Jan-Emmanuel De Neve: The Simple Daily Habit Linked to Happiness (Do This ONE Thing Every Day and Significantly Improve Your Life!)

Jan-Emmanuel De Neve: The Simple Daily Habit Linked to Happiness (Do This ONE Thing Every Day and Significantly Improve Your Life!)

From On Purpose with Jay Shetty by iHeartPodcasts

April 15, 2026 · 1h 14m

About this episode

Jay Shetty and Jan-Emmanuel De Neve discuss the emotional impact of work on overall happiness and wellbeing.

We’ve been taught that success at work is what leads to happiness, but in reality, it’s how work actually feels that shapes the rest of our lives. Jay sits down with Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, Professor of Economics and Behavioural Science at the University of Oxford and Director of the Wellbeing Research Centre, and almost immediately, they land on something most of us feel but rarely say out loud: work takes up the majority of our lives, yet very few of us actually feel good while doing it. Jan shares a striking reality - less than a quarter of people report high levels of wellbeing at work. More importantly, how you feel at work doesn’t stay there, it follows you home. It shapes how you speak to your partner, how you show up for your kids, even how you engage with the world around you. This conversation isn’t just about jobs or careers, it’s about the emotional tone of our lives, and ultimately, our society. Together, they explore why so many people, especially younger generations, are struggling right now. While it’s easy to point to social media, Jan challenges that idea and points to something deeper: rising costs, uncertainty about the…

People in this episode

Host: Jay Shetty

Guest: Jan-Emmanuel De Neve

Topics covered

  • happiness
  • work wellbeing
  • emotional health
  • career satisfaction
  • anxiety
  • curiosity

Keywords

  • happiness
  • work
  • wellbeing
  • anxiety
  • curiosity
  • success
  • emotional tone

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of Oxford, Wellbeing Research Centre

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