Dominic de Beaujeu’s Post

🌟 What do studies reveal about the effectiveness of happiness interventions? Are they truly impactful or just a temporary fix? 🔍 Few interventions, whether adding or removing activities, show consistent strong effects, often short-lived. Sociability seems to have the most reliable positive impact on happiness, but for how long? 💡 Don't chase happiness directly; focus on building quality social connections for lasting well-being. Additional Insights: The pursuit of happiness through interventions may not yield long-term benefits as people tend to return to baseline levels after major life events. Sociability and strong social networks play key roles in happiness and overall well-being. The article dives into a systematic review of happiness interventions, highlighting the limited effectiveness of programmed interventions for long-term happiness improvement. 🍃 #HappinessIndustry #SocialSupport #WellBeing #ProgrammedInterventions #Sociability #QualityRelationships #mindset #growth #happiness #love #social https://lnkd.in/dpmKBuYQ

We each have an idea of happiness. For many people today, it means wealth, self-dependency, and success. It's often comparative. For Stephanie Harrison of the "New Happy" movement, this is an "Old Happy" mindset. The "New Happy" recognizes that hardship and muddling through are the default positions of being human. It recognizes the need for help and takes it without feeling bad for doing so. https://lnkd.in/gHuBV6Ei

America’s Founders knew that the pursuit of happiness involved personal liberation, Arthur C. Brooks writes. https://lnkd.in/ejyZFWkS The Declaration of Independence asserts that there is an “unalienable right” to the “pursuit of happiness,” Brooks writes. “As a happiness specialist, I have always been puzzled by something about this early-American happiness advice … As wise as they were, the Founders were mixing up getting happier with minimizing the sources of unhappiness.” It’s fair to say that their philosophy was not about learning how to enjoy life, Brooks writes, but “about clearing away the self-imposed sources of misery that make pursuing happiness difficult or impossible.” The Founders believed that successful self-government relies on personal self-government, and in their writings, the Founders explained how one can go about it. First, curb your appetites. As Brooks interprets the advice from Benjamin Franklin’s autobiography, “Poor health due to excess and poverty from wasteful spending are avoidable sources of misery.” A second lesson to take from the Founders is the benefits of humility. “The Founders would definitely disapprove of our cult of self-esteem,” Brooks writes—and according to research, learning from others and acknowledging one’s limitations “strongly predicts lower levels of anxiety and depression.” Another piece of advice Brooks takes from the Founders is to avoid idleness. Thomas Jefferson, for example, wrote in 1787 that “a mind always employed is always happy.” There is a danger in overcompensating and making ourselves too busy, “but staying occupied with meaningful tasks is a guard against misery,” Brooks writes. Finally, shun the limelight. “Alexander Hamilton called the desire for recognition “the ruling passion of the noblest minds.” “But a miserable passion it is, leading to frustration,” Brooks notes. https://lnkd.in/ejyZFWkS 🎨:: Jan Buchczik

🌟 Understanding Happiness: Insights from Sonja Lyubomirsky's Research🌟 Ever wondered what factors contribute to our happiness? According to renowned psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky, our happiness can be broken down into three main components: 🥧 Happiness Pie: * Genotype and Early Upbringing (50%): Our genetic makeup and early childhood experiences play a significant role in our overall happiness. This component is something we are born with and shaped by our early environment. * Conditions (10%): Life circumstances such as income, social status, and living conditions contribute a smaller portion to our happiness. While these factors are important, they are not as influential as we might think. * Attitude Towards Life (40%): Our mindset and how we approach life have a substantial impact on our happiness. This includes our habits, outlook, and daily practices. The good news is that this is something we have control over and can actively work on improving. Understanding these components can help us focus on what truly matters and make positive changes in our lives. Let's strive to cultivate a positive attitude and create habits that boost our well-being! #Happiness #PositivePsychology #MentalHealth #WellBeing #PersonalDevelopment

The Top 10 Insights from the “Science of a Meaningful Life” in 2023 In this article, you shall find findings of research about well-being. Learn more about: Happiness and culture(s) Happiness practices Intellectual humility Depression and random acts of kindness Ghosting and the implications for both ghoster and ghostee Compassion fatigue Caring about each other at work Gratitude and parenting Feeling awe and generosity The myth of becoming more unethical Be generous and share. I wish you a lovely start to this new year. Let us make it even better this year. #wellbeing #research #positiveempowerment https://lnkd.in/d2VsqQiQ

# Happiness generally encompasses contentment, fulfillment, and positive emotions. Whether seeking happiness is selfish depends on the pursuit; prioritizing personal well-being isn't necessarily self-employed. While life circumstances can influence happiness, individual perspectives and choices also play a crucial role. The advantages of being happy include enhanced mental and physical health, stronger relationships, and increased productivity. It's important to recognize that our minds can deceive us, leading to misconceptions such as overestimating the impact of money, grades, and screen time while neglecting deeper emotional factors.

