The Science of Happiness - January 2026

Happy New Year! 

I‘m sure we’ll have all said and heard that phrase countless times by the end of the week. And it is the inspiration for these January reflections…

In my recent blogs, I’ve focused a lot on organisational issues; this month, I’d like to refocus on a deeply personal one: happiness – what is it and how can you create more of it for yourself?

Personal? Absolutely! But with burnout still prevalent and retention an ongoing challenge, intentionally bringing the language and skills of building happiness into our professional conversations could make a meaningful organisational difference to the personal wellbeing and professional engagement of staff more systemically.

As a central component of the human experience, happiness has been studied since ancient times. One key concept - which struck me hard and has stuck with me since my Ethics studies at university - is the difference noted by Aristotle between Eudaimonia and Hedonism. When people say they are seeking greater “happiness” Aristotle asserted this could fall into 2 categories: light-hearted short-term joy (hedonism) or deep-seated fulfilment of purpose (eudaimonia). In other words, we can feel happiness in different ways, and should attend to these equally. However, instant gratification without long-term goals is unlikely to lead to true happiness. It is the underlying feeling of ‘doing good’ which sustains us and is, we could argue, the basis for good mental health as we now understand it. Teaching as a profession relies on this appeal to human nature! You can explore more about eudaimonia in this article, which also includes some handy approaches for discussing it within coaching sessions: Hedonic vs. Eudaimonic Wellbeing: How to Reach Happiness

Modern science has of course developed even more sophisticated ways of explaining our experiences of happiness. The balance of these key hormones for instance:

Not everyone is aware of the potential we have to “hack into” our hormones by simple choices we make, such as the food we eat, the conversations we have, the activities we do, the music we listen to ('Titanium' was one of my firm favourite morning car listens during a time when I was stepping into a particularly challenging new role).

Learning to let go of those things we cannot influence is also an empowering approach to developing your own happiness. The Mel Robbins’ book I referred to in my recent blog on feeling judged is a great place to start if you’re looking to develop this mindset of acceptance.

So, great news! We can take control and influence our feeling of happiness.

Building these new habits of thinking and acting is not always easy. Dr Rangan Chatterjee – host of Feel Better, Live More (Europe’s #1 Health and Wellbeing podcast) - encourages us to see happiness as a skill that we can all develop. He started the new year offering 11 tips to kickstart this sense of agency:

Incidentally, he’s also giving away 200 free signed copies of his Bestselling book here: Happy Mind, Happy Life Giveaway

And of course there are lots of apps and course-providers offering us a roadmap to happpiness, for example this online course with Action for Happiness: Happiness Habits Course v2 | Action for Happiness

Most importantly, however, the world's longest scientific study of happiness, the "Study of Adult Development" has for nearly 80 years found that nurturing high quality relationships is the #1 key to human happiness. Current guardians of the study, and co-authors of 'The Good Life', explain the two main indicators of our happiness are the frequency and quality of our contact with other people. It sounds obvious, but when our interactions are restorative and energising, we experience greater happiness. Conversely, the risks of infrequent and poor interactions can be as impactful on our physical health as smoking or alcoholism! This is because good relationships help us regulate stress. Without this, we stay in a low level of fight or flight which breaks down bodily systems. When we experience secure attachment with a few people, who we know that we can depend on, this provides the foundation for taking risks and, ultimately, living our life more fully.

Waldinger and Schulz explain that we need to exercise our relationship muscles, in the same way we do our physical ones. We need to employ effort and discipline to maintain good relationships. As coaches, we are unsurprised to read that presence and attentiveness is key: it is less important that your partner/colleague knows exactly what’s going on in your head, than your perception that they are interested in trying to understand it. In other words, simply being there and showing you care creates the necessary intimacy of feeling known by somebody else: being seen, heard, known and understood.

However you do it, becoming intentional about how you can dial up your happiness takes awareness, intentionality and motivation. It often helps if you can anchor your choices to your values: What makes being happy important to you? And can you visualise how things will be better as a result of making certain changes?

This is where coaching can play a really important part in helping you to articulate:

- what you want to be different

- your options to make that happen

- a commitment to taking small steps to get there

PURE coaching is person-centred and YOU are the agenda! We know from the hundreds of schools that we’ve supported, that when individual employees feel happier at work, the ripple effect on colleagues and children is huge.

As we head into 2026, full of hope and renewed focus, I encourage you to take a few moments to consider your own happiness:

1. How would you currently rate your own sense of personal happiness?

2. How would your life be different if you experienced greater happiness, both hedonistic and eudaimonic?

3. Which one “hormone hack” or “happiness skill” could you commit to using?

   
   

Naturally, as a leader, I also encourage you to pay close attention to the happiness of those around you. Leadership is felt as much as it is seen and heard. By prioritising happiness alongside high standards, we create cultures where people can flourish, stay, and grow together. Small, intentional acts of genuine connection can, as studies show, have a lasting impact, and as leaders, we have the privilege and the power to make that difference every day.

In a profession rooted in human connection, let’s extend the same care we show for the happiness (short and long-term) of our learners to that of our colleagues. When individuals feel valued, supported and genuinely cared for, they are far more able to bring their best selves to their work and to the children and communities they serve.

Happy 2026 to all!

Warmest wishes,

Catherine Hulme

Owner Director

catherine@leadershipedge.org.uk

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Leadership Edge is a growing team of experienced school leaders who have seen person-centred coaching create high-performing, happy and healthy cultures within our schools. Our mission is to empower other school leaders to create positive workplaces where staff are solution-focused and actively responsible for their own personal wellbeing and professional development.

Our 3-Tier Coaching Accreditation Programme is low-cost and self-sustaining, providing a systematic and structured model for staff across your school to become powerful coaches for each other, enhancing colleague relationships and their feeling of being valued as an individual within a supportive school community.