How to be happy at work: Firm up your ‘weak’ ties

In her regular column, business founder and wellness expert Nicola Elliott looks at one thing we can all do that will make our nine-to-five feel happier and healthier

A sense of belonging is ultimately the best way to connect and share (Getty)

Connecting with the people you work with doesn’t just make your team stronger — it’s good for your wellbeing too. Relationships at work play a huge role in determining how happy you’ll be in the office and how successful you will be at work too. Positive connections give us two valuable things – access to information and social support. Researcher and collaboration expert Mark Rivera says it’s the combination of these two things that makes us most successful, innovative and happy.

Crucially, you need to start by building trust and the quickest most authentic way to do that is to be open and honest with each other. A multi-year study at Google aimed to see which teams worked better and the answer was… those who trusted each other.

People collaborate more sharing their best ideas with those they trust and one of the best ways to build it is through something social scientists call a “vulnerability loop” – the concept that when you open up and show vulnerability with someone, they will do it back, and again, deepening the bond between you as you both respond empathetically.