Happiness Blog

Top Positive Psychology Research in 2021

13/01/2022 by Marie

The Positive Psychology world suffered two great losses this year, first with Edward Diener who passed away in April and then Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in October. Diener, otherwise known as Dr. Happiness, was recognized as a leader in measuring what he called “subjective well-being.” Csikszentmihalyi was a pioneer in the Positive Psychology space and introduced the concept of flow theory in the 1970’s. These losses were great but the legacies that these two larger than life figures left behind will live on in the Positive Psychology world for years to come.

In what was a tough year all around, there was still plenty of hope and great research into how to live a happy life, which not only helped many of us to cope with an unprecedented global crisis, but also learn more about ourselves and what’s truly important in life. 

What we Have Learnt from the Pandemic

COVID-19’s Impact on Mental Health Hasn’t Been All Bad (Psychology Today). The COVID-19 pandemic has caused mental distress, but it has also strengthened people’s mental health in many ways. New research shows how the crisis has increased mental health through three main processes.

A Once-in-a-Lifetime Chance to Start Over (The Atlantic). It’s time to prepare for a new and better normal than your pre-pandemic life.

Stumbling into the Next Stage of Your Pandemic Life (Greater Good Magazine). A therapist explores the psychology of coming back from the big pandemic pause.

How to Make Your Post-Pandemic Happiness Last (GQ). Human happiness is surprisingly resistant to change—even to positive shifts. So as the pandemic wanes in the U.S., is it possible to make these good feelings stay?

The 9 Silver Linings of the COVID-19 Pandemic (Psychology Today). Researchers found that the average sentiment of participants’ responses was positive when describing the pandemic’s silver linings. The results of the study may help people better heal from this crisis and be better prepared to respond to potential future crises.

Research Suggests Positive Forward-Thinking Safeguards Mental Health During Lockdowns (Mental Health Today). We all might feel nostalgic for a time when we weren’t confined to our homes or had rules imposed upon us in public spaces; however new research from the University of Surrey suggests that if we forget about 2020 or even our current lockdown state in 2021 and look forward to the future, our mental wellbeing will presently be more resilient.

Plan to Find Happiness

Frequent travel could make you 7% happier (Science Daily). People dreaming of travel post-COVID-19 now have some scientific data to support their wanderlust. A new study shows frequent travellers are happier with their lives than people who don’t travel at all.

How Trip Planning and Happiness Are Directly Correlated (Psychology Today). Research reveals that planning future travel may boost mood and mindset.

What Is Transformational Travel? Holidaying With A Purpose Is The New Switching Off (Bazaar). Explore how the power of trips taken with consciousness can emanate positivity, personal growth, and mental wellness for all.

Be Curious and Learn

Learning Boosts Happiness, New Study Suggests (Sci News). New research from University College London suggests that how we learn about the world around us can be more important for how we feel than rewards we receive directly.

Curiosity and Happiness Go Hand in Hand (The Philadelphia Inquirer). As Einstein said: The important thing is to never stop questioning. Research suggests that consistent curiosity goes hand in hand with happiness. 

Happiness can be Learned Through Meditation, Philosophy and Training (Medical Xpress). Is it possible to learn to be happier? Well, it seems it is—at least according to a scientific study coordinated by the University of Trento and carried out in collaboration with Sapienza University of Rome, now published in Frontiers in Psychology.

The Wonder Stuff: What I Learned About Happiness from a Month of ‘Awe Walks’ (The Guardian). Feeling down? You need to experience more awe, psychologists say. So, I set off every day to explore my local area, leaving my phone behind.

Green is Good

Green Space Around Primary Schools May Improve Students’ Academic Performance (The Conversation). Greenery around primary schools may improve students’ academic performance, while traffic pollution may be detrimental, our study shows. 

Spending Time Outdoors Has a Positive Effect on Our Brains (Neuroscience News). Brain structure and mood improve when people spend time outdoors. This has positive implications for concentration, memory, and overall psychological wellbeing.

The Built Environment Impacts Our Health and Happiness More Than We Know (Arch Daily). The built environment is directly linked with happiness and well-being, and too often urban environments fail to put people at ease.

Nature-Based Activities Can Improve Mood and Reduce Anxiety (Neuroscience News). Participating in nature-based activities including exercise, gardening, and conservation, helps improve mood and reduce anxiety for those with mental health problems.

Birds and Bees ‘Secret Weapons’ to Raising Happiness Levels (Belfast Telegraph). Studies show that increasing people’s connection with nature boosts happiness.

Embrace your Inner DJ

20 Surprising, Science-Backed Health Benefits of Music (USA Today). Research suggests that music not only helps us cope with pain — it can also benefit our physical and mental health in numerous other ways. Read on to learn how listening to tunes can ramp up your health.

The Unsung Secret to Stability and Happiness During The Pandemic (ZDNet). It’s been a hard year, but at least many people have found a reliable way to reduce stress and increase happiness. Netflix is great and exercise is important, but music, it turns out, has made a positive difference in the lives of many during an often-bleak and perpetually uncertain pandemic year.

Coping With COVID-19 Stress Through Music (Neuroscience News). Study reports people who experienced an increase in negative emotion during lockdown listened to music to relieve feelings of depression, stress, and fear. Those with a more positive state of mind turned to music as a replacement for social interaction.

Work for Meaning, Purpose and Happiness

The ‘Great Realization’ has Inspired People to Seek Happiness in Their Jobs and Careers (Forbes). A study of work happiness commissioned by Indeed, the large job aggregation site, and conducted by Forrester, delved into how we feel about our jobs and careers.

Why Work Is More Than Just a Job (Psychology Today). We have been conditioned to think of work primarily as a source of income. The truth is, our job can have a powerful effect on our psychological well-being. Acknowledging the benefits of work can help us better shape our careers.

The Great Resignation is Here: How to Find Purpose in The Next Stage of Your Career (Forbes). By now, you’ve likely heard about the Great Resignation. Due to the pandemic, changes in work-life balance, childcare and other factors, an estimated 40% of the global workforce is considering changing jobs in 2021. Anecdotal evidence and data suggest that it has much to do with our values and feeling aligned with our purpose.

How Self-Determination Can Boost Satisfaction at Work (Psychology Today). Self-Determination Theory provides a framework for understanding changes in work motivation. Motivation often decreases when core psychological needs have not been met. Work structures that support autonomy, competence, and relatedness can facilitate motivation and productivity.

Get the Best Sleep

The Organizational Cost of Insufficient Sleep (McKinsey). In an increasingly hyperconnected world, in which many companies now expect their employees to be on call and to answer emails 24/7, sleep is an important organizational topic that requires specific and urgent attention.

Mindfulness Training Helps Kids Sleep Better (Stanford Medicine). At-risk children gained more than an hour of sleep per night after participating in a mindfulness curriculum at their elementary schools, a study from the Stanford University School of Medicine found. 

Natural Light May be Key to Improving Mood and Reducing Insomnia (Neuroscience News). More time spent outside in natural light was associated with improved mood, better sleep quality, and ease of waking.

Laugh!

How Laughing at Yourself Can Be Good for Your Well-Being (Psychology Today). Laughing at oneself is healthy when it is not motivated by self-demeaning drives. People who engage in excessive self-defeating humour may be trying to hide underlying emotional problems. Self-directed laughter can remind us of our humanness and promote positive interpersonal interactions.

Laugh more, live better (McKinsey & Company). Naomi Bagdonas and Connor Diemand-Yauman, lecturers at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, hilariously explore the power at the intersection of humour, business, and leadership. It’s no joke.

Seriously Funny: Humour is a Character Strength (Neuroscience News). Researchers say the use and appreciation of humour is positive for overall wellbeing and psychological health. Humour is observed in all cultures and at all ages. But only in recent decades has experimental psychology respected it as an essential, fundamental human behaviour.

A Little Laughter Decreases Stress and Improves Productivity (Forbes). Paul Osincup is a positivity strategist and his mission is to create workplace happiness. He does this with his humorous and inspirational style of teaching and speaking. According to Osincup, “Humour is the new mindfulness.” You can actually train your brain to see and experience humour more often.

Viewing Memes Online Increases Positive Emotions, Helps Cope with Pandemic (Penn State). Viewing memes online may increase positive emotions which can help improve one’s confidence in the ability to cope with life during a pandemic. The recently published study also showed that people who viewed memes with COVID-19-related captions reported lower levels of COVID-related stress than did those who saw a non-COVID caption.

Share the Love!

There’s a Specific Kind of Joy We’ve Been Missing (The New York Times). Research has found that people laugh five times as often when they’re with others as when they’re alone. Peak happiness lies mostly in collective activity.

Hard Times Make for Stronger Bonds and Greater Happiness: Here’s Why That Matters (Forbes). You’ve heard it before: Going through hard times is one of the things that can create bonds between people. In fact, the more difficult the experience, the more bonding that may occur. And a global pandemic certainly qualifies as a condition for strengthening bonds. 

Getting Beyond Small Talk: People Enjoy Deep Conversations with Strangers (NeuroScience News). People overestimate feelings of awkwardness when talking to strangers and underestimate the enjoyment of deep, meaningful conversations with those we have just met.

Selflessness and Feeling in Harmony with Others Coincides with Greater Happiness (PsyPost). A study published in the Journal of Individual Differences suggests there’s more to happiness than feeling satisfied with one’s life. The study found that experiencing the self as interdependent coincided with increased happiness through feeling greater harmony with others.

Why we Missed Hugs (The Conversation). Similar to regular hunger, touch hunger serves as an alert that something important is missing – in this case, the sense of security, intimacy, and care that comes with tactile contact.

Express Yourself

Twirl to Happiness: Does Dance Therapy Hold Promise for Treating Anxiety and Depression? (Economic Times). Researchers understand that the majority of our daily communication is nonverbal, and traumatic memories are encoded, or stored, in nonverbal parts of the brain.

What is it That Makes Baking Such a Soothing, Evocative Pastime? (Happiful). So, what it is that makes baking such an effective mindfulness tool, and how can we harness this to support our mental health? With help from a counsellor, and the people who have explored this connection for themselves, we’re asking the rising question: what happens when you add baking into the wellbeing mix?

How you Decorate Your Home can Impact your Happiness (Women’s Health). Google partnered with the Arts & Mind Lab at Johns Hopkins University to explore the impact of sensory input on our minds and bodies. They designed three different rooms, and participants wore bands to track their physiological responses as they moved through each room.

Why Doing Something Different Can Boost Well-Being (Psychology Today). A neuroscience-based method to improve happiness. Experiential diversity—going to new or different places and doing different things—can boost well-being, research suggests.

The Benefits of Texting Your Gratitude (Psychology Today). Research suggests that expressing gratitude by texting may be just as beneficial as an in-person show of appreciation.

Art for Happiness – How Culture can Keep us Healthy and Sane (Mostly) (Evening Standard). The Wellcome Collection is exploring happiness in its new dual exhibitions, but what role can museums and culture play in maintaining our mental health?

Want to learn more about the science of happiness? Make sure to subscribe to my podcast Happiness for Cynics and my email newsletter for regular updates & resilience resources! 

Happiness Ted Talks to Watch These Holidays

15/12/2021 by Marie

What Are The 7 Top Happiness Ted Talks to Watch These Holidays?

One of the things I love about life today is the easy access to inspiring ideas and content. We now have millions of experts, researchers and professionals at our fingertips, publishing content on the internet, just a click away.

By far, one of the best curators of engaging talks and content is TED, and when it comes to the topic of happiness, they do not disappoint. TED has featured many of the great positive psychology superstars over the years (check out these top 11 positive psychology talks of all time), and they continue to publish new content on happiness from psychologists, journalists and monks among others.

But like many of these amazing platforms, it’s easy to get drawn down a rabbit hole of random content. That’s why we’re pulled together this list for you – to keep you focused on the best and most recent inspiration, research and knowledge on happiness. So, if you want to start 2022 with a fresh and happy new outlook, these are the top happiness Ted Talks to watch these holidays.

Top Happiness Ted Talks to Watch These Holidays

3 Rules for Better Work-Life Balance, Ashley Whillans, 5:07

Have you answered a work email during an important family event? Or taken a call from your boss while on vacation? According to behavioural scientist and Harvard Business School professor Ashley Whillans, “always-on” work culture is not only ruining our personal well-being — but our work, as well. She shares which bad habits are stopping us from getting what we need out of our free time and three practical steps for setting boundaries that stick.

