Increasing Your Level of Happiness
I recently came across an article summarizing research into the "Science" of Gratitude and Happiness.
As a result of my many years of personal research, I believe that gratitude and happiness are important and intuitively acknowledged there was value in having a "Positive Mental Attitude" and "An Attitude of Gratitude", however, I thought they were largely clever phrases for marketing purposes. Having stumbled across these articles, however, I find there has been active research into "Positive Psychology" for over a decade, emphasizing the emotions of Gratitude and Happiness (elusive as they are to quantify for research purposes), together with ways to increase your gratitude and, subsequently, happiness.
As a result of my many years of personal research, I believe that gratitude and happiness are important and intuitively acknowledged there was value in having a "Positive Mental Attitude" and "An Attitude of Gratitude", however, I thought they were largely clever phrases for marketing purposes. Having stumbled across these articles, however, I find there has been active research into "Positive Psychology" for over a decade, emphasizing the emotions of Gratitude and Happiness (elusive as they are to quantify for research purposes), together with ways to increase your gratitude and, subsequently, happiness.
Your Level of Happiness is not Static
By utilizing a variety of proposed "Interventions", you can actively increase your level of Happiness
SET Point Level and "Hedonic Adaptation"
Determination of a Base line for Happiness
Research indicates that we have a stable "Happiness" baseline (what researchers have labelled the SET Point), as determined largely by three overall components;- Heritability (genetics) - 50%,
- Life Circumstance (relatively static demographic and circumstantial factors) -10% and
- Intentional Activity (the activities people DO) - 40%.
The key factor in the above breakdown is "Intentional Activity". Researchers believe we can develop an active program to increase our overall happiness and for the long term (i.e. intentionally increase our baseline SET Point level) through a directed program of specific activity (i.e. exercise, hobbies, other pursuits that make us happy). (For more information, please refer to my lens "Gratitude Interventions")
"The key is to achieve and maintain a state in which one has many positive experiences over time, and that these experiences (i) fit one's personality, dispositions, and needs; (ii) vary in their content so that the effects of hedonic adaptation are minimized; and (iii) vary in their timing, again to minimize the effects of hedonic adaptation."
A Gratitude Journal
An Intervention for Happiness
Another common recommendation is to actively and intentionally develop an Attitude of Gratitude, specifically, through initiating and maintaining a Gratitude Journal. I came across an online Gratitude Journal, however, being an essentially private person I have chosen to maintain a private Gratitude Journal.The recommendation for implementing a Gratitude Journal is to physically write down things for which you are grateful on a daily basis. At first, it can be simply statements like:
"I am grateful for being alive"
"I am grateful for my family"
"I am grateful for a beautiful day" etc.
Then, as you become more accustomed to keeping your Gratitude Journal, other, more specific things may occur to you.
Studies have shown that keeping a Gratitude Journal can increase "Happiness" by "24%" over a study period of two to four weeks. More recent "longitudinal studies" (i.e. over time) suggest that this increase in the happiness may also be reflected in your baseline SET Point level
Summary
Actively Keep a Gratitude Journal
I know it may be intuitive or even common sense for many, however, keeping a physical journal and the act of writing was very important for success in these studies and that is a component that I had not read, or been aware of, previously. More importantly, recognition (identification) of a baseline SET Point and the possibility that an active program of "Intentional Activity" may increase the SET Point is very exciting.
I am working on a more substantive Page to post in the future, together with a comprehensive list of articles and research papers documenting this work. It is fascinating!
I am working on a more substantive Page to post in the future, together with a comprehensive list of articles and research papers documenting this work. It is fascinating!
Recommended Reading
Happiness, Gratitude and Positive Psychology
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Your input will only serve to improve this site, as well as the other resources provided.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Please feel free to leave your comments on this site (above) and make use of the other resources provided. I would sincerely love to hear from you, your opinions (Pro and Con) on my posts, thoughts, opinions and interpretations. I would love to initiate a dialogue in either or both of the forums.
Your input will only serve to improve this site, as well as the other resources provided.
I look forward to hearing from you.
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After exploring the content available in this forum, please visit the web-site and blog for further content.
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- This group was created to discuss thoughts, opinions and interpretations originating, in part, from the classic personal development texts (James Allen, Charles Haanel, Napoleon Hill, etc.) and other related topics of interest (i.e. Law of Attraction, Creative Visualization).
Researching the power of the mind and, more specifically, the sub-conscious mind over the past twenty years has allowed me to discover of many gems of wisdom buried in these timeless texts, as well as more recently published texts. The recent release of "The Secret" has had the result of drawing considerable attention to the "LAW OF ATTRACTION", however, I believe the process underlying its application to one's life was missing from the movie.
Contrary to the hype attending release of "The Secret", the LAW OF ATTRACTION is not a recent discovery in metaphysics, nor has it been actively suppressed by the Church or hidden societies. It simply passed into relative obscurity through the passage of time. It has been, and remains, available to everyone who searches for it and is willing to actually apply it to their lives.
The formula is available, and is, in all likelihood, well known to most. In its simplest form, it was concisely summarized as follows:
Ask and it will be given to you;
seek and you will find;
knock and the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks receives;
he who seeks finds;
and to him who knocks, the door will be opened
Matthew 7:7 (Luke (11:9) NIV
In short, visualize your desired outcome, then take the appropriate action to receive its manifestation. ACTION is an integral, necessary part of the three part formula to realize (manifest) your desired outcome.
Positive Psychology
Developing an Attitude of Gratitude
The (relatively) new field of Positive Psychology is based upon a study of the positive emotions, particularly Happiness and Gratitude. Furthermore, and arguably far more importantly, Positive Psychology attempts to identify "Interventions, through the use of which we might actively increase our level of happiness.
What do you think of Positive Psychology and the interventions proposed ?
Leave your comments (either Pro or Con) here.
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LisaAuch
Sep 17, 2010 @ 6:32 am | delete
- Thankyou for this, I work with a system that promotes positive re-inforcement working with children, and it has had great success. I enjoyed this article.
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Dynamic1 Sep 28, 2010 @ 8:57 pm | delete
- Thank you for your comment.
What is the system of positive re-inforcement that you use? Could you direct me to further information?
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Othercat
Sep 14, 2010 @ 7:59 pm | delete
- Last year I wrote down everything my husband did that made me happy during the month of January. When I was done, I was surprised to find out he had done 1,027 things to make me happy. I gave him that list for valentines day. It made him happy to see that I actually paid attention to his actions.
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- What an absolutely wonderful thiong to do! It must, indeed, have meant alot to your husband! A great gift for Valentine's Day.
Thanks for your comment.
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LeanneChesser Mar 2, 2010 @ 11:17 am | delete
- I keep a gratitude journal. In my experience, it has definitely helped me to develop, increase and maintain an attitude of gratitude.
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Personal Development
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The following is a list of other lenses available from the Integrated Success Program. These lenses represent additional information for some of the classic Personal Development texts available through the Integrated Success Program web-site. In addition, these lenses mirror some content on the Integrated Success Program blog.
Note, however, that there is considerably more material on both the web-site and the blog that has not been posted on Squidoo and, as such, are worth visiting for more information.
Note, however, that there is considerably more material on both the web-site and the blog that has not been posted on Squidoo and, as such, are worth visiting for more information.
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