20 Oct Happiness – a defence of an important concept and tips for creating it
Happiness…it’s become such a popular topic in recent years.
Happiness…it’s been discussed and desired for ever!
Happiness…it’s been misunderstood and maligned by many.
Happiness…when defined properly, it’s vitally important and beneficial AND something we can create more of.
So today, I’m happy to share two articles with you that I hope will bust a few myths and provide you with some practical strategies…
via The Conversation by Mushtak Al-Atabi – IN DEFENCE OF HAPPINESS
Much has been written about the relationship between a happy, positive workplace and an effective, productive workforce. But the definition of happiness can be misunderstood – often it is seen as the presence of positive emotions and the absence of negative ones, which can lead to work cultures that pressure people into faking positive emotions. Research has shown this “faking” can result in long-term physical and emotional illness.
Associating the state of being happy merely with being cheerful all the time creates another challenge as, in the case of academic institutions for example, happiness tends be classified as less serious, superficial and lightweight. This results in universities avoiding the conversation on developing “happy” graduates and adopting a “happiness agenda” for the holistic development of their students.
At a time when depression and suicide are on the rise – currently 300m people worldwide are suffering from depression – this is disturbing. A recent report by the World Health Organisation predicted that if nothing is done, by 2030 depression will be the number one illness in the world.
Three steps to happiness
Happiness is not just about developing positive emotions, it has two other constituent parts: purpose and resilience. Having a clear and meaningful purpose is a key element in sustaining long-term happiness. And because negative emotions are an integral part of life, developing resilience is the third highly essential component of happiness, as it enables us to deal effectively with negative emotions when they arise…
…keep reading the full article HERE
And via Harvard Health – THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS
What is the secret to happiness? The answer may be simpler than you think. Most of our ability to be happy is based on genes — some people are just naturally happier than others. But research suggests that 40% of people’s happiness comes from the choices they make.
“The idea that you can’t be happier is false,” says Dr. Robert Waldinger, director of the longest-running study on happiness, the Harvard Study on Adult Development. “We now know a great deal about what does and does not contribute to wellbeing and happiness.”