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.
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.
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.
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.
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 14th 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.
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
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
