionaires in the world (1 in 6 people), nationals are highly educated, they live in a family orientated/ethnically inclusive culture where most do not have to worry about being financially self-sufficient until marriage… that’s a seriously high quality of life compared to people in neighbouring countries.

So what’s wrong, Singapore? According to the reports, the problem is the long working hours and the huge academic pressure. But does that make Singapore the most unhappy country in Asia, with a jaw-dropping rate of depression? I don’t think so.

Most Singaporeans I’ve worked with are proud, social, hard-working people, who thrive on a challenge and will go above and beyond to achieve what is required of them. Working in Singapore for the past six years in a role that connects me to new people on a daily basis, I certainly do not see widespread unhappiness. Are these surveys a misrepresentation? I think so.

However, if you are feeling undervalued or overworked in the workplace, there are some simple steps you can take to boost your happiness.

1.)  If you are feeling the pinch from long hours:

It’s often difficult to change this especially if you are in a project-driven role or have hard deadlines. It’s often a question of whether or not the situation is going to improve in the foreseeable future and whether the role then is right for you/your lifestyle.

Have a conversation with your employer about putting some structure around additional hours or providing some additional support eg: bringing in temps for big projects or sharing the workload with a colleague. At the end of the day, these solutions will be far better for the company that losing you to a competitor.

2.)  Poor office culture/morale:

Whose responsibility is this exactly? I am a big believer that culture starts with you as an individual contributor. If the office energy is low and you don’t enjoy coming to work everyday- I suggest you take charge. You don’t have to be the life of the party to do this, it is actually a very simple formula: Do something for the team that you, yourself would enjoy.

For example: bring something for the team to share together eg: food/game/a great Youtube clip, recognise the good work a colleague is doing and tell others about it, share something personal about yourself eg: photos from a recent holiday/what you’re up to this coming weekend/a passion of some kind… something that spurs conversation and allows those with similar interests to contribute.

This not only creates inter-office relationships but also an office buzz. Take someone new for lunch once a month and talk about anything but work. Building relationships in the office and spurring positive talk contributes to a better work environment but also one that doesn’t rely on the company itself to manage (companies don’t always do this well).

3.)  Not paid what you think you’re worth?

Make sure you have your facts right on this before you do something about it. Coming from a consulting background I see many people with an inflated idea of their market value but equally also those who are severely under-appreciated. This is not always intentional from an employer’s perspective.

Do your research: look up online salary tools eg: https://www.onlinesalarysurvey.com/, look at similar roles (requiring similar years of experience), go over your last performance appraisal - was there any feedback suggesting improvement you could be working on?

If you have this information and still feel underpaid (this is not a conversation to be had with colleagues) book an appointment with either HR representatitve or your direct hirer to address it.

It's important to ensure that the conversation is non-confrontational (its not a comfortable conversation for them either) and that you are opening the meeting to be one where they can suggest ways for you to get where you need to be.

A dialogue born out of frustration (as I’m sure you will have thought it over 100 times), which expects an immediate result, will not always be met with a positive outcome.