Happiness

Happiness - A Plan for Action

This is an updated version of an article I wrote after a presentation I gave on this at the monthly U3A meeting several years ago.

It feels as if we are bombarded with information and advice about well-being and happiness from the media and from an ever-increasing number of books, so how can we make sense of it all?  Some definitions of happiness are:

• "Learn, laugh and live" (U3A motto)

• "I believe the very purpose of our life is to seek happiness. Happiness can be achieved through training the mind. Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions" (The Dalai Lama)

• "Happiness is a deep sense of flourishing, not a mere pleasurable feeling or fleeting emotion but an optimal state of being" (Matthieu Ricard)

• "Happiness is the experience of joy, contentment or positive well-being, combined with a sense that one's life is good, meaningful and worthwhile" (Sonja Lybomirsky)

10 keys to happier living

A really interesting website to look at is that of the Action for Happiness movement  - www.actionforhappiness.org. Vanessa King, who is a board member at Action for Happiness and author of "10 Keys to Happier Living" says: "They are the areas research evidence suggests taking action in can enhance happiness (pleasure and/or a sense of fulfilment). Many things impact how happy we feel but not all are in our control. The Keys are areas where we do generally have more control. And having a sense of control is important for wellbeing." I can recommend a 20-minute video of a TED talk she gave on this which you can watch at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cks__51kdw 

The first five of these keys are primarily actions we take in the outside world that impact on how we feel on the inside (GREAT):

• Giving: Do things for others - What do you do to help others? What have you done recently to make someone happy or to help others?

• Relating: Connect with people - Who matters most to you? What helps you to stay close to the people who really matter

• Exercising: Take care of your body - How do you stay active and healthy? Which ways of being active and healthy do you really enjoy?

• Appreciating and awareness: Notice the world around, and live life mindfully - When do you stop and take notice? What do you notice about where you are and how you feel right now

• Trying out: Keep learning new things - What new things have you learnt or tried out recently? What have you done for the first time?

The second five keys reflect the evidence on internal mindsets and habits that impact on how we feel and what we do, focusing on strengths and cultivating our sense of meaning and purpose (DREAM):

• Direction: Have goals to look forward to - What are your most important goals? What is your most important goal for the next six months

• Resilience: Find ways to bounce back - How do you bounce back in tough times? What has helped you bounce back from difficult times before?

• Emotion: Take a positive approach, and look for what's good - What are you feeling good about? What good things have happened in your life recently?

• Acceptance: Be comfortable with who you are - What is the real you like? What are your greatest strengths or hidden talents

• Meaning: Be part of something bigger - What gives your life meaning? Which aspects of your life give you a sense of purpose? What footprint do you want to leave?

Here are five happiness challenges which could follow on from some of these keys, bearing in mind that these keys are a menu, not a prescription. They are just some suggestions, and you can amend, adapt or add to any of these if you wish:

• Three good things: Each day, write down three good things that happened that day, including why those things were good. People who do this for just one week have been shown to be significantly happier - as much as six months later.

• Kindness day: On one day this week, do as many extra acts of kindness for others as possible (try to do at least five). When we do things for others, it doesn't just help them, it gives us a big boost too.

• Calm your mind: Give your mind a breathing space for 10 minutes each day. For example, follow the free 'Take 10' programme at www.headspace.com. Practicing mindfulness exercises has been shown to reduce anxiety, improve mood, increase concentration and bring benefits for our heart and immune system.

• Move your body: Do something physically active (and enjoyable!) for at least 10 minutes - and ideally more - each day. Staying active isn't just good for our heart and our physical health, it also boosts our mood, improves our brain function and helps alleviate stress, anxiety and depression.

• Learn new things: Try learning new things. There are many ways - we can share a skill with friends, join a club, learn to sing or play a musical instrument, play a new sport, and so much more. So why not join a new U3A group, or study for a course such as a free MOOC (Massive Open Online Course)? Learning new things exposes us to new ideas and helps us stay curious and engaged. It also gives us a sense of accomplishment and helps boost our resilience.  

Some other resources from Action for Happiness:

• Action for Happiness calendars for each month. You can see these for this month and for previous months (and download them if you wish) at  https://www.actionforhappiness.org/calendars 

• The 10 keys explained: http://www.actionforhappiness.org/10-keys-to-happier-living 

• Ebook (a free PDF - 28 pages): '10 Keys to Happier Living Guidebook': http://www.actionforhappiness.org/10-keys-guidebook or download from http://www.actionforhappiness.org/media/530511/ten_keys_guidebook.pdf 

• Suggestions for action: http://www.actionforhappiness.org/take-action 

• Video by Richard Lanyard (TED talk) : http://www.actionforhappiness.org/why-happiness 

• Book: '10 Keys to Happier Living' by Vanessa King: http://www.actionforhappiness.org/book and https://www.amazon.co.uk/Keys-Happier-Living-Vanessa-King/dp/1472233425 (where you can read the first few pages free).

• A fascinating report which was published recently called 'The Kindness Report: a snapshot of Compassion in Britain'. You can see this (and download it if you wish) at https://www.actionforhappiness.org/kindness-report 

Other resources on happiness

• BBC podcast: Beyond Today: 'Does self-care really make you happy?' - at https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07v3166, or search for this on the BBC Sounds app or from other podcast providers (my favourite podcast provider is Acast - you can download the app free from your app provider)

• Podcast: The Happiness Lab: a great series from Yale psychology professor Dr Laurie Santos - see https://www.happinesslab.fm/, or search for this on podcast providers 

• Free online course (MOOC): ‘The Science of Well-Being’ from Yale University via Coursera (up to two hours a week for 10 weeks) - https://www.coursera.org/learn/the-science-of-well-being

• The Authentic Happiness website on positive psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, with free resources and questionnaires: https://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/. Positive psychology is the scientific study of the strengths that enable individuals and communities to thrive. Here you can learn about Dr Martin Seligman's work on Positive Psychology through readings, videos, research, surveys, opportunities and more. See especially the section on resources at https://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/resources and the free evidence-based questionnaires at https://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/testcenter.

• Book: 'Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realise your Potential for Lasting Fulfilment' by Martin Seligman: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1857883292/  (where you can read the first few pages free)

• Headspace (meditation and mindfulness made simple) website: https://www.headspace.com/, and free app from iTunes and Google Play store.

• Book: 'Mindfulness - A Practical Guide to Finding Peace in a Frantic World', by Mark Williams and Danny Penman: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mindfulness-practical-guide-finding-frantic/dp/074995308X (where you can read the first few pages free), plus there's a related website at http://franticworld.com/ with further resources at  http://franticworld.com/resources/.

• The Mindful website: Getting started with mindfulness and meditation: https://www.mindful.org/meditation/mindfulness-getting-started/ .   

Plus there very many more resources listed at http://www.actionforhappiness.org/resources (and click the 'more' button at the bottom right-hand of the screen of this webpage).

This has been published with the kind permission of Action for Happiness - www.actionforhappiness.org 

This topic is also available as a PDF which you can see and download by clicking on the image below at the bottom of this webpage, or via this link

So what do you think?

Has this Topic of the Month been useful and has this been of interest to you? Is there anything more that could be added? Any comments on these resources? Do you want to discuss this with other members or share any of this with others? You can get in touch in the way shown in the Contact section of our website. And do let me know if you want to have a conversation over a tea or coffee - and of course you can always get in touch with each other!