New Civilization News: just in.. what makes us happy?    
 just in.. what makes us happy? 4 comments
23 Feb 2010 @ 01:44, by Marissa A Spencer

A great article written by Clara Moskowitz from Live Science... at this site

[link]

(an excerpt of her article)

5 Things That Will Make You Happier
LiveScience.com



LiveScience.com clara Moskowitz
livescience Senior Writer
livescience.com – Mon Feb 22, 11:50 am ET




Here are five things that research has shown can improve happiness:

1. Be grateful - Some study participants were asked to write letters of gratitude to people who had helped them in some way. The study found that these people reported a lasting increase in happiness - over weeks and even months - after implementing the habit. What's even more surprising: Sending the letter is not necessary. Even when people wrote letters but never delivered them to the addressee, they still reported feeling better afterwards.

2. Be optimistic - Another practice that seems to help is optimistic thinking. Study participants were asked to visualize an ideal future - for example, living with a loving and supportive partner, or finding a job that was fulfilling - and describe the image in a journal entry. After doing this for a few weeks, these people too reported increased feelings of well-being.

3. Count your blessings - People who practice writing down three good things that have happened to them every week show significant boosts in happiness, studies have found. It seems the act of focusing on the positive helps people remember reasons to be glad.

4. Use your strengths - Another study asked people to identify their greatest strengths, and then to try to use these strengths in new ways. For example, someone who says they have a good sense of humor could try telling jokes to lighten up business meetings or cheer up sad friends. This habit, too, seems to heighten happiness.

5. Commit acts of kindness - It turns out helping others also helps ourselves. People who donate time or money to charity, or who altruistically assist people in need, report improvements in their own happiness.
Lyubomirsky has also created an iPhone application, called Live Happy, to help people boost their well-being.


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4 comments

25 Feb 2010 @ 11:21 by susannahbe : Happiness
Well, I agree with all the 5 things you listed here. Good advice!
I shall check out the link later.

Nice post Marissa. :-)  

25 Feb 2010 @ 11:44 by scotty : Hey Marissa
nice to have you back posting again !
keep it up ;-)  

1 Oct 2010 @ 21:26 by robjeff76 : 5 Things to assist in happiness.
I found this very helpful. I shall pass this on (with acknowledgment of course) to individuals who I perceive could benefit from such information. Thanks for posting this.  

15 Oct 2010 @ 16:36 by skookum : thank you all
I shall be posting more.  

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