Happiness

[Introduction to, 9 Keys to Happiness: Positive Psychology, ?2023]

Happiness is sometimes elusive. We all want to be happy -- perhaps it’s even a basic human right, though some would say too much emphasis is placed on happiness, and its definition is surely subjective -- and culturally specific.

Positive psychology, in existence as a specialty field since 1998, has a great deal to say about happiness. This approach to psychology was developed to be complementary to other schools of thought, which tend to center on a medical model of disease and approaches to understanding and curing mental illness. In antithesis, positive psychology takes as its focus all that goes well with the human mind -- and how we can focus on and gain more of that, in a strengths-based approach (Seligman, 2019).

The brain, after all, and its counterpart the mind, a term we use for those less well explained functions of the organ itself -- such as emotions, consciousness, personality, and identity -- is a most mysterious thing of beauty. It’s thought to be the final frontier in scientific research, as there’s still so much about its function that we don't completely understand. Yet, we each possess one -- and to one degree or another, we feel that we know our own minds.

So much gets in the way of happiness, however. Much of what happens to us -- the family, culture, era, and circumstances in which we're born, the trajectory of our lives, disease or other challenges we may face -- seems beyond our control, and often greatly impacts our ability to feel happy, to experience pleasure, to find contentment. In recent years, there’s an ever-growing despair around the world, that our climate and possibly our species – largely as a result of our own actions -- is heading for an imminent crisis and collapse.

And yet --

Happiness is learned. That's not quite the same as saying it's a choice, for much can stand in the way of what we perceive as a simple choice to be happy. It is, however, something we can learn, strengthen, and practice daily, like any skill or habit. Some of that is an unlearning -- letting go of those patterns of thought that prevent us from experiencing happiness, such as perfectionism, maximizing, or social comparison. At the same time, we can learn and implement healthier behaviors, by which we develop new neural pathways in our brains, at any age.

This is where positive psychology can help.

According to the research of Alexander et al. (2021), what we call 'happiness', together with wellbeing and a general satisfaction with life, form a complex combination of emotions and stimuli stemming from our experiences and how we interpret them. This allows for a wide range, as the same experience can be interpreted in a multitude of ways; it also gives us a fair measure of control over our response. The same study found that happiness tends to increase with age, good news for us all. Social connectedness, as well as our engagement in playful activity, enhance our capacity for happiness exponentially. And two of the techniques that best help us to achieve and sustain happiness and wellbeing are meditation or similar contemplative practice, and the experience of a 'flow' state -- deep serenity and intense focus, or being ‘in the zone', to be later discussed.

A key set of terms in the positive psychology field is buffering, bolstering, and building (Waters, et al., 2021). As a general approach to life, we want to buffer or protect ourselves against harmful influences such as the stressors that come and go in life, negative people, crises of health or other, our own spiraling down into darkness. We can learn many coping skills to help buffer against the fierce storms that may come our way. Bolstering refers to the support that surrounds us: our own mental resources, and the habits and people who help us maintain a sense of equilibrium. In building, we’re adding to our skills, learning new ways to be healthy and happy while letting go of those ways that aren't helpful.

The PERMA model of positive psychology (Seligman, 2018) can be useful: positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment. Firstly, we want to identify and strengthen our positive emotions, and there are many exercises that can help us do just that. Engagement is the experience of going along with the current of one's life rather than fighting against it, not in terms of resignation but in being fully engaged with the daily rhythms of one's existence and following one’s fate, if you will. It also describes that ‘flow’ phenomenon previously mentioned, of intense focus coupled with a sense of being ‘elsewhere’, a primary element of creativity. The artist describes the process of making art as a phenomenon that flows through the artist and onto the canvas, the writer a similar process in the development of a book. Each of us can also experience ‘flow’ as we engage in our own creativity. Inspiration feels much the same, as the idea flows into our head and through our being as if water.

