A new book, The World Book of Happiness by Leo Bormans has drawn together research and discoveries of the world’s leading experts on the psychology of happiness. In the book Mr Bormans uses evidence based material that aims to unlock the secrets of happy people the Daily Mail reports.
“Happiness can be learned, but finding meaning and a purpose in life is what leads to it, not the other way around”, says Mr Bormans. The happiest people appreciate and realise that being happy adds years to their life, and life to their years”.
The book goes on to claim that research has shown that happy people have modest levels of expectation and aspirations, know how to avoid disappointments and how to generate pleasant surprises, while unhappy people never seem to get what they want.
“We spend a lot of time complaining about the things that happen to us, but this is a waste of time and effort. To be happy, we need to enjoy what we have,” says Dr Jose de Jesus Garcia Vega, of the University of Monterrey, Mexico.
“Happy people do what they enjoy and enjoy what they do. There’s no point being stuck in a job you hate, surrounded by unfriendly colleagues just because the money is good, people forget that they are allowed to be happy at work, too”.
Ingrida Geciene of Vilnius University, Lithuania, whose research was featured in the book found that ‘voluntarists’ (people who feel they have free choice and complete control over their life) were happier than fatalists (people who think little can be changed by personal intervention).
Miriam Akhtar, one of the first positive psychologists in the UK who was featured in the book claims “we need to switch from a negative, glass-half-empty outlook to a glass-half-full and put optimism into practice to be happiest. Optimism is the mind’s natural self-defence mechanism against depression.”
Other advice found in the book includes:
- Live for today
Don’t dwell on the past, on things that went wrong or previous failures. Similarly, don’t dream about an idealised future that doesn’t exist or worry about what hasn’t happened yet. - Choose happiness
Don’t be afraid to step back and re-evaluate your goals. Imagine your life as a story that you can edit and revise as you go along. This kind of flexible approach requires positive thinking and an open mind – you need to actively choose to be happy. - Relationships
We get our happiness from other people, and from supporting other people. Remember that just as other people can make us happy, we are all ‘other people’ to someone else. - Stay busy
If you want to be happier, develop an outgoing, social personality – accept that drinks invitation, join the walking club, book group or choir. - Don’t compare
Ambition is healthy and makes people happy, explains Claudia Senik, a professor at the University of Paris-Sorbonne, but envy makes them unhappy. Yet comparisons with others can spoil the benefits of ambition and are only useful if you learn something from them. Focus on your goals and dreams so you can enjoy your ambition and achievements. - Be yourself
Happy people are spontaneous, natural and real; they say what they think and feel, and aren’t concerned what others think of them. Being oneself makes one feel free and authentic. - Stop worrying
Don’t take yourself too seriously. Happy people don’t worry and they recognise that 90 per cent of worries never come true. - Get organised
You might envy those laid-back bohemian types who just do things on the spur of the moment, but don’t be fooled. Happy people plan and organise, they have goals and a purpose. - Think positive
Bottling up emotions and bad feelings creates psychological distress and physical discomfort. Happy people get things off their chest, their motto is: get rid of it, or it will get rid of you. Similarly, work at developing optimistic thinking; happy people always look on the bright side.
To read about the 50 things that make us happy click here.
How do you keep happy? Tell us your tips and advice for tutors and lecturers in the comments box below.
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by Lucy Rowe
