Thoughts, ideas, links and discussions which we hope you will find useful day to day in your working life...
Mental Health Awareness Week – Happiness
Everybody wants to be happy. It is one of the fundamental things that we cherish and pursue in life, for ourselves and our loved ones. Psychological research has shown that with the right approach, you can actually increase your happiness in the space of minutes each day, by up to 40%! That’s an increase in your levels of happiness, day after day, if you adopt these approaches. Who wouldn’t want that?!
Check out our videos throughout this email that quickly teach you how you can be happier every day.
Happiness brings Success: Many people think that success brings happiness, or they will only be happy once they are successful, but actually the opposite is true. Being happy makes you more successful, as research shows that when you are happy you are more creative, better at problem solving and your cognitive function is at its optimum.
Gratitude Increases Happiness: Research shows that the levels of our happiness can be increased by increasing the amount of gratitude we show to others on a daily basis. In fact, your levels of happiness could increase by as much as 19% after sharing your deep gratitude with someone who has a great influence on your life. The people who experience the greatest rise in their levels of happiness after sharing their gratitude are the people who are least happy before. Take a look at the videos in this link (http://www.thinkingbetter.org.uk/gratitude.html) that shows how positively impacting sharing gratitude can be on the people we care about the most. Making other people happy, especially the people we care about the most, certainly increases our levels of happiness. This simple act can be freeing, life affirming and perhaps one of the most powerful things you can do in your life, to positively impact the life of others. Recognise the positive impact that others have had on you and articulate that to them.
Forgive & Forget: Psychological research has found that people who forgive others and don’t bear grudges are prone to reduced stress levels, better heart health, lower anxiety levels and a higher pain theshold. In a nutshell, they are happier than people who hold onto grudges or the pain of a negative event. Unforgiveness is like a cancer that eats away at you, reducing your levels of happiness, increasing anxiety and depression. It is morally good to forgive others, but from a selfish point of view, forgiving someone, whether they deserve it or not, will improve your levels of happiness and your health. Take a look at the video in the link for more on this very important topic.
Kindness Brings Happiness: A 2005 Psychological study showed that if people increased their normal levels of kindness, to say 5 acts of kindness per day, it significantly increased their levels of happiness, by as much as 22%. Imagine, it is actually within your control to increase your levels of happiness, through something as simple as to show an increased kindness to others. So, what are you waiting for? Take a look at the video in the link for a fun and insightful look at this very important topic.
