happier.com blog | a personal trainer for your happiness » happiness

Join the happier.com Community on Facebook for a Chance to Win

Andrew Rosenthal — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:03:08 +0000

Join the happier.com community on facebook to meet other positive psychology enthusiasts, students, researchers and practitioners. Become a “fan” of happier.com on facebook today, to join our community of happiness enthusiasts and for chances to win special discounts, prizes and opportunities.

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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.

Join happier.com in Portland for a Free Event with Dr. Robert Biswas-Diener

happier.com — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:40:05 +0000

The last ten years of research have lead to a host of surprising findings about the science of happiness. Meet Dr. Robert Biswas-Diener, a researcher and instructor known as “The Indiana Jones of Positive Psychology” for his work on happiness in far-flung locations. Robert will share some of his most surprising findings in the science of happiness, and he’ll share the best ways to scientifically-improve happiness. Robert is being hosted by happierPortland.com, a meetup group for people interested in positive psychology and the science of happiness. This is the first meeting of happierPortland, which is being held after similar get-togethers in Philadelphia (happierPhilly.com), New York (happierNYC.com) and Washington, DC (happierDC.com).

Robert Biswas-Diener, D. Phil., is Program Director for the Centre for Applied Positive Psychology and a part-time instructor at Portland State University. He is widely known as the “Indiana Jones of Positive Psychology” because his research has taken him to such far-flung destinations as Greenland, Kenya and India where he has studied the happiness of often-overlooked groups such as Amish farmers, tribal people and sex workers. Robert’s research focuses on the intricate interplay between money, culture and happiness. He is on the editorial board of the Journal of Positive Psychology, the Journal of Happiness Studies, and is the associate editor of Journal of Personality. Robert is co-author of Happiness: Unlocking the mysteries of psychological wealth (2008), which won the 2008 PROSE Award.

In addition to his research on well-being Robert is also a thought leader in the application of positive psychological science. Robert is a Certified Mentor Coach and has conducted positive psychology trainings for therapists, coaches, managers and consultants in Iceland, Denmark, England, Scotland, Turkey, South Africa, Israel, India, Canada and the United States. He is author of the book Positive Psychology Coaching (2007) and the forthcoming Practicing Positive Psychology Coaching (2010)

Positive Psychology practitioners will particularly enjoy this opportunity to network, share best-practices, and learn from one of the leaders in the field. And your clients are welcome to attend this free event — in other cities, coaches and consultants have suggested clients attend these meetups, to great success.

Multnomah County Central Library
U.S. Bank Room (Ground Floor)
801 SW 10th Ave
Portland, OR 97205

Sunday, 11/22, 3-4:30pm
No charge.
View happierPortland.com November Meetup in a larger map

RSVP required, at http://happierPortland.com
Questions? Contact the happierPortland host, Andrew Rosenthal: andrew.rosenthal@happier.com; 215.629.9210 x 3.

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Click here to check out
The happierPortland – The Portland Happiness Club Meetup!

One of Our Favorites: Ode — The Magazine for Intelligent Optimists

happier.com — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:30:46 +0000

One of our favorite magazines is Ode – The Magazine for Intelligent Optimists. A one-year subscription is $29.99 at Amazon.com. Ode is unlike any other publication we’ve encountered — the editors carefully curate spirited, engaging pieces about what is going well in the world. Some articles focus on science while others are profiles of compelling people. In the editors’ words:

Each issue of Ode brings stories about the people, passion and possibilities changing the world…one good idea at a time. It’s filled with hope for the future and highlights innovative, positive ideas happening all around the globe.

The issues stay relevant well after publication, and we find ourselves thinking back to pieces from months before. And, subscribing to the magazine gets you access to the community of “Intelligent Optimists” with online message boards and resources. In this month’s issue, read a story about “21 things I appreciate about you” and how large groups of people can do good when they get together.

Give the Gift that is Guaranteed to Get a Smile — happier.com gift certificates

happier.com — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:00:02 +0000

happier.com launches gift certificates!