We all want to feel happy—who doesn’t? But according to the @American Psychological Association, the more we judge our happiness, the more likely we are to feel unhappy. In a study of 1,800 people, researchers found that overthinking happiness levels often causes negativity, disappointment, and lower life satisfaction. “The old adage 'a watched pot never boils' comes to mind, as the time spent analyzing one's degree of happiness seems to chip away at one's experience of that happiness. The invitation here is to lean into the feeling of happiness you're experiencing rather than judging or comparing it," says Resilience Lab’s Dr. Anica Camela Mulzac. How can we escape the happiness trap? 💬 Accept all emotions. Happiness isn’t a 24/7 requirement—and embracing the full emotional spectrum can enhance well-being. 🌐 Be mindful of social media. It’s easy to compare our everyday lives with the highlight reels we see online, which can make us feel like we’re “falling behind” in happiness. 🎯 Focus on the pursuit of happiness as a goal, rather than judging where you are right now. We can remember to embrace all of our emotions—positive or negative—without the pressure to constantly “measure up.” Accepting how we feel in the moment can be a powerful step toward genuine happiness and improved well-being. Read the whole study: https://lnkd.in/g6J9RdBA #PursuitOfHappiness #EmotionalHealth #ResilienceLab 

This week we have something cool to focus on. It is how to develop or further perfect the ability to be happy in life. Our guide is the book The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. I like the full title of the book, as it’s descriptive of what is to come. It is The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent A Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun. This work is a memoir of Rubin’s yearlong experiment to try to maximize happiness (I might call it contentment). She was not coming from misery as a catalyst. She was happily married and loved being a mother of two. She had been successful in law and had already transitioned to a successful writing career. On the surface she already was happy. But one day she had a strong awareness of how life so quickly passes by, and she developed a fear she would wake up one day and feel her life had been wasted. She also knew she did not want to do anything drastic. Her conclusion was to spend a year with happiness objectives. One big objective was to read and absorb from philosophers, novelists, positive psychologists, thought leaders and scientists. Her expectation was not to add anything new to the field. Rather, it was through her time and focus on the area it would help her appreciate her life better and icing on the cake would be if it would inspire others as well. She liked Benjamin Franklin’s writing of his “thirteen virtues” which Franklin tried to live by. Rubin created her own “Resolutions Chart” with a focus on attitude, work, and play, that she felt would be key to help increase happiness. This was complemented with what she called “the Twelve Commandments” that were ground rules to abide by. One, as an example, was “Be Gretchen,” meaning she would not try to adopt or be swayed by others’ ideas of happiness or fun. Another example is “Act the way I want to feel,” meaning she tried to project an attitude of gratitude and wellness even when she was not feeling it. From here she layered in what she called her “Secrets of Adulthood.” This included the maxim that, “People do not notice your mistakes as much as you think.” Combining all of this, she commenced her yearlong project.

The Macronutrients of Happiness 😊 In a recent enlightening piece, Arthur C. Brooks delineates what he calls the "three macronutrients of happiness": 🙂enjoyment 🙂satisfaction 🙂meaning These elements are foundational to a fulfilled life, transcending the superficial highs of pleasure alone. Brooks emphasizes the necessity of integrating these macronutrients into our daily lives to achieve genuine contentment. This involves a proactive approach to happiness, where we not only seek enjoyable experiences but also ensure they hold deep personal significance and contribute to our overall life satisfaction. He also challenges us to step back from the relentless pursuit of pleasure which often leads to temporary highs or even addiction and instead cultivate experiences enriched with personal connections and memories. This approach encourages a more sustainable and profound form of happiness, rooted in our connections with others and our contributions to the world. It’s a great reminder of how we can shape our journey towards a happier, more meaningful life. Let’s discuss: How do you integrate enjoyment, satisfaction, and meaning into your daily routine? #Happiness #Wellbeing #PersonalDevelopment #MindfulLiving https://lnkd.in/gG7StQWK