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HOW TO BE HAPPIER: SOME SCIENTIFIC SECRETS Based on a short lecture by Dr. Edward Pohlman, PhD GRATITUDE Studdies of two matched groups; one asked to keep a daily log of all of the things that they were grateful for; the other to keep a log of all of their resentments and hostilities. When both were tested some time later, the first group were found to have surprisingly better measures of certain physical factors and symptoms. The researchers concluded that focus on gratitude reduces envy, resentment, regret, and other negative feelings. LOVING "The Art of Loving" is an ancient but still wise book by psychiatrist Erich Fromm. One central emphasis: instead of a focus on trying to be lov-ABLE, ie. changing yourself to be worthy of love; you should REACH OUT in ACTIVE DEEDS of LOVE. EXERCISE It is known that physical exercise gives you new outlook on your happiness and well being. It improves your Mood and reduces grumpiness. Actions influence emotions. (See Smiling. It is good exercise for the cheek muscles.) SMILING This relates to a now accepted theory put forth over a hundred years ago by famous pioneering psychologists, James and Lange. They determined that actions influence happiness. You can be happier because you smile. Do you smile because you are happy, or are you happy because you smile? Think about it. (I add) Smiling even when you are talking on the phone can be detected by the listener and perhaps he or she will smile back. DE-EMPHASISE MATERIAL THINGS There is no price tag on happiness. In a study by economist Easterlin of USC; data on 1500 people surveyed repeatedly over a 28 year period ... increases in wealth and material possessions improve happiness only briefly. [two reasons] (1)When you get something new, the thrill quickly wears off, and (2) there's always someone out there who has something better. The study shows that Family, Friends, and Home really pay higher returns in happiness. Research reported in Discover Magazine (June 2003) shows that a poor, black South African surviving on $200 a year is, on average, as happy as an upper-middle-class American earning $70,000 per year. Income and material things seem strikingly unrelated to self-ratings of happiness. In other research looking at recent lottery winners, before and after; and those who in accidents were suddenly made paraplegics; after about a six month "novelty adjustment" period, self-rated happiness levels did not seem to have changed that much from before. FORGIVENESS Dr. Pohlman, during the question and answer period agreed with a questioner that Forgiveness can have a very strong influence on your happiness. I add, one must be able to forgive themselves as well as others for even the slightest as well as the most severe infractions. This was not included in his talk, because there is not yet a published scientific treatise of any studies of the effects of forgiveness. As good Christians, we look to the bible and other masterful works of Christian literature for proof of this. Joe Finnell |