November 11, 2009 – Philadelphia, PA – happier.com, a personal trainer for your happiness, now offers gift certificates. With the holidays fast-approaching, this gift could change even Scrooge’s mood! Gift certificates provide the recipient with unlimited use of the psychological tests and happiness-boosting tools available at happier.com. Gift certificates are available for $14.99 for three months; $24.99 for six months; and $99.99 for unlimited lifetime use, at www.happier.com/giftCertificate.htm.

Gift certificate recipients have access to more than a dozen research-backed tools customized to increase happiness, resilience, optimism, engagement, and meaning through the science of positive psychology. After responding to a simple online questionnaire, the customer begins a happiness-boosting plan with specific activities, each day, designed to scientifically boost happiness and reduce stress and anxiety.

Gift certificate recipients can also access the happier.com blog at http://blog.happier.com with innovative ideas and tips from the experts on how happiness applies to all aspects of life. A recent post included suggestions on how to increase happiness in the workplace: Make a place smell like lemons; the scent of lemon improves mental performance. Diffuse this odor into a space for creative thought, or serve lemonade, lemon drops, or lemon frosted sponge cake. happier.com also offers more than 100 exclusive videos from the world’s leading happiness researchers and practitioners.

Give the gift that can actually lift one’s spirits after just a few minutes of use. And decades of research show that happier people are less likely to get colds, are less likely to feel down as the days get shorter, and are likely to make those around them happy.

About happier.com

Doug Hensch and Andrew J. Rosenthal co-founded happier.com to inspire people to be happier and more resilient based on the field of positive psychology. They worked closely with Martin E.P. Seligman, Ph.D, an exclusive consultant for happier.com, who is the “father of positive psychology” and a noted professor from the University of Pennsylvania.

happier.com is the first set of easy-to-use and engaging online happiness-boosting tools backed by the science of positive psychology. To date, the online tools, videos, blog and iPhone application have been used by more than 40,000 beta-testers.

For media inquiries or for additional information please contact Christa Guidi, Cashman & Associates at 215.627.1060 or cguidi@cashmanandassociates.com.

I’m Unhappy – What Can I Do to Feel Better Right Now?

Dr. Acacia Parks-Sheiner — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:50:58 +0000

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 unhappy. My Authentic Happiness Index results show I’m on the lower-end of the range, and I don’t feel cheery or upbeat. What should I focus on with happier.com?

Answer: You’ll likely benefit the most from exercises that focus on positive emotions. From my experience teaching and the research data, we get an idea of what works for what type of person.

The Three Good Things exercise, for example, will help you to focus on the positive aspects of your day, which research tells us often fall through the cracks of memory. It sometimes takes a week or two to see the benefits, but people who use Three Good Things on a regular basis report sustained decreases in depressive symptoms and increases in positive emotion.

Two exercises on HDC reliably produce large and immediate increases in positive emotion: Have a Good Day, which helps you plan a day full of pleasant activities, and the Gratitude Letter, in which you write a letter expressing in detail your gratitude for someone else’s contribution to your life.

We know from research by Barbara Fredrickson and colleagues that positive emotion leads to creativity and flexible thinking – as someone who experiences low levels of positive emotion, these exercises can give you the boost that you need.

Five Tips About Happiness from Economists at the University of Chicago

Michael Durkheimer — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:04:23 +0000

The research that we point to on happier.com usually comes from leaders in the field of positive psychology. However, in a few cases the discoveries actually come from distinguished academics outside of the field of positive psychology, who apply some of the common principals of their field to the science of happiness. In this case, we have found some interesting research about happiness coming from the field of behavioral economics. Although these tips are interesting and can be useful, remember that they are only correct in an “economic” sense, and not necessarily right for your own personal situations. However, they are very interesting when looked at from a broader perspective. Enjoy.

