December 24, 2008
Psychology Today: Women are happier giving and men are happier receiving
December 8, 2008
Psychology Today: Desmond Tutu on Compassion
All human beings are fundamentally good. That is why you and I thrill not in the presence of the highly aggressive or the rich or the macho but in the presence of Mother Teresa, someone so small you could put her in your back pocket and forget about her.
December 7, 2008
BBC: Lessons in being happy proposed
December 4, 2008
BBC: Happiness ‘rubs off on others’
Happiness is infectious and can spread like a "ripple" through social groups, according to US researchers.
November 26, 2008
Positive Psychology Daily: Happy Thanksgiving 2008
Gratitude thoughts:
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Thanksgiving as Gratitude Day.
Huddling together during Thanksgiving.
Gratitude for what you do have.
Gratitude for the bad things that are avoided.
Benefits of love, gratitude, and kindness may become even stronger in the limbic system during difficult times.
“If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands.” If you’re proud of someone and you know it, praise their effort.
Gratitude and its energy and spiritual energy.
Gratitude helps you live longer - one of the four ingredients of the aging Happy-Well.
A 7-year-old talks about the power of “Three Good Things” every night.
November 6, 2008
Psychology Today: Get unplugged for peace of mind.
The superconnected may develop a dual-dependency, says Robert Bornstein, a psychologist at Adelphi University in Long Island. They're not only counting on other people too much; they're also hooked on the devices themselves, sometimes to the point where they feel utterly disconnected, isolated, and detached without them.
October 28, 2008
Positive Psychology Daily: The Biology of Happiness
How does happiness work in the body? Here is where the mystery starts: if DNA is the powerhouse of the cell, then is it true that your happiness is set at birth? Not exactly. Yes, the genes in your DNA have a role. For example, there are genetic differences among people that affect the production and transportation of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that modulates anger, aggression, and mood. Thus you may be more genetically prone to depression and experiencing less happiness than some other people because of the genes that control your serotonin system. But believing this is the whole story is a recipe for learned helplessness. Truly believing you are doomed by genetics may prevent you from ever taking steps to make positive changes in your life. Happiness and life-satisfaction levels are only partially pre-programmed. Making yourself happier is not as futile as trying to make yourself taller.
September 9, 2008
Sunlight reduces stress & helps patients recover quicker
Psychology Today has a brief article on one of the most obvious yet least acted upon methods to improve our happiness. Getting more sunlight.
Patients in recovery rooms full of natural light take less pain medication, and, days after surgery, they report lower stress levels. Their hastened healing may be due to sunlight's ability to stimulate serotonin production, which helps regulate mood, sleep, and sex drive.
September 3, 2008
BBC: Brain chemistry winter blues link
Scientists have pinpointed seasonal changes in brain chemistry which may cause some people to get the winter blues.
August 28, 2008
Powys: Peace, trust, and friendliness make us the happiest place in the UK.
Residents in Powys explain why the county is the happiest place in the UK to live. "Powys has some of the lowest crimes rates in the UK and that gives us peace of mind." Mrs Dunsford, 62, said: "Everybody knows each other and it's such a friendly place. A five-minute trip to the shops can turn into 20 minutes when you stop and chat."


