It is possible to burn out of a dream job. For years you gave all your energy and full passion to the work, you thought you could carry on forever. Suddenly you find yourself at home, on a sick leave, with no idea when you will be capable of returning to work. How did this happen?
The two-dimensional view of workplace well-being explains how this is possible. The above picture has first been presented by Peter Warr. In Finland it has been applied in research by professor Jari Hakanen from the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health.
This fourfold is familiar to many psychologists but it is new to combine with physiological measurements. Did you know that you can measure your position on this map of workplace well-being?
The two-dimensional view of workplace well-being
Workplace well-being has two axes. The vertical axis represents stress/activation. The amount of activation increases when going upwards along the axis. At this point it is not yet known what the mood is.
The vertical axis shows whether the mood is positive or negative. On the left hand side are the negative feelings, on the right hand side the positive. Neutral is in the middle. (Neutral is also a totally okay mood at work!)
Which segment are you in?
Everyone can reflect their own well-being with the help of this field. The segments of it are explained below. Read and think where are you positioned at work or studies.
At the upper right corner you are mostly very productive. Many employers, employees, entrepreneurs and students think that this is the one and only place to be. Employees who show high engagement level are emotionally and mentally connected to their organization, work harder, stay longer, and motivate others to do the same.
At the lower right corner there is less speed and energy, but the feeling is good. A typical day can reside here for many of us. Often it is focus and concentration that makes us productive, without running ahead full speed. Working from home is often a way for better focus. When did you last time work a full day without interruptions? How did it feel, what did you achieve?
At the upper left corner the negative feelings have taken over. Stress might already be getting chronic and the pressure is high. The job performance is still high but there can be feelings of anxiety and insufficiency. One might feel tired and have sleep and memory problems. Still the calendar is and stays full and whatever one does, it does not seem to be enough.
At the lower left corner the body has hit the alarm panic button. Reactions get mild or end up totally. It is hard to get anything done. Nothing feels fun or exciting, it is difficult to get up in the morning. Sleep disorders persist, and the short sleep gained does not refresh. Social relationships suffer, hobbies are left aside. It would be nice just to be alone.
The two-dimensional view of workplace well-being works outside the work, too
Did you reflect the above, the status of your own workplace well-being? Could you position yourself to one of the segments of this field?
Now do the same thinking to other aspects of life. Where are you as a family member, a friend, a member of a community? What things give you energy, which make you recover? Which activities bring you to the right on the X-axis, towards positive feelings?
Can one measure the dimensions of workplace wellbeing?
There are meters for the vertical axis of the two-dimensional view of workplace wellbeing. The Moodmetric technology gives data of stress/arousal on a scale of 1 to 100. The lowest Moodmetric level (1) is at the bottom of the field, whereas the level 100 means running on a full speed.
The Moodmetric data gives automatically your position on the vertical axis of the two-dimensional view of workplace well-being. The Moodmetric measurement is like a positioning system of your well-being.
There are not yet measurement devices that would in daily life tell what one feels. Facial recognition technologies can detect emotions, but they can not be used continuously and in long term. Thus the horizontal axis real-time position can currently only be determined subjectively.
The horizontal axis is important when estimating well-being of a person at work. The Moodmetric app Diary feature helps the user to weigh whether the feeling related to an event is positive or negative.
How to make a Moodmetric app Diary entry and how to view the entries at one glance?
Making a Moodmetric app Diary entry is easy. The phone calendar entries can be imported or notes can be added one by one. An entry can be done for any area of life. Below as an example, a workday:
All the Diary entries are collected to the Moodmetric app Analytics feature. The more entries one makes, the closer the look at one´s life is. The entries are shown category by category at a two-dimensional view. The app positions the categories automatically at the correct spot based on the measured Moodmetric level and the self evaluated mood.
The Moodmetric Diary can be used to estimate own well-being at work, at leisure, during sleep or at any other important area of life.
The Moodmetric Analytics is an analogy of the two dimensional view of the workplace wellbeing. In addition, it makes the analysis and positioning automatically.
Are you interested in applications of the Moodmetric measurement?
The Moodmetric measurement is used for preventive stress management in companies. It is a tool for data based individual well-being. You can also get an overview of stress levels of a team or the entire organization. The Moodmetric smart ring is also widely used in research.
Access here the Moodmetric Handbook: How Can Companies Reduce Stress at Work
