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 Posted - 11/27/2015 : 15:51:02
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Here are a number of self-improvement articles on happiness.
How would you rate them? (Only members can rate these articles.)
Here is #1:
7 Choices Happy People Make Every Day
About one-third of the U.S. population describes itself as "very happy," according to the polling agency Harris Interactive — a higher number than I think many of us might expect.
These are the people in your office who are upbeat and eager no matter what unexpected challenges come their way, and the ones who seem to get genuinely excited over the smallest opportunities and kindnesses. They're the folks in your social circles who endure hardship with smiles on their faces and who seem hard-wired always to look on the bright side.
1. They choose to exercise.
2. They choose to spend time outside.
Just 20 minutes a day outside is enough to elevate your level of happiness. A simple walk at lunch or even a little time in the backyard, on the patio, or at a nearby park makes the difference.
3. They choose to focus on their families.
Three-quarters of Americans surveyed by the Pew Research Center in 2010 said that their family was "the most important, most satisfying element of their lives". So, bury the hatchet with your brother-in-law and focus on your parents, children, or siblings if you want to be happier. Happy people might not always want to, but they find at least a few minutes every day (often much more) to do things to improve their family relationships.
4. They choose to make time for friends.
Friends are the family we choose for ourselves, and at least some small amount of social time with them every day is necessary if you want to improve happiness. Even just checking in with friends for a few minutes on the phone or a 10-minute conversation or activity together can make a difference.
5. They choose to find meaning in their work.
Happy people might not have found their dream job or their true calling — but they find a way to put their daily tasks in perspective and to take pride and joy from what they do.
6. They choose to contribute to their communities.
Truly happy people find a way to share something with their broader communities — going beyond their families and groups of close friends. Happy people might be involved with professional associations, church groups, athletic organizations, or something else, but they make sure to find some way to share with them every day.
7. They choose to get enough sleep.
Happy people might be no less busy than the rest of us, but they squeeze something else out of their lives if necessary. They give up television watching, Internet surfing, or simply worrying about things they can't affect — and they choose to get at least seven or eight hours of sleep every day.
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Posted - 11/27/2015 : 15:54:50
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Here is #2:
A Psychiatrist Who Survived The Holocaust Explains Why Meaningfulness Matters More Than Happiness
"It is the very pursuit of happiness that thwarts happiness." Viktor Frankl
In his bestselling 1946 book, Man's Search for Meaning, which he wrote about his experiences in the Nazi concentration camps, Frankl concluded that the difference between those who had lived and those who had died came down to one thing: Meaning, an insight he came to early in life.
As he saw in the camps, those who found meaning even in the most horrendous circumstances were far more resilient to suffering than those who did not. "Everything can be taken from a man but one thing," Frankl wrote, "the last of the human freedoms — to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way."
Frankl's emphasis on meaning, the value of suffering, and responsibility to something greater than the self — seems to be at odds with our culture, which is more interested in the pursuit of individual happiness than in the search for meaning. "To the European," Frankl wrote, "it is a characteristic of the American culture that, again and again, one is commanded and ordered to 'be happy.' But happiness cannot be pursued; it must ensue. One must have a reason to 'be happy.'"
As of January 2013, Gallup also reports that nearly 60 percent of all Americans today feel happy, without a lot of stress or worry.
On the other hand, according to the Center for Disease Control, about 4 out of 10 Americans have not discovered a satisfying life purpose. Forty percent either do not think their lives have a clear sense of purpose or are neutral about whether their lives have purpose. Nearly a quarter of Americans feel neutral or do not have a strong sense of what makes their lives meaningful.
Research has shown that having purpose and meaning in life increases overall well-being and life satisfaction, improves mental and physical health, enhances resiliency, enhances self-esteem, and decreases the chances of depression. On top of that, the single-minded pursuit of happiness is ironically leaving people less happy, according to recent research. "It is the very pursuit of happiness," Frankl knew, "that thwarts happiness."
How do the happy life and the meaningful life differ? Happiness, they found, is about feeling good. Specifically, the researchers found that people who are happy tend to think that life is easy, they are in good physical health, and they are able to buy the things that they need and want. While not having enough money decreases how happy and meaningful you consider your life to be, it has a much greater impact on happiness. The happy life is also defined by a lack of stress or worry.
Most importantly from a social perspective, the pursuit of happiness is associated with selfish behavior — being a "taker" rather than a "giver."
The pursuit of meaning is what makes human beings uniquely human. By putting aside our selfish interests to serve someone or something larger than ourselves — by devoting our lives to "giving" rather than "taking" — we are not only expressing our fundamental humanity, but are also acknowledging that that there is more to the good life than the pursuit of simple happiness.
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Posted - 11/27/2015 : 15:55:22
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Here is #3:
A 75-Year Harvard Study Found Out What It Takes To Live A Happy Life
The Grant Study is one of the longest-running longitudinal studies of human development. The study began in 1938, and followed 268 Harvard undergraduate men for 75 years, measuring an astonishing range of psychological, anthropological, and physical traits.