What’s your Happiness Score?, Dominic Price, 14:37

How do you rediscover a happier, more purpose-driven (and less productivity-obsessed) self in the wake of the pandemic? Quiz yourself alongside work futurist Dominic Price as he lays out a simple yet insightful four-part guide to assessing your life in ways that can help you reconnect with what’s really important.

How to be your best self in times of crisis, Susan David, 45:54

“Life’s beauty is inseparable from its fragility,” says psychologist Susan David. In a special virtual conversation, she shares wisdom on how to build resilience, courage and joy in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Responding to listeners’ questions from across the globe, she offers ways to talk to your children about their emotions, keep focus during the crisis and help those working on the front lines.

Helping others makes us happier – but it matters how we do it, Elizabeth Dunn, 14:20

Research shows that helping others makes us happier. But in her ground-breaking work on generosity and joy, social psychologist Elizabeth Dunn found that there’s a catch: it matters how we help. Learn how we can make a greater impact — and boost our own happiness along the way — if we make one key shift in how we help others. “Let’s stop thinking about giving as just this moral obligation and start thinking of it as a source of pleasure,” Dunn says.

The lies our culture tells us about what matters – and a better way to live, David Brooks, 14:45

Our society is in the midst of a social crisis, says op-ed columnist and author David Brooks: we’re trapped in a valley of isolation and fragmentation. How do we find our way out? Based on his travels across the United States — and his meetings with a range of exceptional people known as “weavers” — Brooks lays out his vision for a cultural revolution that empowers us all to lead lives of greater meaning, purpose and joy.

How to turn off work thoughts during your free time, Guy Winch, 12:20

Feeling burned out? You may be spending too much time ruminating about your job, says psychologist Guy Winch. Learn how to stop worrying about tomorrow’s tasks or stewing over office tensions with three simple techniques aimed at helping you truly relax and recharge after work.

This is what makes employees happy at work, Michael C. Bush, 3:59

There are three billion working people on this planet, and only 40 percent of them report being happy at work. Michael C. Bush shares his insights into what makes workers unhappy — and how companies can benefit their bottom lines by fostering satisfaction.

Want to learn more about the science of happiness? Make sure to subscribe to my podcast Happiness for Cynics and my email newsletter for regular updates & resilience resources!

Talking to Strangers (E97)

13/12/2021 by Marie

Happiness for Cynics

On today’s episode Marie and Pete discuss talking to strangers and the surprising mental health benefits of sharing a deep and meaningful conversation.

Transcript

Coming soon

How to Avoid ‘Toxic Positivity’ and Take the Less Direct Route to Happiness

08/12/2021 by Marie

Brock Bastian, The University of Melbourne and Ashley Humphrey, Federation University Australia

The term “toxic positivity” has received a good deal of attention lately. Coming off the back of the “positivity movement” we are beginning to recognise while feeling happy is a good thing, overemphasising the importance of a positive attitude can backfire, ironically leading to more unhappiness.

Yes, research shows happier people tend to live longer, be healthier and enjoy more successful lives. And “very happy people” have more of these benefits relative to only averagely happy people. But pursued in certain ways, happiness or positivity can become toxic.

Our research, published in The Journal of Positive Psychology and involving almost 500 people, was inspired by these apparently inconsistent findings – pursuing happiness may be both good and bad for our well-being. We aimed to uncover a key ingredient that turns positivity toxic.

Expecting the Best, Feeling Worse

Some studies have shown that when people place a high value on their own happiness it can lead to less happiness, especially in contexts where they most expect to feel happy.

This tendency to expect happiness and then to feel disappointed or to blame oneself for not feeling happy enough, has been linked to greater depressive symptoms and deficits in well-being.

As the line to a cartoon by Randy Glasbergen depicting a patient confessing to his psychologist puts it:

I am very, very happy. But I want to be very, very, very happy, and that is why I’m miserable.

However, researchers have also observed when people prioritise behaviours that maximise the likelihood of their future happiness – rather than attempting to directly increase their levels of happiness “in the moment” – they are more likely to experience improvements (rather than deficits) in their levels of well-being.

This may mean engaging in activities that provide a sense of achievement or purpose, such as volunteering time or completing difficult tasks, or constructing daily routines that support well-being.

This work suggests pursuing happiness indirectly, rather than making it the main focus, could turn our search for positivity from toxic to tonic.

Valuing Happiness vs. Prioritising Positivity

We wanted to find out what it was about making happiness a focal goal that backfires.

To gain a better understanding, we measured these two approaches to finding happiness: valuing happiness versus prioritising positivity.

People who valued happiness agreed with statements such as “I am concerned about my happiness even when I feel happy” or “If I don’t feel happy, maybe there is something wrong with me”.

People who prioritised positivity agreed with statements such as “I structure my day to maximise my happiness” or “I look for and nurture my positive emotions”.

We also included a measure of the extent to which people feel uncomfortable with their negative emotional experiences. To do this, we asked for responses to statements like: “I see myself as failing in life when feeling depressed or anxious” or “I like myself less when I feel depressed or anxious”.

People who expected to feel happy (scoring high on valuing happiness), also tended to see their negative emotional states as a sign of failure in life and lacked acceptance of these emotional experiences. This discomfort with negative emotions partly explained why they had lower levels of well-being.

On the other hand, people who pursued happiness indirectly (scoring high on prioritising positivity), did not see their negative emotional states this way. They were more accepting of low feelings and did not see them as a sign they were failing in life.

What this shows is when people believe they need to maintain high levels of positivity or happiness all the time to make their lives worthwhile, or to be valued by others, they react poorly to their negative emotions. They struggle with these feelings or try to avoid them, rather than accept them as a normal part of life.

Pursuing happiness indirectly does not lead to this same reaction. Feeling down or stressed is not inconsistent with finding happiness.

What Makes Positivity Toxic?

So, it appears the key ingredient in toxic positivity is not positivity itself, after all. Rather, it is how a person’s attitude to happiness leads them to respond to negative experiences in life.

The prospect of experiencing pain, failure, loss, or disappointment in life is unavoidable. There are times we are going to feel depressed, anxious, fearful, or lonely. This is a fact. What matters is how we respond to these experiences. Do we lean into them and accept them for what they are, or do we try to avoid and escape from them?

If we are aiming to be happy all the time then we might feel tough times are interrupting our goal. But if we simply put a priority on positivity, we are less concerned by these feelings – we see them as an ingredient in the good life and part of the overall journey.

Rather than always trying to “turn a frown upside down”, we are more willing to sit with our low or uncomfortable emotions and understand that doing so will, in the long run, make us happy.

Learning to respond rather than react to these emotions is a key enabler of our happiness.

Our reaction to discomfort is often to get away and to reduce the pain. This might mean we employ ineffective emotion regulation strategies such as avoiding or suppressing unpleasant feelings.

If we do, we fail to engage with the insights an unpleasant experiences bring. Responding well to these experiences means getting “discomfortable” – being comfortable with our discomfort. Then we can be willing to feel what we feel and get curious about why those feeling are there. Taking this response allows us to increase our understanding, see our choices, and make better decisions.

As the saying goes: “Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional”.

Brock Bastian, Professor, Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne and Ashley Humphrey, Lecturer in Psychology, Federation University Australia

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Want to learn more about the science of happiness? Make sure to subscribe to my podcast Happiness for Cynics and my email newsletter for regular updates & resilience resources!

Arts on Prescription (E.96)

06/12/2021 by Marie

Happiness for Cynics podcast

This week, Marie and Pete talk about arts on prescription and how it might be part of the solution to your happiness needs.

Show notes

Street Art

During the podcast Pete references a story in which the Mayor of Melbourne, Australia, has contracted street artists to revitalise the streets after such long and stressful lockdowns. These artists are going to be paid up to $20,000 for their art.

Battle of the Somme

During the podcast Pete talks about a picture taken at the Battle of the Somme but incorrectly references it to WWII. The battle was fought between 1^st of July and the 18^th of November 2016 during WWI. We apologise for this mistake.

Neighbourlytics – https://neighbourlytics.com/

Urbantech company equipping the property industry, governments and consultancies with lifestyle data on neighbourhoods.

Transcript

[Happy intro music -background]

M: Welcome to happiness for cynics and thanks for joining us as we explore all the things I wish I’d known earlier in life but didn’t.

P: This podcast is about how to live the good life. Whether we’re talking about a new study or the latest news or eastern philosophy, our show is all about discovering what makes people happy.

M: So, if you’re like me and you want more out of life, listen in and more importantly, buy in because I guarantee if you do, the science of happiness can change your life.

P: Plus, sometimes I think we’re kind of funny.

[Intro music fadeout]

M: Let’s go.

P: Hi!

M: We’re here.

P: We’re queer.

P: We are queer, aren’t we?

M: Yep.

P: Laugh.

M: We are queer ally, at least.

P: Laugh. Such an ally. You’re more than an ally.

M: In the traditional sense of the word, very queer.

P & M: Laugh.

M: My mom uses queer in a very weird way, laugh! “They’re all queer!”

P: I’m like “Ok Mum.” Laugh.

M: A lot of these words in the LGBTQI++ community had meaning before, like gay just meant happy.

P: Mmm. Well, language in itself evolves and changes and shifts, and I find myself going, “Oh, what does that mean now?” I’m not up on the latest language and correctness and all that sort of stuff.

M: I saw a fabulous screenshot of a conversation where someone texts, what’s for dinner? And the person used emojis to put an eggplant and some cheese on there and the guy was like –

P: Laugh!

M: – dick cheese???

P: Exuberant laughter.

M: It was eggplant parmigiana, laugh.

P: Ah. That is not where I went with that!

M & P: Laugh!

M: No.

P: Laugh, anyway. Let’s, let’s elevate out of the gutter for a little bit shall we.

M: Let’s move on.

P: Still laughing.

So, this week, we’re doing a little bit of a reflection, aren’t we? We’re looking back.

M: What?

P: Oh, we’re revisiting some things that we’ve actually got going across before. I came across this article this week from the conversation which I flicked to you –

M: Mmm hmm.

P: – and we both have a little read.

And this is a bit of a testament to the podcast itself that I’m sort of now aware of things much more in the media when I read articles and studies and I’m like, ‘Oh, I know what that means,’ And ‘that’s because of this, this, this.’

M: Mmm hmm.

P: Because of the investigations that we’ve gone through here on the podcast as we approach our 100th episode.

M: Oh!

P: Ba ba dum!

M: Which is very exciting.

P: Very exciting. But this article was talking about the fact that happiness is becoming more expensive and out of reach for many Australians, and I think this also applies to American listeners.

M: Oh, ah no. Not more expensive.

P: Mmm?

M: So, as we’ve discussed before with Maslow’s hierarchy, there are certain things you need to just… like your basics, your foundations, that you need to have.

P: Mmm hmm.

M: Security, shelter, food, et cetera.

P: Ok.

M: And from there you can be happy once you’ve got those basic needs met.

P: Yes.

M: So, the base level of income that you need to have those basic needs met has gone up.

P: Okay, yes.

M: And that would make sense because there’s inflation.

P: Yeah, it’s gone up… They’re mapping it in Australia, and it has gone up from, let me get my facts straight here –

M: – 43 to 74 thousand (AU$).

P: Thank you very much, Marie.

M: And we’ve discussed this before. We might not have actually spoken about $74,000 in Australia, I know we’ve used US metrics in the past.

P: Mmm.

M: But a really good reminder, as you were saying that if you want to be free from worry and stress –

P: Mmm hmm.

M: – about those things, like how to feed your family and put petrol and car etcetera and have your basics covered, then $74,000 is the income you need to aim for, strive for.

P: Mmm. Sadly, in Australia’s case, the amount of people that actually have access to that 74K income is dropping. So, the number of Australians on the income below that, what we call the change point, which is the $74,000 has increased from 60% to 74%.

M: Mmm hmm.

P: And I think that’s the point that the article is making is that more people are now falling below that change point income, and that’s going to prove a problem in the future if this trend continues. And what I was reflecting on when reading this article was that I was the person that if you’d asked me two years ago, does money buy happiness? I would have given you a resounding no, and said, ‘No, definitely not!’

M: It doesn’t, it’s not what this says.

P: It doesn’t but it makes it a damn sight easier to have access to it when you have a certain income, or you have the ability to –

M: I think the lesson here is that money enables you to be free from things that detract from happiness, and then after you get to that $74,000 a year income level. What you do with your money can contribute to happiness, absolutely, and we’re about to get into the real point of this episode here and what we really wanted to talk about. But again, we saw this news. Both of us read it. And we’re like, did you see this?

P: Laugh! We talked about this a year ago.

