IN PURSUIT OF HAPPINESSWHAT SCIENCE AND LIFE TELL US
PREVENTATIVE HEALTH
MARY JO TODORAN, MSW, LCSW, ACSW
IPFW/PARKVIEW Student Assistance Program
WHY IT MATTERS
More resilient (they bounce back) More cooperative and less self-centered More willing to help and be team players More forgiving and frustration tolerant Better self-controlled Better performers than the less happy Healthier and live longer (lower blood
pressure, more robust immune systems, and tolerate more pain)
Happy students are
OPTIMISM inoculates against depression, improves health, and combines with talent and desire to enable achievement.
Happy students generally are more helpful and charitable.Optimistic students, followed over time, had higher
incomes at age 35.Happy students draw people to themselves, as opposed to
depressed students who isolate.Having strong social bonds and a sense of belonging is one
of the most meaningful contributors to happiness.
Happiness is an antidote for depression
Two studies show that focusing on or creating pleasant experiences enhances our learning or performance abilities.
Kids who were asked to spend 30 seconds remembering happy things did better on learning tasks they were given just after remembering the happy experience.
Internists who were given some candy or who watched a funny video (vs. reading humanistic statements about medicine and a control group) did better at diagnosing a hard-to-diagnose case of liver disease.
Cheerful college students ended up earning $25,000 more per year than their sour counterparts.
Studies have shown
Working on happiness won’t just make you happier, it will boost the happiness of the people around you!
Happiness: It’s a choice
People are bad at predicting what will make them happy.
IF ONLY…
Can we buy happiness?
A systematic study of 22 people who won major lotteries found that they reverted to their baseline level of happiness over time.
How important money is to you, more than money itself, influences your happiness.
People in the U.S. don’t rate quality of life much higher than people in Calcutta
U.S. families making $100,000 are happier than those who struggle, but families making more are not much happier.
Relative ranking, how we compare to others matters The choices we make – lose it in Vegas, or use it for good The lack of money creates unhappiness
It can make a difference
Satisfies basic material needs A way to keep score Win security Earn recognition Foster mastery or the arts Symbolizes status and success Creates power in relationships Buys time
What does money do?
The Hedonistic Treadmill
What we know
AgeGender and raceExpectationsHealth
Is it related?
One year after becoming quadriplegic, people’s happiness level return to where they were before the drastic change of circumstance
Our Happiness Set Point is genetically influenced, but not fixed
Happiness set point is not fixed
1) Relationships: Social Connectedness2) Positive Emotion 3) Engagement4) Meaning and Purpose5) Accomplishment
THE BIG FIVE Fundamentals of Well-Being
People who have one or more close friendships are happier.
We need close long-term relationships and an ability to confide in others
We need to belong Friendships boost immunity and lengthen life Cuts the risk of depression Gives you a sense of identity and self esteem
1. Relationships
Relationships
Unlike money, marriage is closely related to happiness. 40% of married people are “very happy,” while only 24% of unmarried, divorced, separated, and widowed people said this.
Top 10% of happy people are involved in romantic relationships.
Joy Pleasure Enthusiasm Intimacy Caring for others Gratitude Appreciation Optimism
2. Positive Emotion
Grateful people are happier and more satisfied, feel physically healthy, and exercise more
Grateful people have a sense of belonging—less depression and stress
Brings freedom from envy Increases energy and enthusiasm Connects you to nature and other people Most world spiritual traditions encourage giving thanks
Gratitude and Appreciation
Optimists make sense of bad events They are better problem solvers Optimism has profound effects on health Act the way you want to feel Fake it till you make it
Optimism
Pessimism
Pessimists see things as internal, unchangeable, and pervasive.
They feel that their troubles last forever, undermine everything they do, and are uncontrollable.
They are up to eight times more likely to become depressed.
They do worse at school, sports, and most jobs than their talents predict.
They have worse physical health and shorter lives, as well as rockier interpersonal relationships.
Looking out for number one is more characteristic of sadness than of well-being.
Guilt Remorse Shame Anger Envy Boredom Irritation Unforgiveness
Remove sources of bad feelings
DEFINITION: That joyful feeling we experience when we are deeply involved in an activity that is challenging and well suited to our skills, or when we are trying to reach a meaningful goal.
3. Engagement (flow)
Spiritual people are relatively happier—having strong social support and opportunities for socializing, community service, and making friends.
Mindfulness Meditation Hope Transcendent and timeless
4. Purpose and Meaning
To be truly happy you need to discover your unique strengths and virtues and use them for a purpose that is greater than your own personal goals.
Live the life you are supposed to live Live up to the expectations you set for yourself Do your duty Continue to grow
To discover more, visit viacharacter.org
5. Accomplishment
Wisdom and Knowledge Courage Love and humanity Justice Temperance Spirituality and Transcendence
(Website: viacharacter.org)
Seligman’s list of virtues/signature strengths
To engage in happiness inducing activities, you have to “FEEL GOOD.”
Exercise has a large clinical impact on depression
and anxiety. SLEEP IS PRIMARY
If You Want to be Happy
Pursue a passion Make time and enjoy
now Master a new technology Stimulate the mind in
new ways Forget about results Laugh out loud Use good manners Start a gratitude journal
Happiness takes energy and discipline
Give positive reviews Care for others Strengthen your intimate
relationships Increase your circle of
friends Become an active
member of the community
PLAY
PLAY is satisfying Doesn’t necessarily lead to praise or
recognition Has no economic significance Doesn’t create social harm Draws you closer to other people
HAVE FUN! Make time to be silly Experiment with new interests Go off the path Start a collection
What is play?
Atmosphere of growth Social contact Sense of purpose Self esteem Recognition Fun
What we get from school
A final word about money:Use money to support happy
goals
Strengthen relationshipsPromote healthEducation Have funHelp others, donate time or
talentCreate happy memories Indulge in a modest splurgeReward yourselfSpend it on things YOU value
Positive Emotions + Engagement + Meaning
To define happiness/well-being
CHOOSE TO BE HAPPY
“The constitution only guarantees the American people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself.”
Ben Franklin
Sources
Dr. Martin E. P. Seligman (Author of Learned Optimism, Authentic Happiness," and in 2011, "Flourish.") from the University of Pennsylvania, Positive Psychology Program.
The Happiness Project book written by author Gretchen Rubin. She created a kit for “Happiness Circles”.
Bill O’Hanlon, Life is Good! The Science of Happiness. Catching Happiness:Putting Positive Psychology into Practice
Project Happiness, an exploration group composed of high school seniors in the United States, India, and Nigeria. They created a handbook for groups.
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