Action for Happiness

Our built-in negativity bias served our ancestors well when facing daily threats on the Savannah. But now it poses serious risks to our wellbeing, especially when combined with a relentless diet of negativity in our media. But all is not lost. We can counter the negativity bias by actively focusing on the good things happening around us, by doing kind acts to help others and by inspiring others to do the same.

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.

People who measured and tracked their mood last year were much more likely to beat the New Year Blues, and researchers expect the same to be true in 2013. Statistics released by online mood-tracking service Moodscope show that the daily 'happiness scores' of those who began recording them in the first four days of January 2012 started at an average of 34% but had risen to 51% by month-end, while the scores of those who had not used the service rose from 34% to just 38%.

Lucy Roberts explains how spending a weekend learning about the "science of happiness", and practical ways to apply it, left her happier, more fulfilled and still feeling the positive effects in her life six months later.

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.

Positive psychology is the scientific study of happiness which, in the dozen or so years of its existence, has generated a number of tools that have been scientifically proven to increase positivity, happiness and well-being. Not so well known is that a delightful consequence of these evidence-based techniques is that they also alleviate depression.

It's a popular myth that the third Monday in January is the most depressing day of the year. But "Blue Monday" has no real scientific basis and was dreamt up as a marketing idea. Although January may feel a bit of an anti-climax it doesn't need to be a gloomy month. As the saying goes, "There's no such thing as the wrong weather, just the wrong clothes". So with that mindset let's ignore the gloom-mongers and embrace what January brings.

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.

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 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 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.

Do we laugh enough or should we learn to laugh more? Joyful, good-natured laughter is a tonic for our body, mind, emotions and spirit and can bring serious health benefits. In many ways it is the ultimate drug, with no harmful side-effects.

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.

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

A new campaign to make everyone feel more cheerful will be trialled by the NHS. Taking as its template the “five-a-day” campaign to get us eating more fruit and vegetables, Mindapples is a “five-a-day for your mind” programme to benefit mental well-being.

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.

Remembering the good times and forgetting about the bad are the keys to happiness, claims a new study. Researchers found that people with personality traits that allow them to be nostalgic about the past have higher life satisfaction than those who exaggerate or mull over their failures.

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.

Researchers found "clear and compelling evidence" that happiness paves the way to better health and longer lifespans. The review of more than 160 studies found the evidence connecting an upbeat outlook to a healthier life was even stronger than that linking obesity to reduced longevity. It backed previous studies that found a “glass half full” approach was good for your health.

“If you don’t like something, change it; if you can’t change it, change the way you think about it.” This quote by children’s author Mary Engelbreit summarizes the past few years of Faisal Sethi’s life. It’s a path that led the creative director to create a website called Happyrambles that encourages users to write down things they’re grateful for every day.

If negative emotions lead to a narrow view of problem solving and coping, and when chronic, tend to prompt a downward spiral in mood, could there also be an upward spiral that expands thinking and problem solving capabilities from experiencing positive emotions? Some of the most fascinating research in positive psychology has come from Barbara Fredrickson in examining this concept.

A study of nearly 10,000 people found that, 2 years later, those with higher rates of happiness and life satisfaction reported 50 percent better health and less long-term, limiting health conditions. Another long-term study of nuns discovered that those who wrote autobiographies reflecting happiness, love, and hope at a young age had a 2.5 times lower risk of dying early than their gloomier young counterparts.

The concept of happiness is universally understood, yet escapes all comprehension. Can someone really be both unhappy everyday and happy over a lifetime? Does the notion of happiness change throughout the world, between communities, between people? Most importantly, do we have any choice in the matter? Recent research in psychology, economics and public policy may help unravel this tangled knot of questions.

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.

Maybe you thought it was money, sex or food, but experts are saying that the key to happiness is something entirely different. It's something that anyone can have at any time. It's simple and it's vital. It's gratitude. Recent research shows that a daily gratitude practice can lead to increased concentration, enthusiasm, optimism and satisfaction -- not to mention improved sleep quality and a greater sense of connection to others.

It turns out, giving thanks is good for your health. A growing body of research suggests that maintaining an attitude of gratitude can improve psychological, emotional and physical well-being.