M: And again, once you’ve got your basic needs met once you’ve met that $74,000 income in Australia, that’s what it costs to live free from financial stress.

P: Yeah.

M: And to live free from other stresses and worries that are what we’ve called negative affect.

P: Yeah.

M: So once you clear that benchmark, then what you do after that is within your control.

P: It’s very true, and the authors who are Richard Morris and Nick Glozier, they do mention that in the article where they say, “Income by itself doesn’t explain a large proportion of variance in happiness.”

M: Mmm hmm.

P: So, you’re absolutely right there. But it still made me sort of prick my ears up and think, ‘Yes, so politics and economics and all those big, big pebbles do have an influence on people’s happiness levels, there is a link there.

M: Yeah.

P: And that’s the, that’s the take home message that drew, that I drew from this article for me was that you think it doesn’t matter, but it actually does and so it’s really important that those of us who are above that 74K understand that maybe and realise that we are in a beneficial position. But to canvass.

M: To be grateful for.

P: Yes, absolutely. But there’s a social responsibility as well to canvas, to advocate for things like basic minimum wages and things like that. And be really aware that these things matter to the bulk of the population and as a result your society in which you live, and you participate.

M: It really comes down to what do you value in society? I’d love to live in a world where everyone has a basic level of income that enables them not to have to worry about how to put food on the table or get to work or clothes on their kid’s backs, etcetera.

P: Yes, exactly.

M: And where we can all, and I know that sounds really idealistic and I am an optimist.

P: Laugh!

M: I will say. But some countries are playing around with these ideas, and UBI – Universal Basic Income- is a fascinating topic. Imagine if every person in your society could have a $74,000 income and then you get to decide what you want to do with your time every day or week.

P: Yeah, that’s a big change.

M: Yeah, Definitely. So anyway, what we were going to talk about today and what I’m excited to explore a little bit because we haven’t spent much time on this topic is something called Arts on Prescription.

P: Mmm.

M: And it comes from an article that we read in The Canberra Times, Canberra Times Magazine, about a gentleman called Patrick McIntyre, who is the CEO of the National Film and Sound Archive. And his thinking about the impact of ballet and film and dance and opera and all of the arts and how that can impact people’s happiness.

P: Mmm.

M: And so, we started out talking about needing the 74,000 just to get your house in order.

P: Yep.

M: So, if you have 75[K] what do you do with that extra thousand is really what we’re talking about here.

P: Ha ha, yep.

M: And we know that buying houses and cars and good clothes and nice shoes and all of that will not bring you happiness.

P: Yes.

M: We also know that doing things like practising gratitude, spending time with friends and family, you know, there are many, many things that you can do that are free that will bring in happiness.

P: Yeah.

M: But if you do have extra money on top of that 74[K] another great way to spend that money to bring yourself happiness is to spend it on experience.

P: Which we talked about before. And that’s such a valuable, valuable investment.

M: Absolutely. Buying stuff won’t help you to build your happiness, but experiences will.

P: The hedonistic treadmill!

M: Absolutely. And so, what Patrick McIntyre is arguing for is for all of us to go prescribe ourselves some art.

P: Laugh! That’s on prescription.

M: Yes.

P: We’ve touched on this before and one of our other episodes about cityscapes, and we talked about the programme that is social prescription in the UK.

M: Yes.

P: That the UK health system are prescribing for mental health and for advancing better mental health in the community. Instead of prescribing people for doctors, they’re sending them into community centres. They’re targeting the organisations that can help bring about a sense of community and get people out there socialising, which we know is one of the pillars of happiness is keeping social connections. Laugh, ergo Marie Skelton.

M & P: Laugh.

P: Writer extraordinaire and happiness expert.

M: We talk about health and wellbeing as one of the other pillars in there.

P: Mmm.

M: And this is really one of those intangible but fabulous ways to get yourself engaging with your surroundings in a mindful way.

P: Mmm yes.

M: And learning and growing that growth mindset. And so, Patrick is probably a bit extreme. He may have a bias here.

P: Laugh. He’s worked in the Arts for 20 years.

M: He says, “Culture is everything. Once we’re fed and sheltered, everything beyond that is culture.”

P: Mmm, yes. That’s a big claim.

M: Mmm hmm. Now Maslow didn’t agree, there are a whole lot of other things in there, like self-actualisation and all the things that we talk about.

P: Yep, yep.

M: But I think there’s something to this, though.

P: I agree. Yeah, it’s a lovely concept.

M: And I know we had a friend who, during lockdown on his daily exercise walks, was spending time going through Newtown and the Inner West area and finding street art and posting it.

P: Yeah, and so much.

M: Yeah, there’s so much, it’s kind of like Chile, they have Valparaiso, which is famous and well known for its street art.

M: We’re kind of becoming like that here in Newtown. It’s fun and I like it.

P: Yeah. Well, the Mayor of Melbourne recently was on ABC News, which is our local broadcaster here in Australia. Melbourne City Council has just thrown, I’m gonna get my figures wrong here, so do forgive me. I think it’s $11,000 at a selection of 30 street artists to take to the alleys in Melbourne to revitalise Melbourne as they come out of lockdown.

M: $11,000? Each? It had to be each.

P: I’m not sure about the figures, don’t quote me on that.

M: Otherwise, that’s really piss-poor.

P: Yeah, I’m not sure about the figures. But she was, she was saying that, you know, we are the street art capital of Australia.

M: Oh! Here we go, laugh.

P: Oohh! It’s on! The [gauntlet] has been thrown.

M: Sydney, accepts your challenge, Melbourne.

P: Laugh! But I think it’s, I think it’s again it buys into so many different cities that we’ve seen, and we’ve mentioned before, like Vancouver and Berlin, that pay their artists to get out there and take over the streetscape.

M: Mmm hmm.

P: And create places where people do gather, socialist, congregate and use those spaces.

M: And experience the art.

P: Yes, definitely.

M: Yeah. And so, our friend spent a lot of time exploring his neighbourhood, and it became almost a little game to see what else you could find, what else you could post and share.

P: Yeah.

M: So, there was the social aspect of showing friends, you know, what he was discovering every day and discovering new things and taking photos, and they’ll pop up on his Facebook.

P: Yeah.

M: Next year again.

P: Good use of social media.

M: Yep, and he’ll be able to revisit that and the experience of exploring his neighbourhood to find art.

P: Mmm.

M: Having said that, there are also so many museums in nearly every large city around the world. And I guarantee you, the longer you’ve been in a city, the less familiar you are with its museums.

P: Yeah, I’ll give you that. I’ve never really visited museums in the city that I’ve lived in.

M: Mmm hmm.

P: I’ve always done it when I travel, usually because it’s a time thing.

M: Yep.

P: I’ve got the time to wander into a museum. But I can relate a personal story here. I think it was the second time that I went to London, and I was on my own and it was freezing. It was so cold, and I was walking up towards Shaftesbury Avenue and it started to really rain, and I didn’t have a brolly [umbrella]. I was like ‘What am I going to do?’

M: Laugh.

P: And I ducked into a door that was open and it happened to be the National Portrait Gallery.

M: Aww.

P: And it was cold, and I was like in there, and I was shaking myself down and this person said, ‘Would you like a headset?’ And I was like, ‘Excuse me?’

M: Laugh.

P: ‘Are you coming in?’ I went, ‘Where am I?’

M & P: Laugh.

P: A long story short. I bought a headset.

M: Short story?

P: Short, short story. I got a headset, and I did this wonderful tour through the National Portrait Gallery. I was there for an hour and a half, and that was my first real museum experience. And I loved it and it hooked me. And I was so intrigued. And it was because I had the headphones, and I got the stories behind the paintings and behind the sculptures.

M: Yep. Well speaking of stories and speaking of the social connection and social cohesion, so many of these museums and art, so dance, theatre; They’re essentially storytelling.

P: Yes.

M: They’re telling the culture, telling the story of our culture. So, there is so much more to experiencing your own culture through painting or through dance, or that can bring to your life.

P: Yeah.

M: And we really, if we can afford it. And oftentimes there are many free museums out there as well. We really should be looking to lock in two trips next year, kind of getting to the end of this year, it’s time to be setting some goals, putting in some activities into your resilience planner. Thanks, Pete.

P: Laugh.

M: Your 2022 calendar. So, as you’re looking at, what trips can you take through the year, have a look at what free museums or performances are out there. Or, you know, if you’ve got a little bit of money aside that you can put towards it. These are great ways to plan for something. And we’ve spoken about the importance of planning for things and looking forward for things and hope.

P: Oh yes.

M: But also, they can really bring a lot of happiness.

P: Totally. You can even go even more local than that, like I was walking past my local church. Now this church is in Australia it’s old, it’s like 150 years old.

M: It’s ANCIENT!

P: Our European listeners are probably like, ‘what?!’ Laugh. But it’s this really lovely stone church and its opposite my greengrocer and I walk past it every week, and this week I walked past it and went, ‘Oh yes, live music is coming back.’ Chamber orchestras, quartets, performing in churches. It makes such sense because they’re brilliant sound acoustic areas.

But it’s that combining of culture, as you say, I mean, this is a local peace, and often you will find little local performances that are free and lunchtime concerts and so forth. And they’re a brilliant way to tap into that culture. If maybe you are a little bit reticent about buying a subscription to the Sydney Symphony or the theatre Company or the dance company.

M: There’s too many different ones to buy subscriptions to every single one of them.

P: Laugh. That’s where your friends are really important because they can get the subscription and take you along as a handbag.

M: Okay, great. I’ll lock you in for that.

P: Aahh! I’m a poor student!

M: Laugh.

P: Oh, I get student rates now. Yay!

M: Laugh!

P: I can get student price, I didn’t think of that.

M & P: Laughter!

M: I love it, I’m in.

P: Laugh.

M: So, I can’t remember before, I just wasn’t listening to you Pete, sorry.

P: Oh, no. All good.

M: Whether you mentioned any of the stats?

P: Laugh! I’ll just babble over here in the corner, laugh. I’m here for light amusement.

M & P: Laughter!

M: So, you did mention the Arts on Prescription programme in the UK, which we have mentioned before, but for those of you who are interested in the stats here, that programme was designed to address mental health issues.

So, people with depression, anxiety and a raft of other mental health conditions they were prescribed arts, so trips to museums and Theatre etcetera. And through that programme they saw a

37% drop in GP visits.

P: Huge.

M: Which is General Practitioner or just your local doctor for people outside of Australia and a

39% reduction in hospital admissions.

P: Big numbers.

M: Absolutely.

P: Really effective, and I know that the Australian government is looking at rolling out a similar program here in Australia on the basis of the success that it’s had in the UK.

M: Yeah, and the other thing is just the GDP [Gross Domestic Product] that the arts industry brings to any local economy, and they’ve really had it tough in the past 18 months.

P: They have. Yep, yep.

M: So, if we can start reinvesting in local theatre companies and performances over Christmas, there’s going to be a lot coming up over our summer months in Australia. But just a lot generally opening up around the world, if we can start reinvesting in that the benefits for society are huge.

P: Yeah. I was watching a show this morning that was talking about World War I and it struck me how amazing it was that we’ve got these images of the Battle of the Somme [1916] and things like this. There were photographers there who were there to document that kind of history and that’s all we’ve got.

And the presenters were trying to recall memories from soldiers, and they had all the letters that the soldiers had written. And these have become historical artefacts and that that’s culture.

M: Mmm hmm.

P: That’s artistic expression.

M: That’s our story.

P: Yeah, and they do last. And those letters are now being used to relay how personally it felt for that soldier being in the trench. And they weren’t just from Australians. They had some of the German ones as well. Giving a perspective of the battle, from their perspective of the bringers of death they were fighting in the, in the forests. It was really gripping stuff and quite emotional. But it’s really valuable. So, I think that investment in writing and writers and so forth supporting our authors, supporting our playwrights so important as a record.

M: And our photojournalists.

P: Yeah, definitely.

M: And everyone today can be a photojournalist.

P: Very true, very true.

M: Mmm hmm.

P: And you know that’s the positive use of social media is documenting that, even if it’s only for your own personal reflection.

M: Your reflection, your gratitude. So, again we mentioned before looking back on positive moments can be really valuable.

P: Yeah.

M: Yeah.

P: So, one more data, before we leave which I really liked about this, that the direct social engagement in Melbourne and Sydney as a result of arts programs, and this was from a social data analyst called Neighbourlytics. I like that word.

So, they said that in Melbourne the engagement increased by 42% and by a massive 100% in Sydney. People posting photos of their own art when they couldn’t take selfies and they couldn’t go to galleries and all that sort of stuff that’s amazing. 100% in Sydney!

