Action for Happiness

Life is short and we spend most of our waking lives at work. It's a big part of who we are, so it's important that however we earn a living, we also enjoy what we do, ideally in a role that complements important priorities in our lives like family and relationships. No-one on their deathbed looks back wishing they'd spent more time in the office.

Living a happier life isn't just good for people, it could also hold the key to saving our planet - by encouraging us to focus less on excessive material consumption and more on the things that really make us happy. If we can switch the goal of modern society away from just maximising material prosperity towards maximising all-round human well-being, we not only improve people's lives, we can also help preserve our planet for future generations.

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.

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.

Summer camps can be a truly life-changing positive experience for youngsters from both well-off and disadvantaged families. Not only do they have a great time, they make new friends, discover new things they can do, contribute to a happy community and feel the joy that comes from being part of something good.

In recent decades our lives have become increasingly orientated in the service of the economy, rather than the other way around. Yet economic growth is really just a means to an end; it only matters if it contributes to social progress and human wellbeing. Mark Williamson explains why a happier society requires both requires both policy and social change and responds to the first results of the UK government’s initiative to measure our levels of wellbeing.

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.

Wow, what a year 2011 has been. So many happy memories! This is just the beginning of the journey towards a happier society - and we still need huge changes right across our society - but there has been a lot of encouraging progress during the year. Here are some of the highlights.

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 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.

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.

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!

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".

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.

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".

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.