Action for Happiness

Paul Sternberg reflects on how faith traditions and modern science both show us the importance of inner wisdom and outer generosity. They suggest that we should let go of trying to always get what we want or feeding the appetites and desires that we are encouraged to think we need. Instead they point us towards a life which is lived with intention and meaning in spite of, rather than because of, the trappings of mainstream culture.

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.

During the recent Olympic Games in London an unparalleled mood of optimism and hope swept across the UK. It was without doubt an extraordinary few weeks. The question now is whether we can maintain and capitalize on that amazing sense of optimism now that the games are over and life is settling back to normal.

Today sees the publication of the first annual subjective wellbeing data from the UK Office for National Statistics. For the first time, official data shows how people's perceived quality of life varies with key factors such as health, work situation, geographic region, relationships and ethnic group. Many commentators are focusing on the variations in wellbeing across these factors. However, the much more important finding from today's publication is that the variation in subjective well-being within any particular population grouping is generally much greater than the variation between such groupings.

In just 18 days and with a very low budget the Happy City Initiative has created an entire programme of events at the amphitheatre in Bristol this weekend to inspire, involve and delight, and to showcase how great feats can be accomplished by many people doing small things.

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.

Today is World Happy Day and thousands of people are joining together in communities all over the world to watch the film Happy. Screenings are taking place at over 600 locations in 60 countries across all 7 continents. Happy is an inspiring documentary from Academy Award nominated director Roko Belic (Genghis Blues) that aims to discover what really makes us happy.

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.

Roko Belic’s Happy is a hugely inspiring film. Its cast of characters is anything but stereotypical. We meet pensioners from Okinawa, Danish co-housing inhabitants, Namibian Bushmen, a disfigured former debutante from America, a surfer from Brazil, an Indian rickshaw driver, an amateur crab fisherman from Louisiana, and some unusually down-to-earth academics. The film reminds us of some simple truths about happiness - which many of us tend to forget amid the distracting sensory bombardment of modern life

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?

A new study reports that a happy teen is less likely to be involved in criminal activities or use drugs. The researchers evaluated results from the largest, most comprehensive survey of adolescents ever undertaken.

In the aftermath of last night's riots in London and other UK cities people are shocked and angry. Happiness seems almost irrelevant. Yet if we stop to look at what might be the underlying drivers of this behaviour, many of these lead back to important issues at the heart of the happiness agenda.

Action for Happiness calls for government action to improve well-being not just measure it. As the government today confirms its plans to measure national well-being, Action for Happiness is calling on the government to start reshaping policy to increase well-being. It is urging much greater priority for mental health, life skills education and support for the most disadvantaged.

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.

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.

After 2008, we entered a 'beyond-growth' economy, argues Jules Peck. Today, we need enterprises that aim to deliver wellbeing

Martin Seligman lays out his vision for 51% of the world's population to be "flourishing" by 2051

People living in countries with governments that have a greater number of social services report being more satisfied with life, according to a study by a Baylor University researcher.

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.

How do people "bounce back" after a period of adversity in their lives? It's a question hundreds of women in community centres across London have been grappling with in recent months. In all, 320 women in 20 boroughs volunteered to take part in a series of eight workshops with the alluring title of "DIY Happiness".

"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.