M: And that was engagement during lockdown. So how did we move our, when we weren’t able to go physically into a building? How do we move our consumption of art online and engage with everything online? And there are some fabulous virtual tours of big global museums.

P: Yes.

M: Well, maybe not all global. But big museums that you can go on as well. So, you don’t need to be in London, to –

P: No, to enjoy.

M: – see the masterpieces.

P: Mmm, and be moved by them.

M: Yeah.

P: It’s a great advert for the people who don’t think that they partake in culture.

M: Mmm hmm.

P: Some people may need to rethink that.

M: The other thing that we talked about a while ago when we were creating our happiness… boxes. I can’t think of the word we used. Anyway, it was curating, curating an experience based on an emotion and pulling together different forms of art.

P: Oh yeah.

M: A movie or…

P: Yep.

M: So, if you are curating joy for your friends. You might pick a movie and a song and a saying and some art and bring everyone over to experience that.

P: Curate you own happiness gallery.

M: I don’t remember, who knows.

P: Laugh.

M: In one ear and out the other with me.

P: Still laughing. On that note, laugh.

M: I tell everyone what they should do, and then don’t do it myself.

P & M: Laugh.

M: Move on.

P: Bright light.

M: Pretty much, laugh. I do, do some.

P & M: Laugh.

M: All right. Well, we are done for today. So, I have a fabulous week and we will see you next week.

P: Have a cultural week.

M: A cultural week. Enjoy your cultural week. Please do write in, we love to hear from all our listeners. It just brightens our day and makes us happy.

P: It does, it makes a huge difference.

M: And every now and then we might do a call out as well.

P: Laugh.

M: So, thank you to everyone who writes to us and we’ll see you in a week.

P: Have a happy week.

[Happy exit music – background]

M: Thanks for joining us today if you want to hear more, please remember to subscribe and like this podcast and remember you can find us at www.marieskelton.com, where you can also send in questions or propose a topic.

P: And if you like our little show, we would absolutely love for you to leave a comment or rating to help us out.

M: Until next time.

M & P: Choose happiness.

[Exit music fadeout]

Please note that I get a small commission if you buy something from my site. Your support helps to keep this site going at no additional cost to you. Thanks!

Volunteering and Happiness: Why Volunteering is The Superfood of The Positive Psychology Movement

01/12/2021 by Marie

International Volunteer Day takes place every year on 5 December. It’s an opportunity to celebrate and thank people all around the world who dedicate their precious time and efforts to voluntary service. It’s also a great opportunity to remind you that volunteering can have a huge impact on your happiness levels!

What’s the Link Between Volunteering and Happiness?

Volunteering is like the superfood of the positive psychology world. According to Dr Dawn Carr, author of 5 reasons why you should volunteer, volunteering has been shown to:

Connect you to others
Be good for your mind and body
Advance your career
Bring meaning and fulfilment to your life
Be good for society (of course!)

Not only that but finding the right volunteering activity can also give you the benefits of other proven positive psychology activities such as finding purpose, being social, being generous and practicing kindness – which have all been shown to also improve mood, mental wellbeing, resilience, physical health and even longevity.

Not convinced? Let’s dig a little deeper into what’s going on and how you can use volunteering to achieve a happier, healthier life. Read on!

4 Ways Volunteering Make us Happier

Does volunteering make us happy? The answer is a resounding yes!

Volunteers have greater levels of happiness, life satisfaction, and psychological wellbeing than those who don’t volunteer. Here’s how:

1. It Connects you with Other People

Volunteering is arguably the best way to engage with your community. Making friends takes time but getting involved in an activity with other people gives you a reason to keep coming back each week while relationships deepen. Whether strengthening old bonds or meeting new people, working together over a shared interests connects you to people and that boosts overall happiness.

In fact, economists Stephan Meier & Alois Stutzer released a study in 2004 which concluded that, “volunteering constitutes one of the most important pro-social activities and helping others is the way to higher individual wellbeing.” They found robust evidence that volunteers are more satisfied with their life than non-volunteers.

Are you shy? Want to meet new people but hate walking into networking events alone? Volunteering is a great way to meet new people and work on your social skills in an environment with little pressure. Don’t know what to say to your new contacts? Simple. You can just focus on the task at hand until you get to know everyone a bit better. After some time, progressing to drinks at the pub or dinner after work will seem natural.

2. It’s Great for Your Mental Health

If volunteering keeps people connected, then it stands to reason that volunteering – and the relationships it fosters – can also help to improve mental health by combatting loneliness and depression. Having good friends and strong social contacts are buffers against depression – allowing people to talk through issues and problems before they become overwhelming.

Not only that, but our brains are wired for social connection, so whenever we help others our brain releases pleasure hormones– further strengthening our mental health. Those meaningful connections can also lead to more empathy, which lead to more stress relief and help combat depression. Research from the UK found that volunteering was associated with a positive change in mental wellbeing, showing that people who volunteer become happier over time and those who volunteer more attract greater benefits from the experience. According to a Harvard study, volunteering at least once a week yields improvements to wellbeing equivalent to your annual salary doubling!

Additionally, being helpful stimulates pleasure for the giver. Similar to when we experience awe, volunteering takes your focus away from self-reflection and helps to stimulate contentment and inspiration. In the Journal of Happiness Studies, researchers Douglas A. Gentile, Dawn M. Sweet and Lanmiao He found that doing good deeds through acts of charity or volunteer work can make you feel better and happier. They also found that simply wishing someone well can have a similarly positive effect on our moods. In fact, even witnessing acts of kindness produces oxytocin, which aids in lowering blood pressure, and improves self-esteem, optimism and our overall heart-health.

A 2018 study on workers in a Spanish Company saw those giving out acts of kindness were even happier and more content than those who received the acts. “Our results reveal that practicing everyday pro-sociality is both emotionally reinforcing and contagious inspiring kindness and generating hedonic rewards in others,” said researchers, J. Chancellor, S. Margolis, K, Jacobs Bao, S. Lyubomirsky in the American Psychological Association Journal.

3. It’s Great for Your Physical Health

As many of us have noticed over the past few years, just getting out of the house is important for meeting the minimum movement levels we need to maintain a basic level of physical fitness…. Yet sometimes it’s just easier to sit on the couch. Having something to do and get us out of the house – such as a regular volunteering commitment – is a great way to ensure you get some movement into your days.

We know that getting more movement and exercise into our daily lives helps to combat a raft of diseases and conditions. Movement, and volunteering in general, has also been shown help lessens symptoms of chronic pain and reduces risk of heart disease. For retirees, the results of regular volunteering are even more pronounced, with studies showing regular volunteering yields improvements in blood pressure and chronic pain, and reduced risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

In 2017, researchers looked at data on volunteering, employment and health of more than 40,000 European citizens. They found that volunteers are as healthy as non-volunteers who are five years younger. The researchers controlled for other determinants of health (gender, age, education level, migrant status, religiosity and country of origin) and found that volunteers were still in substantially better health than non-volunteers.

Although the researchers found that increases in health could be partly explained by higher income among volunteers (which could be explained by the benefits of volunteering on job prospects), they note that the direct association between volunteering and health was so highly statistically significant that it ruled out association by coincidence. Volunteering conclusively and positively impact our health.

“Firstly, volunteering may improve access to psychological resources (such as self-esteem and self-efficacy) and social resources (such as social integration and access to support and information), both of which are found to have an overall positive effect on health,” said professor Sara Willems. “Secondly, volunteering increases physical and cognitive activity, which protects against functional decline and dementia in old age. Finally, neuroscience research has related volunteering to the release of the caregiving-related hormones oxytocin and progesterone, which have the capacity to regulate stress and inflammation.”

4. It Can Help Your Career

Want to switch careers or industries, or build new skills for your next promotion? Think of volunteering as an unpaid internship, with all the benefits of gaining valuable skills while only working when it suits you. There are many organisations that will take eager, hard workers with little to no experience, or which are willing to take a bet on a worker who brings transferable skills from a different industry.

Volunteering in a busy environment can enhance your problem-solving and communication skills. This can prepare you for a more demanding career or give you a glimpse of the realities of different role before you take the plunge.

Volunteering can help you earn more experience and direct job skills that are relevant to the career you want to pursue. In fact, some volunteering opportunities are designed to offer intensive training to volunteers. In some cases, if you show determination and consistent results, you might earn a referral or a direct job posting. If you are an active job seeker, volunteering can add that much-needed weight to your CV. Finally, it helps you make connections and meet more people in the same field. This exposure increases your chances of finding a mentor who can shape your career faster or a potential new boss. Career fulfillment is a huge source of meaning, purpose and life satisfaction – especially in the modern competitive job market – so any attempts to bring you closer to a job you’re passionate about are well worth the effort!

Finally, the research showed that volunteers have a higher incomes. According to professor Stijn Baert: “This finding corroborates with previous research showing that volunteering activities on one’s CV yield higher employment opportunities, especially for non-natives.”

Volunteer Opportunities

It’s clear that volunteering involves more than meets the eye. All of the benefits discussed here culminate in an increased level of happiness in oneself and more satisfaction in life. So, how do you get started?

If you’re already working for a large corporate, many of them have partnerships where you can donate your time and skills. Otherwise, just get onto Google. There are many organisations and charities that are often on the lookout for volunteers. Why not look for opportunities to:

Mentor someone
Donate blood
Get involved in a charity day at your work such as Australia’s biggest morning tea or join in a fundraising walk or cycle, or grow a mo for Movember
Find an organisation you believe in or support and offer your time and skills on a regular and recurring basis

If you’re in Australia, check out your state-based organisation or NSW Volunteering for more ideas and active volunteer jobs listings. Or you can try my latest favourite organisation: The Australian Resilience Corps.

Want to learn more about the science of happiness? Make sure to subscribe to my podcast Happiness for Cynics and my email newsletter for regular updates & resilience resources! 

Does Volunteering Make Us Happier? (E95)

29/11/2021 by Marie

Happiness for Cynics podcast

International Volunteer Day, 5 Dec, is a great opportunity to remind you that volunteering can have a huge impact on your happiness levels!

Show notes

4 Ways Volunteering Makes Us Happier

1. It connects you with other people

2. It’s great for your mental health

3. It’s great for your physical health

4. It can help your career

Transcript

[Happy intro music -background]

M: Welcome to happiness for cynics and thanks for joining us as we explore all the things I wish I’d known earlier in life but didn’t.

P: This podcast is about how to live the good life. Whether we’re talking about a new study or the latest news or eastern philosophy, our show is all about discovering what makes people happy.

M: So, if you’re like me and you want more out of life, listen in and more importantly, buy in because I guarantee if you do, the science of happiness can change your life.

P: Plus, sometimes I think we’re kind of funny.

[Intro music fadeout]

P: …Oh, I’m red-lining. Hello, viewers. …Viewers! Listeners, laugh. I have not had a glass of Rose.

M: I’m not going to say anything. Keep going, Pete.

P: Laugh.

M: Welcome to the show everyone. 😊

P: Hi! Hi hi hi.

M: This is Marie and Pete –

P: Laugh!

M: – and Peanut butter and Jelly, the two cats.

P: Aww, we’ve referenced them, yay. Marie was all worried that her cats were making too much noise. I’m like, ‘It’s fine. Go with it! Run with it, reference it, –

M: Laugh.

P: – it’ll be amusing!’

M: It’s a family show, and I did find out this week that Biden has pardoned the usual turkeys in honour of Thanksgiving, and their names were Peanut butter and Jelly.

P: Laugh! Pardoned them?

M: Yes, so they don’t get killed for Thanksgiving. They go back and live free and happy lives on the farm.

P: He chooses two turkeys?

M: I think it’s normally one.

P: Oh.

M: I don’t know.

P: He’s being generous this year.

M: I don’t know enough; I should have read into this. I really need to research more about the things that I randomly mention on this show.

P: Laugh! Oh god. If we did that, we’d be here forever!

M: Laugh.

P: And I’d never shut up.

M: It would be a very stilted conversation, wouldn’t it?

P: Laugh, it wouldn’t be good. And I’d be called on all my crap, laugh!

M: Yes, laugh.

P: Yeah so, I’ve been going since eight o’clock this morning.

M: My brain feels fried.

P: Ahh.

M: I’ve put a lot of my brain towards thinking today.

P: Oh.

M: Having said that, we did all of our prep for today’s show before today.

P: Laugh.

M: So, you’ll get solid research.

P: Solid research, very statistical data, very scientific data –

M: Very scientific.