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Repost from The University of Chicago Magazine

Economics of Happiness

By Jake Grubman, ’11

With the economy in constant flux, we can all use some pointers on how to stretch good news as far as it will go. Christopher K. Hsee, the Theodore O. Yntema professor of behavioral science and marketing at Chicago Booth, shares his guidelines: “Hsee’s Happiness Heuristics.” Compiling research from psychologists and economists (including colleague Richard Thaler), Hsee provides tips on how to make the people around you—employees, significant others, friends, relatives—happy.

Christopher K. Hsee

1. Separate gains. Combine losses.

It’s been a great day, and you’ve got two pieces of good news for your spouse: you got a promotion, and you won a free trip to Hawaii. Tell your spouse the two pieces of news on separate days, so that one great day turns into two. If the news is bad, however—you’ve crashed your car and lost money in the stock market—tell your spouse both downers at the same time. Hsee’s caveat is that the bad news can only be so bad: “Everybody has a breaking point.”

2. Announce good news early. Announce bad news late.

You have an important client, and, knowing she loves eating out, you invite her to dinner at the fanciest restaurant in Chicago. Do it months in advance, Hsee says. “A lot of happiness comes not just from the thing or the contact per se, but from anticipation.” An early invite prolongs the client’s happiness. If the news is bad, don’t allow much time to dwell on it. Nobody enjoys a trip to the dentist, so don’t tell your child about his visit weeks in advance. Just put him in the car, and the drilling is done before he knows it.

3. Unpredictable gains are better than stable gains. Stable losses are better than unpredictable losses.

You give an employee either a raise or a bonus. Practicality says a raise is better, but a bonus actually makes the employee happier. The logic behind this principle is adaptation, Hsee explains. When you get a raise, “you feel happy, but after a while you get used to it.” An employee doesn’t adapt to a bonus—it’s unexpected and more exciting. Conversely, make losses stable. Let’s say you have a big apartment just blocks from work, but the bad economy forces you to relocate to a place that’s either smaller or farther away. Sacrificing size is better, Hsee says, because it’s easier to adjust to a smaller living space than the “painful” daily commute.

4. Choice is bad for good options, good for bad options.

Choice may seem like a perk, but if the options are all positive, having to make a decision may decrease happiness. If you’re treating your parents to a trip and you know they would enjoy the beaches of Hawaii, then buy the tickets; giving them a choice of vacation spots could lead to second-guessing and stress. If both options are negative, though, choice helps: “Even if you can’t give them a real choice, you can give them an illusion of choice,” says Hsee. At his hypothetical business school, students might not be excited about a mandatory business-ethics course, but he has devised a new strategy: divide the course into two sections and give them two different names, like Business Ethics and Corporate Morality. The syllabus remains the same, but the students are happier because they have a say in the process.

5. Wanted is better than needed. Memorable is better than usable.

Cash may be the most economically practical gift, but it doesn’t create the most happiness. People are happiest with something they want but have no justification to buy. If a friend loves old vinyl records but would never purchase expensive ones for himself, then give him a classic Hendrix album instead of cash. A good gift, Hsee says, is one that the recipient can’t eat up, use up, give away, or throw away, at least for a while. Best to give a personalized, lasting gift.

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Interesting Point: Richard Thaler, mentioned above as a source for Hsee, is best know for his widely popular book “Nudge” and for coining the term “choice architecture.” Learn more about this fascinating new area of research in a very funny speech by Richard Thaler for an Authors @ Google event.

Happy Body, Happy Mind - Steps Toward Happiness with Exercise as Therapy

happier.com — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:21:29 +0000

By guest contributor Gloria Park Perin

What if there was a pill that you could take every day to effectively prevent diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and certain forms of cancer? And what if the same pill would effectively reduce nearly every risk associated with all cause mortality? Would you take it? Would you urge your families and friends to take it?

These are questions Dr. Robert Sallis posed as I listened to him describe the new “Exercise is Medicine” initiative by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the American Medical Association (AMA). Amid fiery debate over escalating costs and declining accessibility to healthcare, this groundbreaking partnership intends to push exercise and physical activity into the forefront of the public healthcare management discourse and introduces them as an integral aspect of disease treatment and prevention.

