Happiness ripples out... and makes us more resilient
LAST WEEK, amongst the harrowing images from Ukraine, there’s been some seemingly rare good news – the release of Nazanin Zaghari-ratcliffe. Seeing her reunited with husband Richard and daughter Gabriella, their faces showing not just relief, but love, delight and joy, has felt good to witness.that’s the thing about happiness – it ripples out.
There’s more to happiness than we might think. Happiness doesn’t just feel good, a growing body of science shows it does us good too.
People who are happier tend to be physically healthier – for example less likely to catch colds or experience heart disease.
It can help us perform better too with studies showing feeling happier boosts productivity. Doctors in a good mood make faster, more accurate diagnoses.
People who are happier tend to be more active citizens, helping others more, and are less likely to engage in risky behaviours.
So perhaps happiness is something we should all take a bit more seriously.
Today is officially the UN International Day of Happiness. The aim is to raise awareness from the grassroots up to governmental levels that how people feel in and about their lives matters.
It couldn’t be more timely. Two long years of Covid-related living and working have taken their toll on many people’s psychological wellbeing.and now there’s the war in Ukraine, amongst other conflicts and disasters, as well as the backdrop of climate change.
In troubled times it’s easy to dismiss a focus on happiness. It might even seem inappropriate. Yet the active ingredients that contribute to feeling happier can also bolster and boost our resilience.
It’s a bit like having a life raft or a toolkit of actions to cope with difficulties and tough times.
While we may not be able to change global events, even small local actions can give us more of a sense of control, which in itself is important for wellbeing.
So here are three actions we can take right now...
Cultivate connection:
A sense of connection to others, feeling people are there for us and we for them, caring for and being cared for, is one of the most important ingredients for wellbeing.
Communities where people know their neighbours and trust and support each other have been shown to be more resilient so check in with the people that are nearest and dearest to you.
Reach out to your neighbours. As you walk around your community say hello or smile at passersby. Share a few friendly words with people on the bus or in the shops.
We might not be used to doing this, it might even take some courage, but these small moments add up, benefiting us and others too.
Choose to help:
At times of stress and difficulty it’s easy to turn inwards – yet finding ways to help others can take our mind off our worries. It can also activate our “care and connect” and “reward” systems boosting our happiness and wellbeing and helping us feel more effective.
So helping others boosts our happiness as well as being beneficial for the recipient.and there are countless ways to help.
This could be donating money, time, blood or things; finding ways to help our neighbours, colleagues or community; thinking twice before posting an angry rant online; sharing a few kind words or even just giving people the benefit of the doubt rather than jumping to conclusions.
Look for what’s good:
The human brain more naturally notices what’s wrong rather than what’s right and gives the former more weight. It’s thought this evolved for good reason, to help us avoid danger and help us survive, but it’s not enough for us to thrive.
We can create a firmer foundation for wellbeing by training our brain to also notice what’s right.
A simple, regular practice of reflecting on three good things that happened in our day (however small) has been shown to have a lasting effect on how happy people feel. Even on the worst days there are best moments, even if these are just the least bad.
As we see the difficulties others are enduring, we can feel guilty about the good things in our own life. But turning that guilt into gratitude can provide momentum for us to help where we can.
Seeking out stories of people’s courage, creativity, help and support of each other can give us hope, rather than just despair.
Vanessa King is head of psychology at the charity Action for Happiness, author of 10 Keys To Happier Living and co-author of Creating The World We Want To Live In. More actions to boost happiness and free resources are at actionforhappiness.org
The human brain more naturally notices what’s wrong rather than w hat’s right