Research shows that a feeling of control kills stress. Even when you just feel you have control, stress plummets. On the other hand, the office often feels like a game that’s not winnable. You don’t feel you have control. You don’t feel like what you do makes much of a difference. Who wants to play that game? Research by Dan Ariely showed that when we feel like what we do is futile or pointless, motivation and happiness plummet. We become like the dogs in Seligman’s study. But you can fix this.
