“The psychology of happiness” plus 1 more

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The psychology of happiness Posted: 06 Sep 2010 08:15 AM PDT By Lila Havens Content provided by   Everyone wants to be happy. The pursuit of happiness is such a basic human drive that the Founding Fathers included it in the Declaration of Independence. Researchers have found that there are real benefits to being happy. Happiness leads to: Better health and longer life Better relationships Greater success at work More ethical behavior The problem is, people aren't very good at predicting what will make them happy. Winning the lottery doesn't do it. After the excitement wears off, lottery winners are no happier than non-winners. Wealth isn't the key. Once you have enough money to take care of your needs, having more won't make you much happier. Maybe what we need to do is look at happy people. What can we learn from them? Most important, can we become happier? What do we mean by "happy"? Happy people are not giddy idiots. They don't lead charmed lives where nothing bad ever happens. They have ups and downs like anyone else. When we say happy, we mean people who have: A basic sense of well-being and satisfaction with their lives A mostly positive emotional state   The traits of happy people The happiest people tend to have some traits in common. In general, happy people: Have full social lives. They spend a lot of time with other people. They belong to clubs, play sports and volunteer. Look on the bright side. They are optimistic and have generally positive attitudes about themselves and other people. Roll with the punches. Compared to unhappy people, their sense of self-worth is firmer and less shaken by setbacks. Live in the present. They tend not to dwell a great deal on the past. When they do think back, they tend to focus on positive rather than negative experiences. Tigger or Eeyore? You probably know someone with a Tigger personality, bouncy and upbeat. You likely also know an Eeyore, a person to whom things always look bleak. What determines a person's emotional outlook? Research suggests that three factors come into play: Genetics. It appears that each of us has a "set point" for happiness that is inherited. After processing a triumph or trauma, this is the level of happiness you return to. Your personal set point seems to be the strongest factor, determining about half of your level of happiness. Life circumstances. These are the facts about us, such as our gender, ethnicity, income level, health and past experiences. Surprisingly, experts believe these factors account for only about 10 percent of individual differences in happiness. That seems to be because we adapt to our circumstances and soon return to our set point. Intentional activity. These are the things we choose to do. Because these are always changing, we don't adapt to them as we do to our life circumstances. Our intentional activities account for a strong 40 percent of happiness. Practicing happiness Of course, there is nothing you can do about your genetics. You may have not much control over your circumstances. But research suggests that you can use intentional acts to boost your chance for happiness. It may take practice and persistence, but psychologists believe we can increase our level of happiness. Try these tips: Cultivate a rich social life. Our relationships are the main determinant of happiness. Spend more time with people you enjoy, and deepen your friendships. Help others. Do random acts of kindness. Volunteer your time to causes you care about. You will help other people and make yourself feel better, too. Count your blessings. Think about happy times you've had. Try writing down three things you're grateful for. Repeat this activity often. Visualize a better you. Think about how you can be your best possible self by building on your strengths. Make some goals to help you get there and then work toward them. SOURCES: Kesebir P, Diener E. In pursuit of happiness: empirical answers to philosophical questions. Perspectives on Psychological Science. 2008;3(2):117-125. Lyubomirsky S, Sheldon KM, Schkade D. Pursuing happiness: The architecture of sustainable change. UC Riverside; 2005. Accessed: 02/19/2010 Sheldon KM, Lyubomirsky S. Is it possible to become happier? (And if so, how?). Social and Personality Psychology Accessed: 02/19/2010 Lyubomirsky S, King L, Diener E. The benefits of frequent positive affect. Psychological Bulletin. 2005;131(6):803-855. Accessed: 02/19/2010 Boehm JK, Lyubomirsky S. The promise of sustainable happiness. In: SJ Lopez, ed. Handbook of Positive Psychology. 2nd ed. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press; 2009. Accessed: 02/19/2010 This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php Five Filters featured article: "Peace Envoy" Blair Gets an Easy Ride in the Independent.

Gwynedd-Mercy College gears up for benefit car show Posted: 06 Sep 2010 08:23 AM PDT By Thomas Celona Staff Writer Gwynedd-Mercy College's psychology club will host its first Hot Rods for Heroes event, a car show to raise money for war veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder. The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 11 at the college, 1325 Sumneytown Pike, Gwynedd Valley. The fundraiser is the brainchild of club president senior Michaela Brass, who describes herself as a lifelong car aficionado. "I came from a car family," she said. "I have cars in my blood. I went to my first car show when I was 2-weeks-old." Brass herself is the proud owner of a fire red 1970 Dodge Challenger. She said she counts people who work to maintain classic American muscle cars among her own personal heroes. When the psychology club was looking to organize a fundraiser, Brass immediately thought of bringing together people who love cars just as much as she does. She pitched the idea of a car show to the group, and Hot Rods for Heroes was in the works. The club selected Operation First Response as the event's beneficiary. The Virginia-based group supports American soldiers by sending supply packs to combat support hospitals in Afghanistan and Iraq, offering financial assistance to injured veterans and helping veterans receive treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder. "I thought, 'What better thing to do than to bring my heroes together to raise money for our American heroes?'" Brass said, noting the mission of Operation First Response fits perfectly with the goals of the psychology club. "The main focus of the organization is to help the soldiers. We really want to bring to the attention of our guests and spectators that our soldiers are not only wounded physically but psychologically and are suffering post-traumatic stress disorder. We want to bring what we learn in the classroom and apply it." After forming during the 2009-10 school year, this is already the second fundraiser hosted by the young club. In March, the group hosted Art Against Abuse, a gala event that raised funds to support victims of domestic violence. The Hot Rods for Heroes event will be held in Lot D and the pavilion on Gwynedd-Mercy's campus and will feature an array of classic cars and motorcycles on display. "We are going to have muscle cars ranging from early 1940s hot rods to 1985 trucks, Honda Civics and anything imaginable in the middle," Brass said. Trophies will be awarded to the 10 best vehicles at the event, as determined by the owners themselves. "Everyone who registers will get a voting ballot," Brass said. "They'll pick their favorite two. The 10 with the most votes will get a top 10 trophy." The cost to register a car or motorcycle for the event is $15. Those interested in displaying their vehicle at Hot Rods for Heroes can register the day of the event or download a registration form on the college's website, gmc.edu. In addition to checking out the cars, attendees can take part in a variety of family friendly activities. "We're going to have food, children's games, a moonbounce, face painting," Brass said. Admission to the event for spectators is free. Food and raffle tickets will be for sale, with all proceeds going to Operation First Response. Brass said she hopes the event will be a fun day of good-looking cars for a great cause. "Everybody's just going to come together for good cars," she said. "We're going to celebrate cars, our heroes, America and everything that comes to mind when you think of American muscle cars."   This Week's Top Headlines Submit a Comment This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php Five Filters featured article: "Peace Envoy" Blair Gets an Easy Ride in the Independent.

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