The study found:
- “Alcoholism is a disorder of great destructive power.”
Alcoholism was the main cause of divorce between the Grant Study men and their wives; it was strongly correlated with neurosis and depression (which tended to follow alcohol abuse, rather than precede it); and — together with associated cigarette smoking — it was the single greatest contributor to their early morbidity and death.
- Above a certain level, intelligence doesn’t matter.
There was no significant difference in maximum income earned by men with IQs in the 110–115 range and men with IQs higher than 150.
- Aging liberals have more sex.
Political ideology had no bearing on life satisfaction—but the most-conservative men ceased sexual relations at an average age of 68, while the most-liberal men had active sex lives into their 80s.
- What matters most in life are relationships.
There was a strong correlation between the warmth of your relationships and your health and happiness in old age.
For instance, the 58 men who scored highest on measurements of “warm relationships” earned an average of $141,000 a year more at their peak salaries (usually between ages 55 and 60) than the 31 men who scored lowest; the former were also three times more likely to have achieved professional success worthy of inclusion in Who’s Who.
- The warmth of your relationship with your mother matters long into adulthood.
- Men who had “warm” childhood relationships with their mothers earned an average of $87,000 more a year than men whose mothers were uncaring.
- Men who had poor childhood relationships with their mothers were much more likely to develop dementia when old.
- Late in their professional lives, the men’s boyhood relationships with their mothers — but not with their fathers — were associated with effectiveness at work.
- On the other hand, warm childhood relations with fathers correlated with lower rates of adult anxiety, greater enjoyment of vacations, and increased “life satisfaction” at age 75 — whereas the warmth of childhood relationships with mothers had no significant bearing on life satisfaction at 75.
Vaillant’s key takeaway, in his own words: “The seventy-five years and twenty million dollars expended on the Grant Study points … to a straightforward five-word conclusion: 'Happiness is love. Full stop.'”
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Posted - 11/27/2015 : 15:55:55
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Here is #4:
Psychologists Say Doing These 7 Activities Will Make You Happier
- Committing to goals:
Goals and happiness are mutually reinforcing. Happy people have lots of energy, and that energy can be put toward pursuing their latest goal.
- Finding meaning in your work:
Research has found that people who found meaning in their work were happiest. Especially those people that had fulfilling, socially useful work.
- Spending time with people you care about:
Spending time with the people you love (or can at least tolerate) will make you happier. Being at the "center" of a social network is a good predictor of well-being.
- Cultivating a long-term relationship:
Being married makes people happier and more satisfied with their lives than those who remain single — particularly during the most stressful periods.
- Eating the fresh stuff:
Researchers found that young people who ate seven to eight servings of fruits or vegetables reported higher happiness levels than their less-nourished peers. (Since usually only the affluent can afford fresh fruits or vegetables, this research finding may have just found that affluent people are happier than less affluent people.)
- Getting in exercise:
Exercisers were found to be more satisfied with their life and happier than non-exercisers at all ages.
- Buying experiences:
You should buy experiences instead of things. In a survey of over 1,000 Americans, 57% of respondents said that they derived greater happiness from an experiential purchase, like a trip, concert, or other life event, over a material purchase, like a car, appliance, or other object. Would you rate the usefulness of this article as:
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Posted - 11/27/2015 : 15:56:18
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Here is #5:
These are the surprising ways that happiness is linked to health
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Posted - 11/28/2015 : 15:01:18
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Here is #6:
13 Things You Can Do Literally Right Now To Make 2015 Happier And Healthier
1. Get A Standing Desk
Over the long term, being sedentary for long periods makes you more likely to gain weight, which also pushes up your chances of developing chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes. Parking yourself at a desk or on the couch also raises your chance of developing certain types of cancers. One recent study found that for every additional 2 hours someone spent sitting, they had an 8% increase in their risk for developing colon cancer and a 10% increased risk for endometrial cancer.
2. Toss That Soda
A soda provides a rush of sugar-dense, empty calories that won't leave you satiated; regular consumption is associated with weight gain. As a result, sugar becomes a habit that's physically hard to break.
3. Go Outside
Taking a quick break from the indoors is one of the quickest ways to boost mood and jumpstart creative thinking. Walk outside regularly, studies suggest, and you'll likely strengthen your memory and reduce your risk of developing breast cancer too.
4. Stop Juicing
When you juice a handful of produce, you remove all of the fiber (the stuff that keeps you feeling full and satisfied until your next meal) but keep all of the sugar (a bottle of Suja's "Green Supreme" cold-pressed juice has more sugar than a can of Coke). All of this plus the fact that they're so low in protein makes juice cleanses a recipe for losing muscle, not fat.
