The Joyful Engineer

Last week I was describing engineers as logical, reasonable, data-driven, and now I’m talking about joy?

Hell yeah!

Joy is often written off as frivolous, childish or in some way immature. but actually, it’s a hugely important element of resilience. Not to mention helping with creativity and vitality. Don’t believe me? Check out these academic papers:

Cottrell, L., 2016. Joy and happiness: A simultaneous and evolutionary concept analysis. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 72(7), pp.1506-1517.

Wärnå, C., Lindholm, L. and Eriksson, K., 2007. Virtue and health–finding meaning and joy in working life. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences, 21(2), pp.191-198.

Roberts, M. and Appiah, R., 2025. The complexities of joy: a qualitative study of joy cultivation, loss of joy, and happiness in British adults. International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being, 20(1), p.2508946.

Kelsey, E.A., 2023. Joy in the workplace: the Mayo Clinic experience. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 17(3), pp.413-417.

The Myth of the “Serious Engineer”

There is a tendency to think that being serious indicates being focused, dedicated, and competent. It’s not true. There’s nothing to say that the occasional or regular laugh at work affects the work completed negatively.

There’s a lot to be said for being serious of course. Many engineers work on complex issues that can have serious effects on public health and safety or even individual health and safety. Remember, the EHS department in work is looking at the health and safety of employees and local residents, the quality department is looking at the health and safety of end users and patients. Both are important and not to be laughed at.

So, there are strong considerations about seriousness at work and maintaining professionalism.

But on the other hand, not every moment is life and death and not every moment should be treated as such. By maintaining a false seriousness and gravity all the time at work, you’re going to add to your stress and deplete your resilience.

Plus, you’ll miss out on a lot of gossip. Just remember, the trick is to be able to listen to gossip without becoming the cause of said gossip!

And there is more to all of us than work. I’ve written about this before – ad nauseum, some of you might say! And laughter is one of the better ways to build a team. A team that laughs together will probably survive the trials and tribulations of the modern workplace together…

Joy as resistance and redesign

The “face” of engineering, for many decades, was that of an older white man in a suit, being authoritative and certain.

But that’s not the face of engineering today. For a start – team work is far more important than individuals working alone – for most cases. And more and more engineers deviate from the traditional face – myself for one! A diverse group of people will answer a question better than a lone individual, in most cases. Perspectives matter.

Not to mention, right now, the world appears to be en route to hell in the proverbial handbasket. War, famine, violence, plagues… they’re all hitting across the world in a lot of places. (The recent attack on an Indian man in Dublin have my own mother considering radical action. And at her age, that’s slightly concerning…)

Joy as a revolutionary act is getting more and more real. There is greater wealth discrepancies than in a long time. The poor are definitely getting poorer. Climate change is looming over all of us. Although, there’s a chance none of us will suffer long with it, if one of the nuclear powers in the world decides to hit the wrong button – something that becomes more likely every time I think about it.

But as engineers, we can make the world a better place. We can solve problems like the energy crisis, food shortages, water shortages, inequality. I don’t think engineers should run the world or anything, but we can make one hell of a difference in it!

Even if you can’t see a way for you to participate in the big issues I’ve mentioned there, you can find joy in your daily work: finding a role that aligns with your values; working with people who lift up your spirits; working in pleasant surroundings…

Tell me more about how to do this…

Joy doesn’t just happen—it can be cultivated. For women in engineering, especially those navigating systems that weren’t designed with them in mind, joy can be a strategic and spiritual tool. It’s a way to reclaim space, reimagine success, and resist burnout. The Joyful Engineer’s Toolkit is about integrating practices that make engineering not just sustainable, but soul-nourishing.

1. Align Projects with Personal Values

Engineering is problem-solving—but which problems we choose to solve matters. Joy often arises when our work reflects our deeper values. Whether it’s sustainability, equity, community impact, or innovation, choosing projects that resonate with your beliefs creates a sense of purpose. Ask yourself: Does this work reflect the kind of world I want to build?

2. Build Supportive, Inclusive Teams

Joy flourishes in connection. Seek out or help create teams where psychological safety, collaboration, and mutual respect are the norm. Diverse teams—where different voices are heard and valued—don’t just perform better; they feel better. Joy is amplified when we’re seen, supported, and celebrated.

3. Celebrate Creativity and Play

Engineering is a creative discipline, even if it’s not always framed that way. Whether it’s prototyping, brainstorming, or debugging, there’s room for play. Joyful engineers give themselves permission to experiment, to laugh at failed attempts, and to find delight in elegant solutions. Creativity isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity.

4. Take Up Space and Express Authenticity

Rigid professionalism often demands that women shrink—emotionally, intellectually, even physically. The joyful engineer does the opposite. She takes up space. She speaks with clarity. She brings her full self to the table—whether that includes intuition, emotion, spirituality, or softness. Authenticity is a source of power and joy.

5. Practice Micro-Joy

Not every day will be revolutionary, but joy can be found in small moments: a well-written line of code, a breakthrough in a tough problem, a kind word from a colleague. Cultivating awareness of these micro-joys builds resilience and reminds us that joy is always available, even in challenging environments.

Designing a Joyful Career

Joy isn’t just a fleeting emotion—it’s a signal. It tells us when we’re in alignment with our values, when our work feels meaningful, and when we’re creating rather than just surviving. For women in engineering, joy can be a radical act of reclamation. In a field that often prizes logic over intuition, productivity over presence, and conformity over creativity, choosing joy is choosing to design a career on your own terms.

Designing a joyful career begins with noticing. What moments in your work light you up? Is it solving a complex problem, mentoring a younger colleague, collaborating across disciplines, or seeing your work make a real-world impact? These moments are clues—they point to your unique sources of joy. They’re not distractions from the “real work”; they are the real work.

Next, it requires permission. Many women have internalized the idea that joy must be earned—after the deadlines, after the promotions, after proving ourselves. But joy isn’t a reward; it’s a resource. It fuels creativity, resilience, and leadership. Giving yourself permission to prioritize joy is not indulgent—it’s strategic.

Then comes design. Just like engineering a system, designing a joyful career involves iteration. It means asking:

What kind of projects energize me?
What environments help me thrive?
Who do I want to collaborate with?
How can I align my work with my values?

This is where coaching, reflection, and community come in. You don’t have to do this alone. Whether through mentorship, career coaching, or peer support, joyful careers are often co-created.

Finally, joy is sustainable when it’s integrated. It’s not just about big career moves—it’s about daily practices. Celebrating small wins. Setting boundaries. Bringing your whole self to work. Advocating for inclusive, human-centered engineering cultures.

So, to every woman engineer reading this: your joy matters. It’s not a side effect—it’s a compass. Let it guide your decisions, shape your path, and remind you that engineering isn’t just about solving problems. It’s about building lives, systems, and futures that work—for you, and for the world.

EngineerHer