Relationships, in the PERMA model, are a reference to general social connectedness rather than isolation. While considering the distinctions between extraverts and introverts, for example, this is not to say that engaging with others is superior to solitude; rather, a close relationship or two can be sufficient in that we feel seen, heard, and supported, which bolster our psyche and our resilience. The idea of 'meaning' refers to a sense of purpose in life, in opposition to a belief that one's life is meaningless. It doesn't describe the degree of significance, or two whom, and meaning can be derived from a vast array of sources that may have nothing to do with fame or recognition by others. A life of meaning can be as simple -- and as profound -- as engaging in small and anonymous acts of kindness in order to contribute to the wellbeing of others, and in so doing, to help make the world a better place. There are countless ways to discover and embrace meaning in one's life. And finally: accomplishment. Like meaning, this is entirely subjective and not proscribed; accomplishment, in this model, refers simply to a feeling of achievement -- in new awareness and understanding, a new or improved skill, in the living of a good life as one deems it.

Most of us don’t strive for greatness. We want to live a life that feels meaningful to us, have a general sense of accomplishment and capability, create and develop bonds with others, be fully engaged in our lives including our creativity, and experience more positive than negative emotions. Together, these 5 areas constitute positive psychology -- and go a very long way in the pursuit of happiness.

Some of the primary areas of positive psychology, alongside that of happiness and a contented life, can be found in a focus on one's existing strengths and virtues (to be later discussed), resilience, mindfulness, and the aforementioned meaning-making as well as 'flow', or engagement, creativity, and inspiration. The field embraces self-compassion, positive emotions and social relatedness, coping, and courage. (Neuhaus et al., 2022)

Our ability to experience happiness can be compromised by many things, not the least of which is our mental health and wellbeing, as well as personality type; other factors often considered include socioeconomics, attachment or ability to form healthy social bonds, physical health, goals and perceived ability to achieve them, and conditions of time and place.

And why should we care about happiness? Naturally, creatures human and otherwise seek pleasure and contentment, two core aspects of happiness no matter how its definition may vary. Beyond that, however, our positive emotions lend themselves to an increased immune function and overall health including longevity, work performance, quality of relationships, prosocial behavior, creativity, resilience, and coping mechanisms. Simply put, when we're happier, we're healthier, and we function better.

A good deal of research is currently being conducted in the relationship between happiness and health, a longstanding scientific interest but of particular emphasis recently, as indicated in multiple reviews of the literature (Brazier et al., 2022; Cheng et al., 2022; Levine et al., 2021; Pressman et al., 2019; Van Eijk et al., 2023). As an example, the study of Kushlev et al. (2020) demonstrated that when participants engaged in activities meant to boost their wellbeing and state of mind, they consistently reported improvement in physical health as well.

Many studies included in the reviews above have indicated a bidirectionality: happiness or lack thereof affects health, and the reverse is also true. We can easily understand that if our physical health is compromised, it's difficult to feel happiness; the more interesting news is its parallel, in that our efforts to achieve and sustain happiness will also have direct bearing on our physical as well as mental health. Further, our happiness is not only found in the ‘hedonic’ area -- our feelings of joy and pleasure -- but also in the ‘eudaimonic’ realm, in having a sense of meaning and purpose in life, as well as how we evaluate our wellbeing, typically referred to as life satisfaction -- and its absence in our life can directly contribute to an increased risk of disease (Steptoe, 2019).

There are so many wide-ranging reasons for us to actively engage in activities and practices for increasing and sustaining our sense of happiness.

In yet another study, this time by An et al. (2020), physical activity was found to directly relate to happiness and overall life satisfaction, and across all age groups. This does not exclude those with disability, for whether we are capable of physical activity ourselves, or rely on someone else such as a family caregiver or physical therapist to exercise our bodies for us, the end result is similar. This study, too, found that happiness and life satisfaction tend to increase with age. This may seem counterintuitive, as our overall ability, stamina, and desirability decrease with age, yet studies consistently show that the older we get, the happier we tend to be.