What if this pill was also a powerful tool in warding off dementia, anxiety, and depression? What if it improved self-esteem, cognitive functioning, and boosted your mood?

Exercise is a low-cost, accessible, and self-directed activity, and the truth is, most of us know that exercise is both medicine and therapy. So why aren’t we doing more of it? We all hear the Surgeon General’s warnings about smoking, sedentary lifestyles, and the dangers of eating fast food, yet we still sit in front of our televisions watching incessant advertisements for the latest antidepressants, channel surfing with our greasy French-fried fingers, then wake up to a breakfast of Camel lights and coffee.

We need more than just information – we need motivation! Until an Exercise is Therapy initiative is developed, follow some of the simple tips in this blog series to get you on the path toward adopting a healthier and HAPPIER lifestyle, which begins like anything else: Just one step at a time.

*For more great tips, check out “Move Your Body: Tone Your Mood” by Dr. Kate F. Hays.

Sallis, R.E. (2009). Exercise is medicine and physicians need to prescribe it! British Journal of Sports Medicine, 43, 3-4.

Happy Mind, Happy Body - Exercise is Therapy: Be Realistic

happier.com — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:19:47 +0000

By guest contributor Gloria Park Perin

Optimism can help us look toward the future, but unreasonable optimism can be your worst enemy when you’re setting goals for exercise. If you start by reaching too high, falling short of your initial goal may ultimately serve to make you feel discouraged, rather than inspired to exercise. Even worse, overdoing it can bring harm or injury to your body.

Take stock of your life. If you’re already working full-time, raising two children, and taking night classes, then aspiring to exercise for three hours every day is probably unrealistic. Ask yourself: Based on what my life looks like right now, what is a goal that seems manageable and attainable?

Give yourself permission to be human. We all fall off the wagon, sometimes three or four times, when we’re trying to adopt a good habit (or break a bad habit). Be disciplined and make plans for following through on your schedule, but if an emergency comes up, don’t beat yourself up. Sit down, take a breath, and create an alternate plan, which can be as simple as promising to take the stairs to your 14^th floor office in the morning.

Be flexible. In exercise, think None-or-Something, rather than default to the All-or-Nothing thinking that can be one of the greatest barriers to physical activity. Even brief bouts of physical activity spread through the day can bring similar physical and psychological benefits. Remember this next time you want to can your workout for the day just because you can’t run the entire 6 miles.

Live in DC? All Positive Psychology Enthusiasts Invited to Join HappierDC – Meetup This Thursday

Andrew Rosenthal — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:10:21 +0000

Happier DC – The Washington DC Happiness Club

Join other happiness enthusiasts based in Washington, DC for monthly meetups about the science of happiness.

New Findings in Happiness & Personality: Looking Within People, Not Just Between

Thursday October 15, 6:15pm in the Dupont Circle area

Our first meetup was a real success! The casual get-together was a chance for us to get to know each other and chat a bit about our goals for happierDC. And, thanks to everyone who responded to the survey questions asking: What do you want to get out of happierDC?

One consistent theme was that we want meetups to be an opportunity to learn and to socialize. And that’s why we’ve invited back noted author and professor Todd Kashdan, Ph.D. Todd is author of Curious? and is an expert on relationships, personality and positive psychology. This time, we’ve asked Todd to speak to us with some real detail on one of his favorite research areas: Happiness & Personality: Looking Within People; Not Just Between Them.

Our meetup starts at 6:15pm at the iStrategies lab space, in a private townhouse on Dupont Circle. The meetup location is very accessible to public transportation. Limited street parking is available and there is lots of garage parking.

Meetup schedule:
6:15pm – Gather and chat
6:40pm – Welcome and introductions
6:45pm – Todd Kashdan presents
7:45pm – Questions and discussion

Pictures from the last happierdc.com meetup

An Interview With Gretchen Rubin of The Happiness Project

Doug Hensch — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 12:01:01 +0000

You’ve probably heard of Gretchen Rubin. More than 60,000 people subscribe to her blog The Happiness Project and email newsletter, and the blog is carried on outlets including Slate, the Huffington Post and RealSimple.com. December, 2009 will bring the publication of her book, The Happiness Project, available for pre-order at a discount through the happier.com store.