P: – with no vagal tone being mentioned.

M: Laugh, very scientific. We’re moving on from that.

P: Laugh. So, what are we talking about this week, Marie?

M: Well, coming up on the 5th of December is International Volunteer Day.

P: Yay! Everybody go out and do something fun!

M: And that’s the point. Volunteering for a lot of people is something that you do because you have to, because ‘Mum said so.’

P: Oh! It’s so much more than that. And we’ve talked about this before in one of our very early episodes, way back when we were young, and green, and keen, and

M: bright eyed and bushy tailed?

P: Oh, I know! I was like a little squirrel. Squirreling, squirreling up the tree!

M: Mush… mush in our heads right now people.

P: Pootle. I meant to say pootle. Pootle is a good word.

M: …So, I say ‘absolutely’ too much, and you say ‘clock’.

P: I’m not using the C word anymore. Snigger.

M: Well, I don’t agree with the C word.

P: Laugh!

M: It’s quite offensive and sexist.

P: Laugh. So, it’s the ‘P’ word now, pootle-ing.

M: My new favourite verb. Thank you, Pete, for bringing that to our attention.

P: Laugh.

M: We will be doing far more pootle-ing from here on out.

P: Lots of pootle-ing. Pootle-ing and pootle-ing on Volunteering Day.

M: So, I have no idea what we’re talking about. But when we were wide eyed and bushy tailed, we did discuss volunteering. We’re gonna circle back on it because it’s that time of year and it is such an important catch all.

P: Mmm.

M: Really, for mental health and happiness.

P: And it’s also one of those things that you don’t realise how beneficial it is until you actually do it.

M: It’s the blueberry of happiness.

P: Oh! The blueberry of happiness!

M: It’s the superfood.

P: Wow! Laugh. Can I be broccoli?

M: Broccoli is not a superfood.

P: [Gasp] Oh! How dare you.

M: Because no one likes broccoli.

P: I like broccoli.

M: They like blueberries.

P: I’m going to be on the fence on that one.

M: Ok.

P: Give me a steamed broccoli and I’m good.

M: Right, well volunteering is the broccoli blueberry of food.

P: Laugh!

M: So good for you? And it ticks so many boxes.

P: It does.

M: So today we’re going to talk about four ways of volunteering that make us happier.

P: Oh! What’s number one?

M: Numero uno.

P: Tell me? Tell me? Tell me? Tell me?

M: It connects you with other people.

P: Ah! Good old, social pillar.

M: Yes.

P: What are the three pillars that we stand on? One of them is social connection people.

M: Social connection, meaning and purpose, which volunteering can also give you. And the third is health and happiness, which… [drumroll] guess what we’ll be talking about soon.

P & M: Laugh!

M: But back to social connection.

P: Social connection, because why? Un-social people die!

M & P: Laugh!

M: So, let’s get into the studies because there’s some really cool studies on volunteering.

P: Well, you’ve got quite a number on this one.

M: I have.

P: I’m quite impressed on your study.

M: My research.

P: Yeah.

M: So, let’s go straight to someone who is bound to be credible with the cynics… An economist.

P: Laugh.

M: So, economists Steven Meier and Alois Stutzer released a study way back in 2004 which concluded that

“Volunteering constitutes one of the most important pro-social activities and helping others is the way to higher individual wellbeing.”

P: I like that, higher individual well-being.

M: They found robust evidence, –

P: Ooh!

M: – not just evidence but robust evidence, that volunteers are more satisfied with their life than non-volunteers.

P: I’ve got an example of this.

M: Enlighten me.

P: The Country Women’s Association.

M: Oh, it is. It is such a… like It’s a tribe. It’s crew. It’s a gang.

P: Laugh!

M: It’s scary.

P: Laugh! So, for our overseas listeners, the CWA is, for those of you in the UK, it’s the Women’s Institute.

M: Oh.

P: I’m not sure of the American Association that is the equivalent of the CWA. It stands for Country Women’s Association.

M: And they have them down south.

P: In America?

M: It is the pearl wearing, cardigan wearing country ladies’ societies. They do fundraising, and they look after the community.

P: Yes.

M: They come together and do bake sales when someone’s sick or you know they’ll, they’ll drop off a lasagne if someone’s in hospital or etcetera.

P: Laugh, yes.

M: They’ll knit booties for the new baby on the block or whatever it is.

P: Mmm.

M: So, they’re the life blood of these communities.

P: Absolutely. I mean, I come from rural Australia and my mum should have been the president of our CWA because CWA, it’s a really good organisation where these women come together, and they literally choose a charity. It’s like, ‘Who can we help this week? Who is in need of assistance?’ And it’s this lovely organisation where they can be quite large.

M: Mmm hmm.

P: I mean in the hundreds.

M: Yeah.

P: To form a community organisation and their powerful. These women hold power, I mean they can influence elections.

M: Mmm.

P: Simply by swapping a lamington recipe.

M & P: Laugh.

P: So, they had this way of being able to bring people together, or organise connections, possibly of their husbands, who one might be a farmer, the other one might be a politician. Bringing those people together because they bring them into the house, or they bring them into the home.

M: They host.

P: Exactly.

M: They’re the social lubrication.

P: Oh! Oh, I just got moist. Laughter!

M: Not that kind of lubrication, Peter!

P: Laugh, sorry.

M: My mum was with an organisation called Quota, which does something very similar.

P: Oh, yeah, yeah.

M: And for a very long time, she used to go down to the local club, the Southern Cross Club in Woden in Canberra, and she used to have conversations with migrants.

P: Ah, perfect.

M: So, they’d come in, have a cup of tea.

P: Yep.

M: It was free tea and coffee down at the local club. Sit down, and for an hour or two they just talk about everything and anything in English.

P: So brilliant!

M: So that they could practise their speaking skills and meet people.

P: Yeah.

M: And get out of the house and form other friendships.

P: Yep.

M: Such a simple, simple thing. And it led my mum to making friendships with people as well that she wouldn’t have otherwise met.

P: Mmm, yep.

M: That was really poor grammar or whatever I said just then.

P: Laugh.

M: But you get my point.

P: Absolutely. Like you see Mammut down at the local supermarket and you’re like, ‘Oh hi Mammut, remember me I’m Beryl’, that connection is really important.

M: Mmm, absolutely.

P: And if someone is struggling, it’s like I know this person. I can help. I have a connection with them already. It’s something good about integration, I fully support the CWA, they are a burgeoning society.

M: So, back to volunteering.

P: Sorry.

M: It does connect you with other people.

P: Yes.

M: And so, whether you’re in an organisation like CWA or Quota, or whether you volunteer at the RSPCA and pets are more your style, not people.

P: Yeah, exactly. Laugh, socially awkward.

M: There is still also something that gets you out of the house and speaking to other people.

P: Precisely.

M: And there’s so much value in that.

P: Absolutely.

M: All right. Number two.

P: Tell me?

M: It is great for your mental health.

P: Another pillar of our…

M: Mmm hmm. Half of pillar three.

P: Well, we can’t call it a house, ‘cause that need four pillars, four supports? Trapezoidal?

M: Well now they’ve got, like, buses that are houses.

P: On three legs?

M: What about tents and Tepees? That could be threes.

P: Yeah, that could be threes. The yurt.

M: And we digress again.

P & M: Laugh!

M: We will revert back to yurts another time.

P: Laugh!

M: So mental health.

P: Still laughing!

M: So, our brains are wired for social connection and whenever we help others, our brains release the pleasure hormones.

P: Whoo! Where’s some Barry White.

M & P: Laugh!

P: Let’s get it on!

M: So, I love this study that was done in 2018 by Sonja Lyubomirsky and her colleagues.

P: Oh! We love Sonja.

M: I’m sorry, Sonja’s colleagues, but I know Sonja’s name.

P: Laugh! We’ve practised Sonja’s name a few times.

M: So, they published in the American Psychological Association Journal about a study they did on workers in a Spanish company, and they assigned them different roles. Some of them had to give out acts of kindness.

P: I remember this one, yeah.

M: Yep, And the results show that practising everyday pro-sociality is what they call it. So being nice and kind is both emotionally reinforcing and contagious, and it inspires kindness in others.

P: Absolutely.

M: But not only that, they found that not only the people receiving it get a benefit, but the people giving get a benefit too.

P: They get more of a benefit apparently.

M: Absolutely. So that’s the first thing. So, volunteering comes back to you two fold.

P: Yep.

M: And then there was another study in the UK that found that volunteering leads to a positive change in mental well-being, so people who volunteer become happier over time. And then a Harvard study showed that volunteering at least once a week yields improvements to well-being equivalent to your annual salary doubling.

P: Now that speaking to the money man.

M: Mmm hmm.

P: Who doesn’t want more money? Laugh.

M: Could you imagine how happy you’d be if they doubled your income tomorrow?

P: Absolutely, you’d be like, ‘Oh, my goodness, that’s amazing. What can I do?’

M: But we now know that you would adjust to that level and expect more the next year.

P: Laugh!

M: But volunteering is an increase to your happiness levels that’s maintained over time. This is what we talk about when we talk about the difference between getting a pay rise, getting a bigger car being on that hedonic treadmill.

P: Yeah, laugh.

M: Versus, doing the things that day in, day out they contribute to higher sustained levels of happiness.

P: Yep.

M: So volunteering is in that second bucket.

P: And the sustainability of volunteering is actually larger than giving someone $20 or something. Just donating. Like actually, volunteering has a longer effect from the studies that we’ve done previously. That effect of happiness is much more longer lasting.

M: Yep, absolutely. Particularly if you do something like this, Harvard study said.

P: Yep.

M: Once a week, go volunteer for Little League training or coach at your local club or mentor a disadvantaged youth for become a Big Brother.

P: Mmm, yes.

M: There are so many different organisations out there that are doing amazing work and a lot of the times they will help to train you up as well.

P: Yes.

M: And give you real skills.

P: Which leads to, oh I jumped in there! I pre-empted, laugh.

M: You could see where I was going.

P: Laugh!

M: It’s like we’ve done this before, Pete.

P: No, never. Laugh. [Whisper] We haven’t rehearsed a thing.

M: So, number three; Can help your career.

P: Yes, I can fully support this one. I had years of volunteering at my local volleyball club, which is where I met a rather fabulous woman sitting to my right. Laugh.

M: I thought you were gonna say where you met Wally.

P: Laugh. Oh Wally! Good old Wally. Wally the big, muscly, German.

M: Laugh.

P: He was a very impressive man when I first met him, I was like ‘Oh, my God. Who are you?’ Umm… Hi, Wal if you’re listening.

M: Giggle.

P: But, it really does have a huge impact on your work. I volunteered for the volleyball club and all of a sudden, I was writing spreadsheets and I was arranging events and I’ve never done any of this before.

M: Oh, you took it all in stride.

P: And then totally jumped in. And then all of a sudden, that boiled over into my career and I started arranging schedules and spreadsheets and calculations and so forth for my business, and it wasn’t even a conscious decision. It just happened because I knew how to do it. That skill set is still serving me today on so many different levels of being able to arrange my study schedule for university. I’m waiting for the Physio Socks Society to actually grab me.

M: Laugh.

P: I’m like, ‘No, I don’t know anything. I can’t do anything to help. You’re not going to pick me up.’

M: Laugh.

P: And if any of my physio students are listening to this go away.

M & P: Laugh.

P: I don’t have time. Laugh. But it is. It’s so beneficial in terms of developing your skill set.

M: And a lot of organisations will also put serious energy into training volunteers. So, I know organisations like Lifeline that do over the phone counselling will put many, many hours’ worth of training and effort into up-skilling their volunteers.

P: Yeah, mmm.

M: And a lot of those volunteers stay with them for decades.

P: Yeah, and it leads to a lot of other opportunities within organisations as well.

M: Yep.

P: I’ve got someone in mind that I know that wants to get into support counselling and so forth and that’s…

M: A perfect way.

P: A perfect avenue, yeah.

M: So, it’s not only perfectly to gain skills, it’s also a perfect way to test out a potential career switch as well.

P: Yeah, yeah. Totally.

M: It’s like an unpaid internship.

P: Mmm.

M: Not only do you gain new skills or the skills that you might need in a new role if you’re considering that, but you also get to network with people in your industry and it might be your future boss or put you in touch with your future boss.

P: Yep, yep. Yeah, I fully support that one it’s such, uh, if your feelings stayed and board in your job, volunteer and be open to those of your opportunities. That’s the other aspect of that equation, making sure that you will remain open. I digress.

M: It also. No, you don’t digress that was right on topic.

