The happiness-health relationship isn’t magic – although some parts of it may be biological, a big part of why happy people are healthier stems from behaviors that come more easily to happy people. A study by Bob Emmons and colleagues found that people who experience gratitude on a regular basis are more likely to spontaneously exercise, and they also get better sleep. These short-term health behaviors lead to long-term benefits like longer life span. So if getting happier doesn’t seem worth the effort by itself, think abut the health benefits!
Dr. Acacia Parks is an instructor in positive psychology, a researcher and a member of the Positive Psychology Practitioner Directory. Dr. Parks has taught a variety of classes on how to use positive psychology interventions, and she often gets questions from students and clients about what will work best for them.
happier.com is a personal trainer for your happiness. With more than a dozen tools and tests to help you measure, track and improve your happiness, you can trust the happier.com experts to help you reach your goals. Exclusive videos and a popular blog mean there’s something new to learn every day. Download the free iPhone application or find what you’re looking for with the Positive Psychology Practitioner Directory. happier.com is on Facebook, LinkedIn, and twitter and has meetup groups in Washington, Philadelphia, and Portland, with more planned. Click here for a social media press release from our launch.
Dr. Acacia Parks is an instructor in positive psychology, a researcher and a member of the Positive Psychology Practitioner Directory. Dr. Parks has taught a variety of classes on how to use positive psychology interventions, and she often gets questions from students and clients about what will work best for them.
Question: I’m already pretty happy. I score low on measures of depression and high on the Authentic Happiness Index. What should I be working on? Do you know what happier.com tools will work best for me?
Answer: The data tell us that people like you (low on depression symptoms and high on happiness) benefit the most from “big picture” exercises that can help you find meaning. Chances are you already experience a good deal of positive emotion, and as a result, you are uniquely poised to benefit from these kinds of exercises – they can be difficult at times, maybe even disheartening to people who are already feeling bad, but the positive emotion that you already experience will help you get the most out of your experience.
Your high scores on the Authentic Happiness Index demonstrate that you’re feeling pretty satisfied with your present. The What Door Opened? exercise can help you gain perspective on difficult events from your past. “Letting Go of Grudges” also helps you gain perspective on the past. The exercise guides you through the process of releasing negative emotions about past problems with other people.
Finally, The “Mindfulness Journal” can help you fine-tune your everyday routine by making you more aware of what activities help you feel happier and what activities don’t (tons of research says that we are not great at figuring these things out on our own).
Keep in mind that you are already pretty happy, so you can’t expect huge gains – but you can still become happier. These exercises will help you get on the right track.
happier.com is a personal trainer for your happiness. With more than a dozen tools and tests to help you measure, track and improve your happiness, you can trust the happier.com experts to help you reach your goals. Exclusive videos and a popular blog mean there’s something new to learn every day. Download the free iPhone application or find what you’re looking for with the Positive Psychology Practitioner Directory. happier.com is on Facebook, LinkedIn, and twitter and has meetup groups in Washington, Philadelphia, and Portland, with more planned. Click here for a social media press release from our launch.
