Emotions are Contagious

Written by Judy W Bell on May 25, 2011. Posted in Success Habits

Are Yours Worth Catching?

Have you raised a teenager? If so, YIKES! What about living with a grouchy spouse or working with a grouchy co-worker? If you have experienced any of these, you know first-hand that emotions are contagious!

The good news?? Positive emotions are contagious also.

Gallup studies of wellbeing, conducted by Harter and Wellbeing author Tom Rath have looked at wellbeing from many angles. In addition to defining the 5 critical areas of wellbeing, they have come up with numbers on the wellbeing barometer:

66% of respondents are doing well in at least one of the 5 areas
Only 7% are thriving in all areas

Of additional importance:

If you live with someone who has a thriving wellbeing, you have a 63% chance of also having a thriving wellbeing
If you live with someone who has a struggling wellbeing, you have a 29% chance of having a struggling wellbeing
If you live with someone who has a suffering wellbeing, you have a 20% chance of also having a suffering wellbeing

Moral of the story: We exert a great deal of influence over those closest to us in our lives. These same individuals also have a great deal of influence over us. Make choices to ensure that your wellbeing prospers. This is a success habit!