Leveling Up Joy in the Workplace

By Robin Stern, PhD, and Ilma Tiki

When it comes to emotional well-being, discussions about achieving balance in our lives often dominate. While balance is essential, of course, what if we set our sights even higher? Instead of merely balancing responsibilities, let’s aim to “level up” in our workplaces and create an environment where joy and uplifting moments become central to our daily experience.

One of us, Ilma, is the co-founder of MailerLite. She created an annual “Joy Budget” for her team—an annual allocated amount for each employee to spend on something that brings them personal joy. It could be spent on activities, experiences, or small purchases that contribute to that person’s happiness. “There's only one rule,” Ilma said, “You have to share a story, photos, and videos of how you spent it with the team. It means that the entire team will witness your joy.”

Ilma found that a popular way to use the joy budget was for learning: people took design or language courses, jewelry, and shoe-making classes. Her company’s Customer Education Manager, Jessika, used her joy budget for her wedding dance lessons. “She posted two videos: one of the first dance lesson with her future husband and another from the wedding day,” Ilma says, “Witnessing this magical day was so special. This is how the dance became our team's memory as well.” This simple yet powerful initiative not only fosters individual well-being but also strengthens team bonds with shared positivity.

By encouraging employees to celebrate and share their moments of joy, Ilma’s approach adds a personal touch to workplace relationships, transforming colleagues into a supportive community rather than just co-workers. Research shows that a workplace thrives when people feel valued, connected, and inspired. What workplace wouldn’t want more of that?

Leaders and team members can increase their teams’ level of engagement, energy, and joy by taking small but meaningful steps where joy is celebrated, such as:

Start with Micro-Joys: Small Wins, Big Impact. Joy doesn’t have to be about grand gestures. It’s often the little, everyday moments that accumulate to create a happier day. Designate a physical or virtual space to celebrate both personal and professional victories—we like to call them "Joy Moments." Many companies recognize professional accomplishments but encourage employees to share personal milestones like adopting a new pet or completing their first sculpting class. These seemingly small wins may feel vulnerable to share, but that’s what makes them so meaningful.

Design Your Workspace for Happiness. The physical and digital spaces we inhabit can profoundly affect our mood. Add items to your desk that bring you happiness—photos, plants, or even a vision board—and use colors strategically. Bright hues in yellow and orange can enhance energy creativity and optimism, while greens are calming.

Reframe Stress into Purpose. Stressful situations can be reframed as opportunities for growth and connection. During high-pressure projects, take a few moments to reflect on what you’re learning or how you’re growing and share these reflections with teammates. At the end of tough days, write down three things that went well, or lessons learned. Over time, this practice trains your brain to find positivity even in challenges.

Encourage Emotional Awareness. Encourage employees to use the How We Feel app throughout the day to monitor their emotions. Checking in with your feelings helps you recognize emotion patterns, understand what impacts your mood, and choose helpful strategies to maintain or shift your emotions.

Seek Joy in Growth. Personal development is inherently joyful when framed as an adventure. Organize informal workshops where team members teach each other a skill. Learning something new sparks curiosity and camaraderie.

Design Your Environment for Success. Shape your environment that celebrates taking risks, sharing lessons, and trying new things, both professionally and personally. Create spaces that foster creativity and innovation, such as open areas for brainstorming or quiet zones for focused work. Include visual reminders of goals, like vision boards or inspirational quotes–a supportive backdrop nurtures progress, resilience, and a willingness to embrace new challenges.

Career Essential Reads

How Leisure Activities Can Promote You Professionally

When Does a "Personality Hire" Truly Matter?

Celebrate and Elevate Others. Giving joy often brings the giver the most fulfillment. So, highlight someone’s contributions or progress in team meetings. Be an uplifter – not a squasher! Being seen and appreciated boosts morale for everyone, and when you make it a habit to uplift others, you uplift yourself at the same time. Bonus: the positive feelings are contagious.

Build Downtime into Work Time. Sometimes, the most joyful moments come from simply pressing pause. Schedule five-minute mindfulness breaks—pause to stretch, breathe, or step outside, and encourage your team to do the same.

Organizations that prioritize employee satisfaction are more likely to see success in both individual performance and team dynamics. Let’s rethink what we really need for our well-being. Working towards balance is a good goal, but raising the level with higher energy and an extra dose of joy is even better. Well-being isn’t just about dividing your time well or walking a tightrope act of barely keeping responsibilities in check. Instead, it can be a dynamic, uplifting process of aligning one’s goals and values with moments of joy and fulfillment in ways that are meaningful, sustainable, and energizing.

Remember, it’s not just about finding joy, but sharing it. Emotions are contagious. When we create an environment that uplifts not just ourselves but those around us, we’re building something far more powerful than balance or a fleeting emotion—we’re cultivating a culture of collective well-being.

Ilma Tiki, is the co-founder of MailerLite and The Remote Company, and author of ”Leaving the Base Camp.”