5. Move Near A Window
By exposing yourself to natural light — especially early in the day — you help your body set its internal circadian clock. The benefits of natural light are especially important at work. A recent study found that people who worked in windowless offices lost up to 46 minutes of sleep each weeknight. That lost shuteye adds up: Losing almost 4 hours of sleep each week translates into 15 hours of sleep loss every month, or just over 8 full days each year.
6. Write Down Something You're Grateful For
Two recent studies found that keeping weekly "gratitude" journals boosted feelings of optimism and overall life satisfaction.
7. Download The 7-Minute Workout App
Download tne 7-minute workout http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/09/the-scientific-7-minute-workout/ and the advanced 7-minute workout http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/10/24/the-advanced-7-minute-workout/
8. Write Down A Personal Goal — And Something That Could Get In The Way Of It
Positive thinking can be powerful, but simply visualizing your promotion at work isn't going to make it happen. New research suggests that picturing the positive outcome and then picturing some of your own personal behaviors.
9. Swap The Meat In Your Next Meal for Beans, Nuts or Grains
Aside from being great for the planet, eating less meat can add years to your life and slash your chances of numerous chronic diseases, including Type 2 diabetes, obesity, metabolic syndrome, circulatory disease, hypertension, and cancer.
10. Take The Stairs
A recent study found that short bursts of exercise sprinkled throughout the day were not only more appealing to people (meaning they were also more likely to do it) but helped improve some measures of health more than exercising for the traditional 30 minutes each day.
11. Put A Plant On It
A few bits of green around the home or office can serve as an anytime pick-me-up, boosting emotional well-being.
12. Pick Up One Of Neil deGrasse Tyson's 8 Book Recommendations
https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/ngd5e/i_am_neil_degrasse_tyson_ama/c38vowu?context=2
13. Look Away From This Screen
When we're on our tablet or computer, we not only blink far less than we do while reading or talking with someone, but we open our eyes wider too. All that exposed eye makes our tears evaporate quicker and dries out our eyes.
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Posted - 11/28/2015 : 18:47:21
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Here is #7:
The simplest way to get — and stay — happy, according to psychologists
There are lots of science-backed ways we can improve our overall well-being and grow happier in the long-run. Here are just a few:
1. Meditate:
Multiple studies suggest that meditating — focusing intently and quietly on the present for set periods of time — can help lessen feelings of depression and anxiety.
2. Go outside:
One study found that a group of students sent into the trees for two nights had lower levels of cortisol — a hormone often used as a marker for stress — than those who spent the same two nights in a city.
3. Get involved in cultural activities:
A study that examined the anxiety, depression, and life satisfaction of over 50,000 adults in Norway offered an interesting link: People who participated in more cultural activities, like attending a play or joining a club, reported lower levels of anxiety and depression as well as a higher satisfaction with their overall quality of life.
4. Spend money on others:
A 2008 study gave 46 volunteers an envelope with money in it wherein half were instructed to spend the money on themselves and the other half put the money towards a charitable donation or gift for someone they knew. The volunteers recorded their happiness level before receiving the envelope and after spending the money by the end of that same day. Sure enough, the researchers discovered that those who spent their money on others had a higher level of happiness than those who spent the money on themselves.
5.Volunteer:
In a recent review of 40 studies done over the last 20 years, researchers found that one activity was far more important than the rest for boosting psychological health: volunteering. This activity, the researchers reported, had been found in many volunteers to be linked with a reduced risk of depression, a higher amount of overall satisfaction, and even a reduced risk of death from of a physical illness as a consequence of mental distress.
Conclusion:
If you're looking to get a mood boost that'll last you in the long-term, focus on your state of mind in the present, be grateful for what you have, and stop to enjoy it!
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Posted - 11/28/2015 : 19:05:33
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Here is #8:
Shawn Achor for years at Harvard he studied happiness. Here is what he found:
1) Success Brings Happiness? No. Happiness Brings Success.
"If we know the intelligence and technical skills of an employee, we can actually only predict about 25% of their job success. 75% of long term job success is predicted not by intelligence and technical skills, which is normally how we hire, educate and train, but it’s predicted by three other umbrella categories. It’s optimism (which is the belief that your behavior matters in the midst of challenge), your social connection (whether or not you have depth and breadth in your social relationships), and the way that you perceive stress."
Shawn found that college GPA did not predict future income; however level of optimism did. (For more on how to be more optimistic, click http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/07/how-to-be-optimistic/ .)
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Posted - 11/28/2015 : 21:10:22
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Here is #9:
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Posted - 11/28/2015 : 21:16:12
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Here is #10:
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Posted - 11/29/2015 : 07:18:39
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Here is #11:
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Posted - 12/04/2015 : 17:02:59
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Here is #12:
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Posted - 12/04/2015 : 18:49:02
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Here is #13:
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Posted - 12/04/2015 : 21:36:22
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Here is #14:
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Posted - 12/04/2015 : 21:47:40
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Here is #15:
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Posted - 12/04/2015 : 22:14:14
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Here is #16:
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Happiness
