Action for Happiness

Caring about happiness isn't some luxury just for the privileged few. Happiness is a basic human need and we should take it into account when thinking about the way we support vulnerable people. There are practical ways we can help people make the most of their present circumstances, however challenging. This can help provide energy and motivation for people to address problems, set goals, be resilient to set backs and to progress in life. This focus needs to run alongside the traditional model of support, not follow on afterwards.

Many people going back to work this week will be feeling miserable. The holidays are over, predictions of more economic turmoil abound, and many people will be returning to jobs that they don't enjoy at the best of times. Action for Happiness is proposing a New Year 'resolution' with a difference. Rather than going back to work feeling fed up, people are being asked to commit to make their workplace a happier one in 2013 - and to encourage their employers and colleagues to do the same.

As we begin the new year and people plan their 'resolutions' for 2013, Action for Happiness is encouraging a different approach from the usual, dull self-improvement list. Instead, people are being encouraged to do things to make themselves and others around them happier. Evidence shows that how happy we are has a greater impact on our health and how long we live than stopping smoking or losing weight.

Saturday 10th November 2012 is Scotland's Happiness Day, a unique and inspiring day of activities organised by Action for Happiness supporter Kim Macleod. In this inspiring article she explains what motivated her to put on the event and why she believes we all deserve to be happy - even when things go wrong in life - and how we can all do things to make others around us happier too.

If success is defined by the amount of money made, perhaps an attitude of ruthlessness is necessary. But if instead we are compassionate, not only does it make us feel happy but it also benefits the people around us. While succeeding at the expense of others may mean people admire us, this is not as valuable as friendship. People who live with compassion naturally tend to invite more respect, fuelled by love rather than fear.

Each of us feels better about ourselves when we help other people. A generous life is a life well lived, and a happier life. The challenge is to find a way to lead a more generous life in the real world. Generosity isn't just about money; giving of ourselves is the greatest act of generosity. We can all become leaders and authors of change, by living more generous, proactive lives, by inspiring each other and by setting an example to our friends and to our children.

The simple things in life - like spending time with family - make us the happiest, a survey has revealed. More than a quarter of us say that just having someone be nice to us puts us in a good mood, according to the Feel Good Factor index published by PruHealth. Although squeezed households still love a bargain, most of the things that made us happiest cost nothing.

Many people going back to work today will be feeling miserable. The holidays are over, predictions of more economic turmoil abound, and many people will be returning to jobs that they don't enjoy at the best of times. Action for Happiness is proposing a New Year 'resolution' with a difference. Rather than going back to work feeling fed up, people are being asked to commit to make their workplace a happier one in 2012 - and to encourage their employers and colleagues to do the same.

As a new year approaches and people plan their 'resolutions' for the year ahead, Action for Happiness is encouraging a different approach from the usual, dull self-improvement list. Instead, people are being asked to take the Action for Happiness pledge and do things to make themselves and others happier. Evidence shows that how happy you are can have a greater impact on your health and how long you live than stopping smoking or losing weight.

Today sees a call for radical change in the way we treat people at work, as we launch a new Manifesto for happier workplaces. A happy, fulfilling work environment isn't just great for staff, it also delivers huge benefits to business in terms of a more motivated workforce, improved productivity and ultimately better long-term financial performance.

This summer the UK was rocked by riots with young people playing the major role in the looting of shops. Mariam Akhtar asks whether the use of positive psychology can connect with disaffected adolescents and help them to be more resilient and find better routes to happiness and positive emotions?

The path to inner joy is simple – do acts of kindness, relax and be thankful for what you've got. According to Action for Happiness, little things like this can really improve our lives. But can they really work? Hannah Booth spent a week putting them to the test.

A fundamental cultural change is underway in Britain: we are beginning to think that the purpose of life and of government might be the well-being of the people rather than the creation of wealth. Similar subversive ideas are growing in other rich countries, but they are more advanced in Britain than elsewhere.

In September 2010, an eclectic group was brought together by Martin Seligman, founder of the Positive Psychology movement, to share thoughts on the subject of "flourishing". Attendees included headmasters, a doctor, a psychiatrist, a poet, an economist, a neuroscientist, authors, professors, students, philanthropists, game inventors and a movie producer. Lindsay Doran shares what she learnt.

Chronic illnesses and disabilities have a dramatic impact on individuals and their families. But research shows that people can successfully achieve a good quality of life despite these severe constraints. We need a more positive and rounded approach to support their well-being.

Is this the beginning of a big cultural shift? We think it's fantastic that so many people are now talking about happiness. They're starting to recognise that it comes less from money or material things and more from great relationships, peace of mind and being part of something bigger.

When we think of side effects, the first thing that springs to mind are the side effects of drugs. But who'd have thought that kindness could have side effects, too? Well, it does! And positive ones at that. It makes us happier and healthier; it also helps us live longer and have better relationships.

