A new video-based training resource, which shows how individuals can become happier at work and at home, has been launched yesterday by Video Arts.

Called The Happiness Advantage, it provides tips and techniques for creating positive habits and a more optimistic mindset. The resource highlights that those who are happy and have meaning in their lives are not only more productive and more resilient at work but they take less sick days and they perform better in leadership roles.

Written and presented by Shawn Achor, an expert on positive psychology who lectured for 12 years at Harvard University, The Happiness Advantage explains how changing the way you think about work, success and happiness can not only benefit you personally but it can ripple out to affect everyone around you.

“When our brains are primed to be positive, we perform better than when we’re in a negative or neutral state,” said Martin Addison, CEO of Video Arts. “That’s the Happiness Advantage and it really can make a difference to your work. This resource explains that happiness is a choice and if you can become more positive, your success rate will increase. As a result, you’ll be more productive at work and your life will become more enjoyable and rewarding. For organisations, happiness can provide the ultimate competitive advantage.”

Using the latest research into how our brains work, the resource explains how emotions spread throughout organisations.

“Bring three people into a room and two of them will leave with the emotions of the one who was the most expressive,” said Martin Addison. “Feelings of stress, anxiety and uncertainty – or of happiness – can therefore be spread from one person to another. It’s called the ripple effect and you see it in all facets of life.”

The resource provides tips on how organisations can create a positive ripple effect and buffer the impact of negative individuals.

“We can all change the lens through which we view the world,” said Martin Addison. “With this resource, employees can adopt positive habits and they can train their brains for happiness and success in the long-term, creating a lasting benefit for the organisation.”