Feel-Good Productivity

by Ali Abdaal

It suggested that feeling good doesn’t just end with feeling good. It actually changes our patterns of thought and behaviour.

Positive emotions are the fuel that drives the engine of human flourishing.

First, feeling good boosts our energy.

or when you’re surrounded by inspiring people. This energy has many different names. It’s been labelled as ‘emotional’, ‘spiritual’, ‘mental’ or ‘motivational’ energy by psychologists; ‘zest’, ‘vitality’ or ‘energetic arousal’ by neuroscientists. But if researchers can’t agree on what to name it, they do agree that it makes us focused, inspired and motivated to pursue our goals.

So what’s the source of this mysterious energy? The short answer: feeling good.

negative emotions cause the release of stress hormones4 like adrenaline and cortisol. This isn’t a problem in the short-term; it’s the mechanism that motivates us to run from danger. But if we experience these negative sensations too often, we become riddled with anxiety, and our physical health suffers.

This is the ‘undoing hypothesis’: that positive emotions can ‘undo’ the effects of stress and other negative emotions. If stress is the problem, then feeling good might just be the solution.

Success doesn’t lead to feeling good. Feeling good leads to success.

Life is stressful. Play makes it fun.

Play is our first energiser.

The Collector loves to gather and organise, enjoying activities like searching for rare plants, or rummaging around in archives or garage sales. The Competitor enjoys games and sports, and takes pleasure in trying their best and winning. The Explorer likes to wander, discovering new places and things they’ve never seen, through hiking, road tripping and other adventures. The Creator finds joy in making things, and can spend hours every day drawing, painting, making music, gardening and more. The Storyteller has an active imagination and uses their imagination to entertain others. They’re drawn to activities like writing, dance, theatre and role-playing games. The Joker endeavours to make people laugh, and may play by performing stand-up, doing improv, or just pulling a lot of pranks to make you smile. The Director likes to plan, organise and lead others, and can fit into many different roles and activities, from directing stage performances to running a company, to working in political or social advocacy. The Kinesthete finds play in physical activities like acrobatics, gymnastics and free running.

Curiosity doesn’t simply make our lives more enjoyable. It also allows us to focus longer.

key mistake we make in understanding the world. He quotes the early-twentieth-century English writer G. K. Chesterton: ‘In frivolity there is a lightness which can rise. But in seriousness is a gravity that falls, like a stone.’ This, he said, was true of people who understood Zen. He summarised it thus: ‘There is a difference between being serious and being sincere.’

consider playing a board game – Monopoly, let’s say. No one wants to play Monopoly with someone who takes the game too seriously. We’ve all played those games; the serious person cares a little too much about winning, and they suck the energy out of the room.

In these moments, the stakes feel overwhelming. But there’s a way to lower them. The trick is simple: when you feel like your work is draining or overwhelming, try asking yourself, ‘How can I approach this with a little less seriousness, and a little more sincerity?’

If you were approaching a difficult project at work sincerely rather than seriously, you might focus on the process of completing each task, rather than becoming fixated on the end result. You might also seek out the input and collaboration of others, rather than trying to tackle the project on your own. By doing these things, you may find that it’s easier to approach it in the spirit of play, and that you’re better able to stay focused and motivated throughout.