Where you choose to live has a big influence on your work-life happiness.
A new study identifies states where you’re most likely to have the best work-life experience—and they may not be the locations you’d expect. But even more important, the stats point to how you can have fulfillment in your work and life no matter where you live.
Work is part of a full life, so the best way to accomplish happiness in both is by paying attention to each. Some of the factors which drive your satisfaction with work and life are outside of yourself—the number of hours you work, how much you get paid and whether you have access to nature are examples. But other aspects of achieving joy with your work and life—your mindset and your learning are examples—are within your control no matter where you live.
Best States for Work-Life Experience
With work and life, you want more than balance and work and life don’t have to be tradeoffs since work is part of a full life. According to a study by Remote, the top 10 states for satisfying your work-life needs are the following:
- Connecticut
- Washington
- New York
- California
- Rhode Island
- New Jersey
- Oregon
- Vermont
- Maine
- Massachusetts
How you spend your time—within your work and outside of work—is important to happiness.
Conditions for Great Work-Life Experience
Perhaps more interesting than the states themselves are the criteria for work-life happiness. Here are a handful to consider.
How You Spend Your Time
Most people know that when they’re happier within their work, their experience will spillover to their personal lives, and they’ll be more joyful there too. But the opposite is also true: When you’re happier outside of work, you’ll also perceive more happiness within your work.
The study by Remote looked at states’ levels of annual leave, sick leave and maternity leave. The lesson here is to enjoy time away from work whether it’s vacation, time to rest and recover when you’re ill or time to bond with a child as a new parent. When you get enough time away from work, you can reset and regroup—and these help you to be better at work overall because you’re fresh, you have a renewed mindset and you can bring your best to your work because you’ve had time to recharge.
But be cautious that you don’t define time away as the best time. The study also looked at hours worked. Less work isn’t necessarily ideal, because work itself has intrinsic rewards, so spending reasonable time working can be a positive aspect of life. Even if your job isn’t your nirvana, it’s still an important opportunity to contribute to your community and colleagues, express your talents and learn new things. Appreciate your work because it provides you with stimulation, a reason to get out of the house and moments with others who share a common purpose.
Your Pay
Another criterion for the study was minimum wage rates. Research on happiness in work and life suggests there is a critical threshold of pay people need to meet for happiness and satisfaction. You need enough to put food on the table and ensure shelter and security. But beyond a certain point, money won’t buy happiness.
So if you’re seeking fulfillment in work and life, be sure you have what you need and then focus on other things as well. Feeling connected to colleagues, contributing your skills and feeling a sense of broader purpose are actually more important than the number on your paycheck, so seek these in order to get the best experience from work and life.
Physical health is linked with work-life happiness.
Your Health
The Remote study also looked at healthcare when assessing locations for great work life experiences—appropriately so since this is a big concern. According to a Stress in America study, 70% of Americans experience stress associated with healthcare. In addition, happiness in work and life is related to physical wellbeing.
You can increase physical health and happiness in a few ways. First, exercise has been linked with a sense of joy and wellbeing, and it reduces depression and anxiety. A study at the University of Michigan found that exercise leads to more happiness—even in small bouts. This is true for all ages as research by West Virginia University found exercise was linked with happiness for middle school students. And a study by the University of Iowa found exercise was linked with increased motivation, cognitive function and memory for seniors.
You can also contribute to your health and happiness by eating your veggies. Research by the University of Warwick found when people ate more fruits and vegetables, they experienced greater happiness, and a related effort at University of Leeds hypothesized having more carotenoids circulating in the blood contributed to a greater sense of wellbeing.
Getting enough sleep is also fundamental to your health and happiness. A study at the University of Oregon found sleep was linked with imagining plenty of new ideas and effectively evaluating their value. And research at Bar-Ilan University found sleep helps repair DNA and ensure proper brain function. In addition, studies at Harvard found when people experienced a lack of sleep they were also more likely to suffer from obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, depression, diabetes, and certain types of cancer.
All The Things
Of course, there are more factors which contribute to happiness with work and life. Among them are a sense of purpose, connections with others and the opportunity for learning and growth. But the realities of how you spend your time, your pay and your health rank as well—in terms of keys to happiness.
Choose a state that supports you best—or choose to create the conditions for happiness and work-life fulfillment no matter where you live.