P: Oh, yay. Good!

M: I’ll finish this one out. So, it’s also back to foundation number two. It’s also a huge source of meaning and purpose and life satisfaction.

P: Mmm.

M: And a lot of us were promised these amazing lives and were told to chase our dreams. Or we’re just simply told to go for the career and the degree that would give you the most –

P: The recipe for a good life?

M: – give you the most money.

P: Yep.

M: You know. Go be a lawyer or an accountant or an actuary.

P: Stability, yep.

M: And then you’re bored out of your mind in your job. But you’ve got a mortgage and a family, and it’s a good income. And so, a lot of the ways that we can bring that, that passion for life back again is via these other commitments that aren’t work.

P: Mmm, yes.

M: Any attempts to bring you closer to a job you’re passionate about are well worth the effort. Or even if it’s just Saturday afternoons and you’re finding your passion there, that can really lift your wellbeing overall.

P: Mmm, mmm.

M: And lastly, in this category, the research shows that volunteers have higher incomes. So, according to Professor Stijn Baert,

“This finding corroborates with previous research showing that volunteering activities on ones CV yield higher employment opportunities, especially for non-natives.”

P: Ahh.

M: So, if you’re a migrant, go in and volunteer straight away.

P: That’s interesting.

M: Start building that CV out and show that you’re contributing to community. You’re more likely to get jobs out of it, and you’re more likely to get higher pay out of it.

P: Mmm.

M: And all right, we’ll move to the last one, which is the second half of the third pillar. So, back to healthy mind and body. We’ve jumped around a bit.

P: Laugh.

M: It’s great for your physical health.

P: Yes.

M: So, let’s.

P: Laugh. Well, it sparks off a physicality within us. I mean, it’s sparks off a certain…

M: It gets you out of the house.

P: Yeah, it’s an energy. You feel engaged, and that has so much to do with our brain activity and stimulating the different areas of our brain and getting that motivation to actually, ‘Oh, maybe I will go through a little jog or something, because I’m focused and I’m engaged’, and there are so many other things that are going on that it helps to propel you forward into so many other avenues.

M: Once you’ve dealt with the mental health, positive mental health aspects, it definitely does improve your motivation.

P: Mmm.

M: As we all know, when things like Covid hit and make it very apparent. There’s this thing called incidental movement.

P: Yes, Aarghh.

M: And before Covid hit, a lot of us would get up in the morning, shower, dress, walk out the house, get on the bus or get in the car, get to a train, walk between car parks or bus stops, etcetera.

P: Mmm hmm.

M: Up into the office. And then we’d go into the kitchen at some point mid-morning, we’d walk over to the bathroom.

P: Yep.

M: All of that’s incidental movement.

P: Mmm.

M: And when Covid hit are incidental movement dropped to a five-metre radius.

P & M: Laugh.

P: Yep.

M: Right, and a lot of people had negative health impacts from that.

P: Hugely.

M: And that also again, tightly linked with mental health. Right?

P: Definitely.

M: And what we find, particularly with retirees, is when you take away that morning reason to get up and get out of the house. They do what a lot of us did in covid.

P: Yep.

M: And again, unless you’re really aware of it and in tune to it, you can end up experiencing the exact same mental health implications and physical health implications as covid when you retire.

P: Yep.

M: So, you don’t have a reason to get up, you start sleeping in more. You might start drinking a little bit more or not looking after yourself as much, not moving all of that.

P: Yep.

M: So, volunteering gets you up and out of the house. It gives you a reason to move and put even just that basic, minimal level of daily movement back into your day. So that’s the first thing.

P: Yep.

M: So not only that, but then the science shows that the movement and volunteering in general has also been shown to help lessen symptoms of chronic pain and reduce risk of heart disease. So, all of this is interlinked as well, just getting that movement into your day.

P: Mmm.

M: But also, depending on what the volunteering activity is, you might be adding even more movement into your day as well. Not just the getting to and from.

P: Yeah, well, it’s things like volunteering for an organisation that might put housing opportunities together so you might be moving a couch for someone or going and doing someone’s windows or –

M: Mowing lawns.

P: – yeah, all that sort of stuff. Yeah, it does have a certain physicality to it. The heart disease one is an interesting one. I mean, that comes from –

M: – lower stress, better mental health outcomes, all tied to heart disease as well. So, there is again the cross links in here.

P: Yeah.

M: Everything is connected.

P: Yeah.

M: And then we’re nearly finished. So, last study in 2017 researchers looked at data on volunteering, employment, and health of more than 40,000 European citizens, and they found that volunteers are as healthy as non-volunteers who are five years younger.

P: Five years younger!

M: So, if you want to look five years younger.

P: No need for the Botox. Go and get a little dosage of volunteering.

M & P: Laugh.

M: So obviously, there’s so much in here about causality and all of that. So, I will say that the researchers controlled for other determinants of health, like gender, age, education level, et cetera. And they found, still, despite all of that, the volunteers were still in substantially better health than non-volunteers.

P: Mmm, yeah.

M: Now it is fair to say, and it is true to say that people with higher incomes tend to volunteer more often, and people with higher incomes have better health outcomes. More often, however, they looked at all of that and conclusively volunteering has a positive impact on our health.

P: Thank you randomised control trials.

M: Laugh. They did it all proper.

P: Yeah.

M: Alright, I’m not going to do this last quote because we are well over time. But as always, it’s been a pleasure.

P: Laugh. It’s been emotional.

M & P: Laugh!

M: And on that note. We’ll see you next week. Have a happy week.

P: Bye!

[Happy exit music – background]

P: And if you like our little show, we would absolutely love for you to leave a comment or rating to help us out.

M: Until next time.

M & P: Choose happiness.

[Exit music fadeout]

Please note that I get a small commission if you buy something from my site. Your support helps to keep this site going at no additional cost to you. Thanks!

How To Live a Happy Life – The Harvard Study That Started it All

24/11/2021 by Marie

The Benefits of Social Bonds For a Happy Life

Like any scientific field, positive psychology has a raft of research and many competing voices. Yet, if there’s one thing nearly all of the scientific community agrees on, it’s that community and connection are critical elements of good mental health. The one, sure-fire way to bolster and boost your happiness is with strong relationships with friends and family.

Studies show that social people are more happy, and happy people are also more social. The happiest people have a core group of people they can talk to and tend to have a wide community network, through activities like church or regular volunteering.

Their close friends and family help to amplify the mental health benefits of happy times – celebrating and cheering them on when things are going well. On the flip side, happy people can depend on their friends and family when things get tough. Close friends and family provide a shoulder to cry on, and they’ll will pick you up and push you forward when you get stuck and when life gets you down.

We know all this thanks to many, many studies. There’s this study, which showed that social engagement and connectedness may simply be the single most powerful factors for cognitive performance in old age. There’s also this 2019 study by Harvard Medical School, which revealed that people who have close social connections, have reduced levels of Cortisol (stress hormone).

But if you want to understand the importance of building deep connections with others to your health and wellbeing, there’s one definitive study that started them all: The Harvard Study of Adult Development.

Related reading: How To Make Friends As An Adult

The Study That Started Them All: The Harvard Study of Adult Development

The Study of Adult Development is a longitudinal study which aims to identify the psychosocial predictors of healthy aging. This ongoing Harvard study is considered one of the world’s longest studies of adult life – starting in 1938 during the Great Depression.

Over that time, researchers have followed the lives of two groups of men: the Grant Study includes 268 Harvard graduates from the classes of 1939-1944 and the Glueck Study includes 456 men who grew up in the inner-city neighborhoods of Boston.

Over more than 80 years, researchers have tracked the lives of these 724 men, following up with each one annually to ask about their work, home lives and health. Researchers sent out questionnaires, conducted in-person interviews, collected medical records from their doctors, drew blood, and scanned brains and more. These mental and physical health and social variables helped reporters understand how these factors could predict health and wellbeing in late life.

With such a raft of information, researchers have been able to publish findings on dozens of topics, including what aspects of childhood and adult experience predict the quality of intimate relationships in late life, and how late life marriage is linked with health and wellbeing, such as these recently published papers.

In 2015, about 60 of the original 724 men were still alive and participating in the study, most of them in their 90s. And the study had begun a new phase, called the Second Generation Study, in which researchers began studying more than 2,000 children of the original participants.

What One of The World’s Longest Studies Tells us About Living a Happy Life

So, what have we learned from this study?

As mentioned at the beginning of this article, perhaps the most important lessons we’ve learned from this epic, ground-breaking study is that wellbeing and happiness are intricately and strongly linked to friendships, social connection and love.

Robert Waldinger, a psychiatrist and professor at Harvard Medical School, is the fourth and current director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development. “The surprising finding is that our relationships and how happy we are in our relationships has a powerful influence on our health,” Waldinger said in The Harvard Gazette in 2017. “Taking care of your body is important, but tending to your relationships is a form of self-care too. That, I think, is the revelation.”

The study has shown that the people who fared the best were the people who leaned into relationships, with family, with friends, with community. “It turns out that people who are more socially connected to family, to friends, to community are happier – they’re physically healthier and they live longer than people who are less well connected” said Waldinger in his widely popular 2015 Ted Talk. “The clearest message that we get from this 75-year study is this: Good relationships keep us happier and healthier. Period.”

On the flip side, people who are lonely or more isolated than they want to be from people are less happy and their as they reach middle age, their health declines and they end up leading shorter lives.

In the end, it’s the quality of close friendships and relationships that mattered. When looking at the data over time, the researchers wanted to see if they could predict who would make it to their eighties and be happy.

“When we gathered together everything we knew about them at age 50, it wasn’t their middle age cholesterol levels that predicted how they were going to grow old. It was how satisfied they were in their relationships. The people who were the most satisfied in their relationships at age 50 were the healthiest at age 80,” said Waldinger. “And good, close relationships seem to buffer us from some of the slings and arrows of getting old. Our most happily partnered men and women reported, in their 80s, that on the days when they had more physical pain, their mood stayed just as happy. But the people who were in unhappy relationships, on the days when they reported more physical pain, it was magnified by more emotional pain.”

Want to learn more about the science of happiness? Make sure to subscribe to my podcast Happiness for Cynics and my email newsletter for regular updates & resilience resources!  

Fighting the Loneliness Epidemic (E94)

22/11/2021 by Marie

Happiness for Cynics podcast

This week, Marie and Pete talk about fighting the loneliness epidemic and discuss 12 silver linings of positive solitude.

Show notes

12 Silver Linings of Positive Solitude

Self-Connection

Autonomy

Self-Determined Motivation

Competence/Skill-Building

Self-Growth

Felt Efficacy

Self-Reliance

Freedom from Pressure

Self-Reflection

Appreciation of the Environment

Spirituality

Peaceful Mood

Transcript

[Happy intro music -background]

M: Welcome to happiness for cynics and thanks for joining us as we explore all the things I wish I’d known earlier in life but didn’t.

P: This podcast is about how to live the good life. Whether we’re talking about a new study or the latest news or eastern philosophy, our show is all about discovering what makes people happy.

M: So, if you’re like me and you want more out of life, listen in and more importantly, buy in because I guarantee if you do, the science of happiness can change your life.

P: Plus, sometimes I think we’re kind of funny.

[Intro music fadeout]

M: Welcome back.

P: Hi hi hi!

M: And it’s another sunny day in Sydney.

P: Aaahhh… Beautiful, Lovely. It’s slightly windy, but you know, it’s good for the sailing ships.

M: Is it?

P: All those people are in the harbour that are sailing their yachts.

M: I guess…

P: Laugh.

M: Is really strong wind good?

P: Is it that strong?

M: I think it is pretty strong.

P: Palm trees are flowing everywhere… So, it is a bit strong.

M: Mmm.

P: Yeah.

M: Sailing is not my thing.

P: Laugh.

M: I’ve been sailing… once. And that was about it.

P & M: Laugh.

P: It’s a nice image to go with anyway. Somewhere, someone is enjoying the wind. Kite flyers will enjoy the wind.

M: There you go.

P: Yeah.

M: Unless there’s too much wind again.

P: Laugh.

M: Then that’s not good, cause a kite dive bombs.

P: I see images of Mary Poppins.

M: Laugh.

P: And being taken off by the wind.

M & P: Laugh.

M: We lost Mary!

P: Laugh, goodness me!

M & P: Laugh!

P: I’ve got something to share this week.

M: Oh!

P: A little tip for happiness.

M: Please do share.

P: Yeah. I was talking with a friend of mine, and she has a little happiness moment with her daughter every night, and it comes up with the Facebook reminder photos.

