Oct 12, 2017 - So why not join a new U3A group, or study for a course such as a free MOOC (Massive. Open Online Course)?
Happiness - A plan for action Over 160 U3A members came to the session on this at our monthly Exmouth U3A meeting on 12 October 2017, and I would like to thank those who gave me such positive comments. For those who were not able to attend, here is a brief summary. For those who did attend, I hope this will be a useful reminder. It feels as if we are bombarded with information and advice about well-being and happiness from the media and from an ever-increasing number of books, so how can we make sense of it all? We considered some surveys on happiness*, and looked what is meant by happiness, including:
"Learn, laugh and live" (U3A motto) "I believe the very purpose of our life is to seek happiness. Happiness can be achieved through training the mind. Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions" (The Dalai Lama) "Happiness is a deep sense of flourishing, not a mere pleasurable feeling or fleeting emotion but an optimal state of being" (Matthieu Ricard) "Happiness is the experience of joy, contentment or positive well-being, combined with a sense that one's life is good, meaningful and worthwhile" (Sonja Lybomirsky)
We considered a brief history of happiness, drawing on religion, philosophy and science, especially the more recent development of positive psychology (including Martin Seligman's work on authentic happiness and the concept of flow). We then examined the 10 evidence-based keys to happier living from the Action for Happiness movement (www.actionforhappiness.org). Vanessa King, who is a board member at Action for Happiness and author of "10 Keys to Happier Living" says: "They are the areas research evidence suggests taking action in can enhance happiness (pleasure and/or a sense of fulfilment). Many things impact how happy we feel but not all are in our control. The Keys are areas where we do generally have more control. And having a sense of control is important for wellbeing." I can recommend a 20-minute video of a TED talk she gave on this which you can watch at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cks__51kdw
The first five of these keys are primarily actions we take in the outside world that impact on how we feel on the inside (GREAT):
Giving: Do things for others What do you do to help others? What have you done recently to make someone happy or to help others?
Relating: Connect with people Who matters most to you? What helps you to stay close to the people who really matter?
Exercising: Take care of your body How do you stay active and healthy? Which ways of being active and healthy do you really enjoy?
Appreciating and awareness: Notice the world around, and live life mindfully When do you stop and take notice? What do you notice about where you are and how you feel right now?
Trying out: Keep learning new things What new things have you learnt or tried out recently? What have you done for the first time?
The second five keys reflect the evidence on internal mindsets and habits that impact on how we feel and what we do, focusing on strengths and cultivating our sense of meaning and purpose (DREAM):
Direction: Have goals to look forward to What are your most important goals? What is your most important goal for the next six months?
Resilience: Find ways to bounce back How do you bounce back in tough times? What has helped you bounce back from difficult times before?
Emotion: Take a positive approach, and look for what's good What are you feeling good about? What good things have happened in your life recently?
Acceptance: Be comfortable with who you are What is the real you like? What are your greatest strengths or hidden talents?
Meaning: Be part of something bigger What gives your life meaning? Which aspects of your life give you a sense of purpose? What footprint do you want to leave?
We then gave ourselves five happiness challenges which could follow on from some of these keys, bearing in mind that these keys are a menu, not a prescription. They are just some suggestions, and you can amend, adapt or add to any of these if you wish:
Three good things: Each day, write down three good things that happened that day, including why those things were good. People who do this for just one week have been shown to be significantly happier - as much as six months later.
Kindness day: On one day this week, do as many extra acts of kindness for others as possible (try to do at least five). When we do things for others, it doesn't just help them, it gives us a big boost too.
Calm your mind: Give your mind a breathing space for 10 minutes each day. For example, follow the free 'Take 10' programme at www.headspace.com. Practicing mindfulness exercises has been shown to reduce anxiety, improve mood, increase concentration and bring benefits for our heart and immune system.
Move your body: Do something physically active (and enjoyable!) for at least 10 minutes - and ideally more - each day. Staying active isn't just good for our heart and our physical health, it also boosts our mood, improves our brain function and helps alleviate stress, anxiety and depression.
Learn new things: Try learning new things. There are many ways - we can share a skill with friends, join a club, learn to sing or play a musical instrument, play a new sport, and so much more. So why not join a new U3A group, or study for a course such as a free MOOC (Massive Open Online Course)? Learning new things exposes us to new ideas and helps us stay curious and engaged. It also gives us a sense of accomplishment and helps boost our resilience.
We finished by thinking what was the most significant or useful insight or learning from all of this, and what action would you take or what would you want do differently in future? This could form the basis of your individual action plan if you wished.
If you have any comments, suggestions, views or ideas about any of this, please get in touch via email (
[email protected]) or via Twitter (@ejohnhunt and #ExmouthU3A). Meanwhile, if you want to find out more, here is a range of resources: Some resources on happiness:
Action for Happiness website: http://www.actionforhappiness.org/ The 10 keys explained: http://www.actionforhappiness.org/10-keys-to-happier-living Ebook (a free PDF - 28 pages): '10 Keys to Happier Living Guidebook': http://www.actionforhappiness.org/10-keys-guidebook or download from http://www.actionforhappiness.org/media/530511/ten_keys_guidebook.pdf Suggestions for action: http://www.actionforhappiness.org/take-action Video by Richard Lanyard (TED talk) : http://www.actionforhappiness.org/why-happiness Book: '10 Keys to Happier Living' by Vanessa King: http://www.actionforhappiness.org/book and https://www.amazon.co.uk/Keys-Happier-Living-Vanessa-King/dp/1472233425 (where you can read the first few pages free) Headspace (meditation and mindfulness made simple) website: https://www.headspace.com/, and free app from iTunes and Google Play store. Authentic Happiness website on positive psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, with free resources and questionnaires: https://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/ Book: 'Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realise your Potential for Lasting Fulfilment': https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1857883292/ (where you can read the first few pages free) Book: 'Mindfulness - A Practical Guide to Finding Peace in a Frantic World', by Mark Williams and Danny Penman: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mindfulness-practical-guide-findingfrantic/dp/074995308X (where you can read the first few pages free), plus there's a related website at http://franticworld.com/ with further resources at http://franticworld.com/resources/. The Mindful website: Getting started with mindfulness and meditation: https://www.mindful.org/meditation/mindfulness-getting-started/ .
Plus there many more resources listed at http://www.actionforhappiness.org/resources (and click the 'more' button at the bottom right-hand of the screen of this webpage). John Hunt Exmouth U3A October 2017 This has been published with the kind permission of Action for Happiness - www.actionforhappiness.org
________________________________ * The Office of National Statistics has just released its latest survey results on average satisfaction and happiness ratings in the UK, which are now the highest since 2011. The average (mean) ratings across the four measures of personal well-being in the year ending March 2017 were: 7.7 out of 10 for life satisfaction 7.9 out of 10 for feeling that what you do in life is worthwhile 7.5 out of 10 for happiness yesterday 2.9 out of 10 for anxiety yesterday Comparing the years ending March 2016 and 2017, there have been statistically significant improvements in average ratings of life satisfaction and happiness for the UK overall. The ONS's graphs we looked at in our session showed where the South West ranked within the nine regions of England for each of these four measures, and our region scored relatively favourably in each. This ranking was in fact based on the proportion of respondents who gave very high ratings (and not the actual ratings given by respondents). I'm sorry for any confusion. It means that your own self-rating was therefore more likely to be in line with the latest figures above.