In Gretchen’s words:

My happiness project has convinced me that it’s possible to be happier by taking small, concrete steps in your daily life. In my book and on this daily blog, I write about what I’ve learned as I’ve test-driven the wisdom of the ages, the current scientific studies, and the lessons from popular culture. Plutarch, Samuel Johnson, Benjamin Franklin, St. Thérèse, the Dalai Lama, Oprah, Martin Seligman…I cover it all.

Doug, a member of the team at happier.com, recently asked Gretchen about her journey so far:

What initially made you interested in writing about happiness?

I was riding on a city bus on a rainy day, and I had a rare moment of reflection. “What do I want from life, anyway?” I thought. “I want to be happy.” But I realized I didn’t spend any time thinking about what it meant to be happy, or whether I was happy, or how I could be happier. At that moment I thought, “I should have a happiness project – and think about happiness, and make changes in my life, in a systematic way!” (I’m a former lawyer so that’s my way of approaching things.) I started my happiness project the next day. I didn’t immediately think about writing a book about it; that came later.

What would you say is the single easiest way for people to be happier at Work? Home? Social life?

Philosophers and scientists agree: probably THE key to happiness is having strong relationships with other people. Make time for the people in your life. Make some fun plans. Join or start a group. Help someone else. Call someone. Remember birthdays. Celebrate holidays. Get to know someone new. The more strong relationships you have, the more likely you are to describe yourself as very happy.

What is the most surprising thing that you have learned about happiness over your year with the happiness project?

I was surprised to discover the truth of the theory that “novelty and challenge bring happiness.” I thought that in my case, familiarity and mastery would bring more happiness. But to test that theory, I started a blog – a challenge that made me feel intimidated and insecure. And my blog has turned into a GIGANTIC source of happiness for me. So now I look for other ways to bring novelty and challenge into my life. It’s a taxing way to get happiness, but it’s worth it, because it yields such great bang for the buck.

Who are the happiest people that you have encountered?

What qualities did they have? Do you have any stories about people that immediately come to mind? That’s a great question. It’s really worth studying the people who seem very happy, because they have qualities that we can all emulate. They seem very kind. Kindness is a much-overlooked virtue, to my mind. They seem light-hearted – even if they aren’t playful (which they sometimes are, but not always), they can laugh at themselves and at tough situations. They are loving: they really listen, they go out of their way to help even when it’s not convenient, they think about other people’s needs.

But happy people come in different flavors. Some are goofy, some are serene, some are intense. It’s interesting, though, how attractive they are. When you’re around a really happy person, you want to be around that person MORE.

What often disguises itself as happiness, or a road to happiness, but is actually not?

I think people often give themselves a “treat” when they want a happiness boost – but all too often, the things we do to treat ourselves don’t make us happy in the long run. Having an extra glass of wine, eating ice cream out of the carton, having a cigarette, splurging on a new pair of shoes, leaving a big mess…these are things that feel like a treat but in the end, often make us feel worse. If you feel the urge to give yourself a treat, ask yourself, “Will this really make me happy, in the long run?” Try to find ways to treat yourself that don’t leave a bad taste in your mouth.

If you are feeling down, what can you do to give yourself a boost?

One of the quickest ways to give yourself a boost is to do something nice for someone else. Here’s a suggestion: become an organ donor! Sign the online registry and/or tell your family you want to be a donor. With that single quick act, you may save the life of five people one day! It’s huge! If you’re already an organ donor, try taking a ten-minute walk outside. It will boost your energy, heighten your alertness, and break up your day. Even better, take a friend with you.

Do you have a favorite happiness quote or metaphor?

Ah, I have so manyI I love quotations and have so many wonderful quotations. Here’s one: “There is no duty we so much underrate as the duty of being happy.” Robert Louis Stevenson