M: Aww. Yes.

P: So those little reminders that come back from your memory. So, she sits down with her daughter every night and goes, Okay, what are we remembering tonight? And an image will come up. And sometimes for Lucia, she doesn’t know Sandara’s pre-Lucia history. So, it’s a really nice way for Sandara to share with her daughter about ‘Oh, this is when I used to do this’ or ‘this is this person that I knew in this country’ and they have a really lovely little moment.

M: Aww.

P: And it’s their moment of appreciation and thankfulness for experiences.

M: I love it. There’s a great site launched recently, and it is about photos that bring you joy and happiness.

P: We talked about that once in an episode.

M: Yeah, we did a while ago. Every now and then I get an email and I go and have a squiz, you know, and it’s not only people posting photos of their pets, so there is more to it –

P: Laugh!

M: – than that, laugh. But again, photos and photo-taking we’ve discussed many times. There’s been lots of surveys and lots of research into the impacts of taking photos.

P: Mmm.

M: So, yeah, that’s a good one.

P: That’s a nice way to connect and it’s really easy.

M: Yep.

P: You can do it.

M: Yeah, and the benefit is to go back. So, now that everyone’s gone digital, we’re not pulling out the old photo albums and have people come around.

P: Yes, slide nights. Remember slide nights? Laugh.

M: Yep, laugh. Who can forget them.

P & M: Laugh!

P: Because we weren’t there when you went to Malta.

M: Mmm hmm.

P: Laugh.

M: I think, you know, being able to pull your phone out and still take some [photos] through your trip or something definitely has benefits.

P: Mmm, definitely. And it’s one of the uses of social media, which I still subscribe to, even though I’m very anti- social media. When I when I take a trip, I do publish because it’s the way that a lot of my family see my trip.

M: Yep.

P: And they like to see it as well.

M: Plus, when you do publish, you get the reminders.

P: Exactly that’s, that’s very true.

M: Mmm hmm.

P: So, it did make me think of that when I was talking to Sandara last week, so thank you for that, it was lovely.

M: All right. So, what are we talking about today?

P: Oh… What are we talking about today? I’ve forgotten already, laugh.

M: We’re talking about solitude and loneliness.

P: Laugh. That’s right. And positive solitude.

M: Yes. We’re talking about, one of the three pillars that we talk about, which is strong social connections, which has been proven time and time again to be one of the most influential factors in someone’s happiness.

P: It’s in the top three, isn’t it?

M: It is number one.

P: Oh, laugh.

M: So, we’ve got three pillars. This is one of them, and it is number one out of the three.

P: Laugh.

M: And if you look at the Harvard Longitudinal Study and it showed, it’s the longest study of its kind, looking at how long people live, how healthfully they live and how happy they are over their lives and those with strong social connections beat everyone else hands down.

P: The quality of life in their senior years particularly, was so much stronger and better.

M: Yes, from a physical health point of view as well as mental health. So, being lonely, we’re back here again, Pete.

P: Laugh.

M: Being lonely kills.

P: Mmm, yes. It does people. People die.

M: So, we’re talking today about the social connection pillar and two studies that have come out recently. So, the first one is all about the silver linings of solitude, and it found that alone time during covid was a rewarding experience for many.

P: Mmm.

M: So, we’re actually delving into the nitty gritty of these statements. You know, relationships are important. It’s a very broad-brush statement.

P: Laugh.

M: So, we’re trying to deep dive today into how come so many people experienced positive outcomes from being socially isolated.

P: Laugh. It doesn’t seem like the right thing, does it?

M: It’s completely backwards.

P: Laugh.

M: And there are reasons, and the reasons are that solitude and loneliness are two very different things.

P: Mmm, yeah. It’s good to be very clear about that, because loneliness is debilitating in all forms.

M: Yep.

P: But I think that solitude has this positive aspect to it, which is what the study talks about.

M: Yep, and really, it’s talking about the difference between being alone and being lonely.

P: Mmm.

M: And you can be alone. And as an introvert, I gravitate towards activities I do by myself.

P: Yep.

M: And love that time. And I wouldn’t say I’m lonely during those times.

P: Yeah.

M: Because when I’m lonely, I go seek out people. And in fact there are almost two different sides of that spectrum for me. So, if I’m lonely, I’ll go seek out people. if I want alone time, I don’t want people.

P: Mmm. It is a balancing act. It’s really a seesaw because you need to have both in your life. And it’s not necessarily a bad thing to be lonely for a very short period of time. Because if it propels you forward to create more social connections and remember to keep those connections happening, that’s a really good outcome.

M: Mmm hmm. Yep.

P: But it’s that, as I said, it’s a short term, and alone time is brilliant. It’s like being bored. It leads to something creative. It leads to something else, it leads to finding solutions or investing in self-reflection or meditation, or something that you wouldn’t do if you were distracted by other people.

M: Yep, absolutely. So, the researchers call it positive solitude.

P: Mmm, I like that.

M: Yep. And so what they have found and what positive solitude studies in general have found, is that many people flourish when they’re alone and thrive on the autonomy of not being with others.

P: Laugh. Marie’s putting her hand up here.

M: Absolutely, so I am definitely happier being stuck in a corner, doing my work by myself and not being bothered by people.

P: Laugh.

M: I love all my colleagues, don’t get me wrong, but a day full of meetings is draining for me, whereas a few hours in the afternoon, uninterrupted by anyone where I get to deep dive into work and find flow.

P: Mmm.

M: That is what brings me joy and satisfaction. And a lot of people discovered that when they went into lockdown, they also found enjoyment out of doing activities by themselves.

P: Mmm. Well, it’s interesting with the study because she talks about the lack of commute time or the lack of enforced alone time. And I was interested in that aspect because for me being on a tube going to work, it’s not the same as having a half hour to myself on the balcony at home, different parameters of… concepts of time, I think.

M: I think… it is different, but I have found that being able to put headphones on, on a bus can give me that same me time.

P: Yeah, totally agree with you.

M: They are different, though, and again, I think the bus is a very short term or the tube, short term amount of time. But there is something lovely in the morning when you are communing with being able to put your headphones on and tune out the world and listen to your favourite podcast or show or whatever it is that you’re doing.

P: Yeah, I learnt that last year with my drive to Uni. I thought, ‘Oh my God, 45 minutes, I’m going to go ah!!!’ And then I actually learned to just chill out, laugh.

M: Mmm hmm.

P: So, I’d put some queen on and put the top down and sing to my heart’s content.

M: Yep.

P: And that was really beneficial at 7:30 in the morning.

M: And again, there’s something lovely about that time and you can make it me time.

P: Yes.

M: Rather than a stressful commute.

P: Mmm, yep.

M: Yet again, I agree with you. It’ll never compare to just having 30 minutes at home by yourself because.

P: Yep.

M: Because you can’t really walk around in your underwear eating straight out of the peanut butter jar.

P: Laugh. Yeah.

M: On a bus!

P: Don’t laugh, people. You know it’s true. You all want to do it!

M & P: Laugh!

P: And I’m all for it. I’m all for those indulgences. I think that’s great. My poor housemate sometimes catches me in the middle of it.

M: Laugh. What this study found was for those with self-determined motivation, which has a lot to unpack. For those with self-determined motivation, solitude was a catalyst for self-growth and having more alone time gave them a chance to focus on skill building activities without interruption.

P: Mmm.

M: So, this is about the people who found motivation during lockdown, and a lot of people didn’t.

P: Yes.

M: And they floundered. But there was a subset of the population who found that during lockdown, they we’re motivated, and they experienced 12 different types of benefits to being in lockdown and having that alone time forced upon them.

P: Mmm, so does it come down to personality type?

M: Absolutely, yes.

P: Yeah, right. So, a certain personality type is more susceptible to loneliness, as opposed to –

M: Aah, I wouldn’t say that necessarily. To being motivated or demotivated by change.

P: Mmm.

M: To making the best of it into being optimistic and finding a way through versus being overcome by anxiety or the situation and not being proactive.

P: Mmm. I wonder if that’s trainable.

M: Optimism definitely is. And if I haven’t mentioned it before, I’ll mention it again. Down in Melbourne, Victor Perton has a great organisation called the Centre for Optimism. It’s a small membership fee, and they bring in experts from around the world and you can tune in on a lunchtime or an evening session. They’ve got great talks and it’s all about how to change the way you think.

P: That’s brilliant.

M: Yep.

P: So worthwhile, if I guess, if you are predetermined, predestined for that other side of loneliness then maybe that’s something to invest into.

M: Not so much loneliness, but optimism or not. And that optimism really dictates how you respond to what happens in your life.

P: Yeah, and we know that it’s our responses that determine our emotions.

M: Exactly, yeah. And so, if you shut down when lockdown happened for whatever valid reason, there was a lot going on, right?

P: Definitely, yeah.

M: So there’s no judgement at all there. But if, if you shut down as a result of lockdown and stopped reaching out to people and really just let the anxiety and the fear and the sadness overwhelm you, then that could lead to loneliness.

P: Yes, definitely. This is a technique that you can use to maybe interrupt that.

M: Absolutely. Whereas the optimists went, all right, how many fancy dress WebEx meetings can I set up?

P: Laugh!

M: How am I going to make sure that I get through this and I bring my friends through and my family through it, in a positive mental health space?

P: Mmm, mmm.

M: So, really I think the motivated individuals that they’re talking about here had 12 benefits and we won’t go into too much detail. But I will read out the 12 benefits.

P: Sure.

M: So, one is self-connection. So, connecting with yourself. Two [is] autonomy. So, really we’ve spoken a lot with meaning and purpose about the need for, and flow for autonomy and control at times.

P: Yep.

M: Three is self-determined motivation. So, it’s not me telling you, Pete, don’t be so lonely, talk to people?

P: Laugh! Cause that’s how it works.

M: Laugh.

P: Ok.

M: Sure.

P & M: Laugh.

M: And anyone who’s ever tried to tell a teenager to do something will know, it just doesn’t happen.

P: Laugh.

M: So, self-determined motivation is number three.

P: Yep.

M: Four is competence or skill building. I think, Udemy, which is an online learning platform, doubled their course –

P: Oh, really? Wow.

M: – their course sales when covid hit.

P: Gosh.

M: Five, self-growth, which is very closely tied to skill building but probably a bit more in the self-help category.

P: Yep.

M: Six is felt efficacy.

P: Oh, felt efficacy.

M: Yes. So again, there’s a lot in here about just being aware of yourself and your growth and your needs. And so, a lot of people have spent a lot of time understanding themselves better and knowing themselves better.

P: Knowing their strengths.

M: These people are efficient and feeling their efficacy.

P: Ok.

M: Self-reliance is number seven and again so great to build those skills and to do all those DIY projects –

P: Yeah.

M: – and learn how to make sour dough bread –

P: Laugh.

M: – and garden.

P: But know that you are okay on your own.

M: Yeah, number eight, this one was great for me, freedom from pressure.

P: Oh, that’s a lot to unpack.

M: I didn’t have to make excuses to not go out.

P: Laugh. Oh, yes. I’m feeling that today actually.

M & P: Laugh!

M: You’re coming up to exams, aren’t you?

P: Yeah, I had a little moment today, ‘I just want to go on my own! I need everyone to stop!’ Laugh.

M: Absolutely. So, number eight freedom from pressure.

P: Mmm.

M: Number nine, self-reflection. Again, you know, they’re all interlinked.

P: Yeah.

M: Ten, appreciation of the environment.

P: Oh, yes. That’s a big one.

M: Yep.

P: A lot of people found out things like, ‘Oh, there’s a park behind me that I can walk in because it’s the only thing I can do.’

M: Yep. Or even just, you know, I actually sat down, and I really, am very lucky that I live in the house I live in. So, the environment that I’m in, I’m so grateful for.

P: What I have at my fingertips.

M: Yep.

P: Yeah.

M: Number eleven, spirituality. A lot of people reconnected with self and spirit and with their faith.

P: Yep.

M: And then twelve, peaceful mood.

P: Oh, that’s very generic.

M: Well, I think for me not feeling pulled in a million directions to do you really gave me a sense of calm.

P: Yeah. Well, everyone’s always saying, if only we had four more hours in the day.

M: Mmm hmm.

P: Maybe you just need to be more selective to give yourself permission to give yourself more time?

M: Yeah, but then you’ve got the pressure to say yes and all of that stuff that gets added on.

P: Yeah.

M: So, I think people were freed from all of that extra expectation placed on them.

P: Yeah, obligation.

M: And they were just able to be –

P: More peaceful, yeah.