Film director David Puttnam considers areas where we can contribute to our collective happiness. He argues that the key is to put our longer-term needs - such as living sustainably and having a deeper commitment to our communities - ahead of our short-term individual desires.

Action for Happiness member Dr Chris Johnstone is a specialist in the psychology of resilience, happiness and positive change. In this article he explains why the deepest satisfactions tend not to be those that come most easily. There’s often a journey involved.

It's been an incredible few weeks for our movement. We officially launched on April 12 and created a huge buzz across television, radio, newspapers and online. Over 12,000 of us have now joined from more than 100 countries which is a fantastic start!

If you want to be happy, elect your boss, take a break from your mobile phone and give to charity — that's the advice from a new global movement for happiness whose members include the Dalai Lama.

Anthony Seldon reveals the five most important things he has learned in his life. As the head of Wellington College, he threw out GCSEs and established his own curriculum - which includes lessons in happiness.

An exciting thing happened in London, on Tuesday. Action for Happiness, a new charity, celebrated its launch. Action for Happiness' mission is to encourage people to increase the happiness of others. Because doing good feels good. They have already connected with a wide range of charities, companies, and community organizations which promote happiness, and are looking to expand their already global network.

As drivers angrily beeped their horns and cyclists weaved impatiently through London's traffic, Amandeep Hothi stood cheerily on the pavement holding aloft a sign offering, in pink letters, "Free Hugs". Hothi is part of a new group called Action for Happiness, whose members aim to boost the net amount of joy in the world by being kind to others and countering "an epidemic of loneliness and isolation".

The world's first membership organisation dedicated to spreading happiness has been officially launched. Action for Happiness, which claims to have 4,500 members in more than 60 countries, says it prioritises healthy relationships and meaningful activities as a means to happier living. It has ambitions to become what it calls "a global mass movement for fundamental cultural change".

Research suggests that despite having much more materially than previous generations, the country is no happier than it was half a century ago. Experts warn that unless we undergo a “radical cultural change”, Britain will slide into unprecedented depths of despair blighted by rising rates of suicide and depression. A group of eminent British thinkers from the worlds of education, economics and politics – backed by the Dalai Lama – yesterday launched a campaign to halt the nation’s psychological decline.

Today sees the launch of Action for Happiness - a new mass movement for social change founded by three pioneering thinkers, Richard Layard, Geoff Mulgan and Anthony Seldon. It is based on one simple idea – that if we want a happier society, we've got to approach our own lives in a way that prioritises the things that really matter, including the happiness of those around us.

Lord Richard Layard discusses what we can do to create a happier society. This lecture was presented on 10 March 2011. Lord Layard, Emeritus Professor of Economics at LSE explores four critical areas of our lives that can be optimised to increase happiness: income, human relationships, altruism and work. He goes on to discuss the Action for Happiness movement, which launches on 12 April 2011 and aims to encourage a mass movement of people pursuing a better way of life.

Do you agree that your life has a sense of purpose? Would you say that, overall, you have a lot to be proud of? Do you wish you lived somewhere else? Coming out of the blue, these are tricky questions to answer. Yet they aren’t aimed at adults. They come from a questionnaire for children aged 11 to 16.

Whether we are looking at studies of older adults, middle-aged women, or preteens, we see that altruistic behavior casts a halo effect over people’s lives, giving them greater longevity, lower rates of heart disease, and better mental health. This article provides six suggestions for how to expand your habits of helping.

Action for Happiness has partnered with BBC Breakfast to run a week-long Happiness Challenge all this week (24-29 Jan). The aim is to get members of the public trying out simple actions to improve their happiness, based on the latest scientific research.

Holiday shopping can be terrifying, yes. But research suggests it’s worth it: New studies attest to the benefits of giving—not just for the recipients but for the givers’ health and happiness, and for the strength of entire communities.

Studies show that wanting more than we have is a recipe for misery. On the other hand, wanting what we already have predicts happiness. Once our basic needs are met, experiences actually make us happier than any "thing" money can buy.

"Give blood. All you'll feel is good." As this campaign slogan illustrates, giving is good for both the recipient and the donor. Psychologists have conducted experiments to determine if this claim is true and it turns out that this is one slogan that passes the truth-in-advertising test. People reported experiencing increased moods before and after they donated blood.

Mark Williamson wrote this article for our friends at Do The Green Thing in support of their campaign for international Buy Nothing day. "Let’s stop aiming for lives filled with riches and focus instead on helping people lead richer lives".

Can we be truly, lastingly happy if we are not also kind, generous and compassionate? I tend to believe His Holiness the Dalai Lama: "If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion."

More than half of Britons believe helping others in the UK and abroad is important to achieving happiness, a new poll has revealed. On the eve of a new report into human wellbeing, the survey found that 75% of those asked believe helping people in the UK is key to happiness, with 54% citing helping those abroad as important to happiness.

What if it really is possible for individuals and whole societies to shape and boost their happiness? This simple but extraordinarily powerful idea lies behind Action for Happiness - a movement for positive social change.