And now, to our 9 keys to happiness.

There's a very useful Venn diagram of happiness, as conceptualized by the field of positive psychology -- and as a framework for this book. In it, there are 3 realms of a person's existence: the pleasant life, the good life, and the meaningful life.

In the pleasant life, we enjoy our simple pleasures of daily living -- our food, home, bed at night, relationships. The good life is that area in which we focus on our strengths and our virtues, and strive to live what we consider a decent life, one in which we know and engage our skills and talents, and the values we embrace. The third, a meaningful life, encompasses all that which subjectively brings us meaning and purpose: kindness toward others, volunteer or charity work, teaching what we know to others, or in any other way that we contribute to the greater good and a better world.

In this Venn diagram, happiness lies at the overlap of these 3 realms. But how do we achieve and sustain it?

This handbook provides 9 keys to happiness, based on these principles of positive psychology. In it, we have "3 of 3" -- these 3 areas of the pleasant, good, and meaningful realms of our life, and 3 key factors within each that can bring us greater, and sustainable, happiness. Nine practices, with minimal to moderate effort, for a happy life.

Let's begin, shall we?

9 Keys to Happiness, by Anne Hilty, ?2023

.

References:

Alexander R, Aragón OR, Bookwala J, et al. (2021). The neuroscience of positive emotions and affect: Implications for cultivating happiness and wellbeing, Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, v121, 220-249, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.12.002 ?

An H, Chen W, Wang C, et al. (2020). The Relationships between Physical Activity and Life Satisfaction and Happiness among Young, Middle-Aged, and Older Adults.?International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(13):4817. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17134817

Brazier J, Peasgood T, Mukuria C, et al. (2022). The EQ-HWB: Overview of the Development of a Measure of Health and Wellbeing and Key Results. Value in Health 25:4, 482-491. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jval.2022.01.009 ??

Cheng A, Leung Y, and Brodaty H (2022). A systematic review of the associations, mediators and moderators of life satisfaction, positive affect and happiness in near-centenarians and centenarians. Aging & Mental Health 26:4, 651-666. https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2021.1891197

Kushlev K, Heintzelman SJ, Lutes LD, et al. (2020). Does Happiness Improve Health? Evidence From a Randomized Controlled Trial. Psychological Science, 31(7), 807–821. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797620919673

Levine GN, Cohen BE, Commodore-Mensah Y, et al. (2021). Psychological Health, Well-Being, and the Mind-Heart-Body Connection: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association. Circulation 143:10, e763-e783. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000947

Neuhaus M, Young T, Ferris LJ, et al. (2022). A Narrative Review of Peer-Led Positive Psychology Interventions: Current Evidence, Potential, and Future Directions.?International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(13):8065. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19138065

Pressman SD,?Jenkins BN,?and Moskowitz JT (2019). Positive Affect and Health: What Do We Know and Where Next Should We Go? Annual Review of Psychology?70:1,?627-650. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-010418-102955

Seligman ME (2018). PERMA and the building blocks of well-being, Journal of Positive Psychology 13:4, 333-335. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2018.1437466

Seligman ME (2019). Positive Psychology: A Personal History. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology?15:1,?1-23. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-050718-095653

Steptoe A (2019). Happiness and Health. Annual Review of Public Health,?40(1),?339-359. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-040218-044150 ?

Van Eijk C, Van der Vlegel-Brouwer W, and Bussemaker J (2023). Healthy and Happy Citizens: The Opportunities and Challenges of Co-Producing Citizens’ Health and Well-Being in Vulnerable Neighborhoods.?Administrative Sciences 13:2:46. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci13020046

Waters L, Algoe SB, Dutton J, et al.?(2022).?Positive psychology in a pandemic: buffering, bolstering, and building mental health,?The Journal of Positive Psychology,?17:3,?303-323.?https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2021.1871945

?