M: Just able to be.

P: I wonder if that’s something that people are going to hold onto as we come on the other side of this.

M: I definitely [will].

P: Yeah, I think people make more of those conscious decisions.

M: To not do things.

P: To go, ‘No, I’m not going to buy… I’m not going to cover that up. I’m going to give myself that hour or hour and a half on my own.’

M: Well, I’ve actually gone into my calendar and put once a month for me time.

P: Yes!!

M: And a whole weekend, a whole weekend where I don’t commit to [anything].

P: Love it.

M: It’s not that I don’t love catching up with friends going out to dinner, going to theatre, but there comes a time where I’m like ‘I’m exhausted by this.’

P: I feel sometimes, I mean, this is the funny thing. You say all that and I’m like Marie’s always taking me places.

M & P: Laugh!

P: You’re always sending me invites.

M & P: Laugh!

P: And I’m supposed to be the extravert!

M & P: Laugh!

M: You’re just busy. All right, we’ll keep moving. So, obviously the people who did this study did realise that there is also a dark side to solitude.

P: Mmm.

M: So, we’ve talked about positive solitude.

P: Yep.

M: But a 14-year-old in the interviews mentioned quote, “I miss my friends and being able to interact with them.” And then a 37-year-old said, “For a long while I was fine, spending time by myself, as I’m a loner by nature. However, recently I felt very frustrated and angry that I don’t have any friends to call on.”

P: Yeah.

M: So, there is a real sharp edge that you can get to and fall off very quickly.

P: Yes.

P: And that’s the investment in those social connections.

M: Yes.

P: You have to keep them going. So, when the time comes where you do need to reach out, you have one or two there.

M: Mmm hmm.

P: That’s the important message people. And I know I’m banging; I’m getting excited people!

M & P: Laughter!

M: I’m going to have to tape your hands –

P: No!

M: – behind your back.

P: I want to move and be free and express myself, laugh.

M: All good. All right, So the second study is supporting very much the tried-and-true social connections are an important message that we –

P: Yes, this is the science.

M: Yes, the science.

P: We love this.

M: Laugh. So, there’s a recent study that took blood samples from older adults who have experienced social isolation, and they had higher levels of two biomarkers of inflammation. So, I’m going to try and pronounce them interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein.

P: Yes.

M: So, this was published in the Journal of American Geriatrics Society, and it looked at the negative long-term consequences of social isolation and the health of older people as they age.

P: Mmm.

M: And they looked at 4,648 Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years and older. So, I think it’s, again we talk about the interlinking between mental health and physical health.

P: Yes.

M: And how in Western society we are only just waking up to how everything is connected. Mind and body, Eastern philosophy and Eastern medicine got there millennia before us.

P: Way back, laugh. 1000 years ago, they were there.

M: Yeah, so this is just another study that shows that loneliness and its impacts on our mental health has a physical impact on our bodies.

P: It predisposes us to inflammatory agents within our blood plasma interleukin-6 is a precursor to the C-reactive protein.

M: Oh, we’ve got him started.

P & M: Laugh!

P: It’s getting interesting, laugh! But these things are happening because of what’s going on with our mental capacity and our mental health.

M: Yeah.

P: They are the biomarkers that make us more disposed to experience inflammation and inflammation is such a big issue with so many people when they’re feeling low.

M: Yeah, the lead author, Thomas Cudjoe says,

“Our findings demonstrate an important association between social isolation and biological processes. This work is a step in the journey to disentangle the mechanisms by which social isolation leads to higher levels of morbidity and mortality.”

P: Totally linked. Yep.

M: Loneliness kills.

P: It does, people die.

M: Yep.

P: And we don’t say that lightly. It’s so true.

M: Absolutely, so this is the research showing why, as we get older building houses and homes that encourage social interaction.

P: Yes.

M: Rather than high rises where you never see your neighbours.

P: The density and all that sort of stuff.

M: All of those types of things for urban planning that we talk about and then investing in a lot of relationships and activities you can continue to do into your seventies, eighties and nineties.

P: Yep.

M: So important.

P: That sense of community and that supportive framework and parks and gardens.

M: And having an opportunity to meet new people on a regular basis, participating in your local RSL or whatever it is.

P: The Orchid society.

M: Absolutely and finding a way to make sure that once you can’t drive anymore that you can, you know that they’re accessible as well.

P: Yeah.

M: All of that is really important. And as our baby boomers start hitting retirement age or they’ve already started, I think we’re going to see huge changes in how our older generations get around and how they live.

P: And how they interact as well.

M: So that will be good for our generation for the X’s and everyone after millennials.

P: Yeah.

M: I think we’re going to see some big, big changes in healthcare.

P: And it’s good that you have organisations such as city councils and land councils that are recognising this. And they are investing in these in making cities more liveable, so important.

M: Yep, absolutely.

P: Mmm.

M: More liveable and more able to connect.

P: Yep. Because social connection is what? [Whispers] …Primary.

M: It kills people.

P: Laugh! Way to bring it down, Marie.

M: Wait. Without social interaction –

P: Okay.

M: – you die.

P: Laugh! And on that note!

M: That’s one for another episode. Thank you for joining us and have a happy week.

P: Chow.

[Happy exit music – background]

P: And if you like our little show, we would absolutely love for you to leave a comment or rating to help us out.

M: Until next time.

M & P: Choose happiness.

[Exit music fadeout]

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How to Live a Psychologically Rich Life

17/11/2021 by Marie

What is a Psychologically Rich Life?

We talk a lot about happiness and how to achieve it on this site, but if there is one thing I have learned in my exploration of happiness, it’s that achieving happiness is extremely subjective. What works for one person won’t necessarily work for someone else. But, the journey of finding what works can be more fun, bring more joy and lead to greater self-discovery than finding the right happiness habits on day one.

So, I always love finding a new theory or way of looking at the pursuit of happiness, and this week I discovered the work of University of Virginia psychologist, Shigehiro Oishi, who defines happiness and wellbeing as a ‘psychologically rich life.’ 

According to Oishi, a psychologically rich life is characterised by variety, depth, and interest. It is a life without boredom, and full of novel experiences. As someone who gets bored far too easily, this kind of happiness appeals to me!

What’s interesting about this theory is that ‘novel’ doesn’t necessarily mean ‘pleasant’ experiences. In fact, the research shows that experiencing things that push our limits or push us out of our comfort zone can be extremely beneficial to our mental health, often resulting in great feelings of accomplishment, gratitude or personal growth.

Recent research into understanding good stress verses bad stress back up this idea. For example, University of Rochester psychologists found that re-evaluating how you perceive stress can positively impact your mental health, general wellbeing, and success. Their study, which was published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology, found that training students to treat their stress response as a useful tool helped them to reduce anxiety. The shift in perception also helped them get better marks on tests, procrastinate less, stay enrolled in classes, and respond to academic challenges in a healthier way. The study builds on his earlier research on optimising stress responses.

Psychologist Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman agrees. “The psychologically rich life is full of complex mental engagement, a wide range of intense and deep emotions, and diverse, novel, surprising and interesting experiences. Sometimes the experiences are pleasant, sometimes they are meaningful, and sometimes they are neither pleasant nor meaningful. However, they are rarely boring or monotonous,” says Kaufman, who describes himself as a cognitive scientist and humanistic psychologist exploring the mind, creativity, and the depths of human potential.

“Recent research on psychological richness has found that it is related to, but partially distinct from, both happy and meaningful lives. Psychological richness is much more strongly correlated with curiosity, openness to experience and experiencing both positive and negative emotions more intensely,” says Kaufman in a recent article the Scientific American.

Dr Kaufman talks about the psychologically rich life as including:

Deep emotions
Diverse experiences
Novel experiences
Surprising experiences, and
Interesting experiences.

So how do you know if you’re living a psychologically rich life or just a ho-hum, comfortable life? Well, Oishi has a simple test for that.

Take the Test! Are you living a Psychologically Rich Life?

In their research, Oishi’s team poses questions to measure a person’s level of psychological richness, or propensity toward novel experiences. So, if you’re up for it, it’s time to do some soul-searching and see how you rate the below statements. Grab a pen and paper and write down the answers on a scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree) and see how you go. What you do with your final score is up to you.

I have had a lot of novel experiences.
My life has been full of unique, unusual experiences.
My life consists of rich, intense moments.
I experience a full range of emotions via first-hand experiences such as travel and attending concerts.

I have a lot of personal stories to tell others.
On my deathbed, I am likely to say ‘‘I had an interesting life.”
On my deathbed, I am likely to say ‘‘I have seen and learned a lot.”

How to Live a more Psychologically Rich Life

If your above answers leave a little to be desired, there is so much you can do to get your life back on track. Here are three ways to challenge yourself that are also proven to positively impact your mental health.

Travel somewhere new: People dreaming of travel post-COVID-19 now have some scientific data to support their wanderlust. A new study shows frequent travellers are happier with their lives than people who don’t travel at all.

Do an online course: A study found that participants in online psychology courses saw increases in well-being from their baseline measures. If these classes have long-term benefits, they could become reliable public health interventions.

Find Your Purpose or Pleasure: (Psychology Today). Some argue that a sense of purpose is the key to healthy aging; others maintain that fun is more important. Research bolsters the idea that purpose is highly beneficial as we age, but some research also points to pleasure as essential for healthy mood. Creatively combining pleasure and purpose in these 7 ways might yield the best results.

If none of those ideas takes your fancy, then take a look at this fab article I found called “30 fun things to do if your summer holiday has been cancelled” for some inspiration for fun things to do.  

Please note that I get a small commission if you buy something from my site. Your support helps to keep this site going at no additional cost to you. Thanks!

Want to learn more about the science of happiness? Make sure to subscribe to my podcast Happiness for Cynics and my email newsletter for regular updates & resilience resources!

Happiness Blog

What we Have Learnt from the Pandemic

Plan to Find Happiness

Be Curious and Learn

Green is Good

Embrace your Inner DJ

Work for Meaning, Purpose and Happiness

Get the Best Sleep

Laugh!

Share the Love!

Express Yourself

Want to learn more about the science of happiness? Make sure to subscribe to my podcast Happiness for Cynics and my email newsletter for regular updates & resilience resources!

What Are The 7 Top Happiness Ted Talks to Watch These Holidays?

Top Happiness Ted Talks to Watch These Holidays

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Happiness for Cynics

Transcript

Expecting the Best, Feeling Worse

Valuing Happiness vs. Prioritising Positivity

What Makes Positivity Toxic?

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Happiness for Cynics podcast

Show notes

Transcript

What’s the Link Between Volunteering and Happiness?

4 Ways Volunteering Make us Happier

1. It Connects you with Other People

2. It’s Great for Your Mental Health

3. It’s Great for Your Physical Health

4. It Can Help Your Career

Volunteer Opportunities

Want to learn more about the science of happiness? Make sure to subscribe to my podcast Happiness for Cynics and my email newsletter for regular updates & resilience resources!

Happiness for Cynics podcast

Show notes

Transcript

M: It connects you with other people.

M: It is great for your mental health.

M: So, number three; Can help your career.

“This finding corroborates with previous research showing that volunteering activities on ones CV yield higher employment opportunities, especially for non-natives.”

M: It’s great for your physical health.

The Benefits of Social Bonds For a Happy Life

The Study That Started Them All: The Harvard Study of Adult Development

What One of The World’s Longest Studies Tells us About Living a Happy Life

Want to learn more about the science of happiness? Make sure to subscribe to my podcast Happiness for Cynics and my email newsletter for regular updates & resilience resources!

Happiness for Cynics podcast

Show notes

Transcript

What is a Psychologically Rich Life?

Take the Test! Are you living a Psychologically Rich Life?

How to Live a more Psychologically Rich Life

Want to learn more about the science of happiness? Make sure to subscribe to my podcast Happiness for Cynics and my email newsletter for regular updates & resilience resources!

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About Marie

Podcast: Happiness for Cynics

Book: Self-care is church for non-believers

Want to learn more about the science of happiness? Make sure to subscribe to my podcast Happiness for Cynics and my email newsletter for regular updates & resilience resources! 

Want to learn more about the science of happiness? Make sure to subscribe to my podcast Happiness for Cynics and my email newsletter for regular updates & resilience resources!

Want to learn more about the science of happiness? Make sure to subscribe to my podcast Happiness for Cynics and my email newsletter for regular updates & resilience resources! 

Want to learn more about the science of happiness? Make sure to subscribe to my podcast Happiness for Cynics and my email newsletter for regular updates & resilience resources!  