The psychologist led a unique mass-participation “happiness experiment” aimed at putting a smile on people’s faces. Recent research suggests that only 36% of Britons are ‘very happy’ so Professor Wiseman set about fnding the best ways to banish the blues.
More than 26,000 people went online to join in the research and try out a selection of recognised mood-boosting techniques. The idea was that, since happiness is thought to be contagious, they would send ripples of cheerfulness across the UK.
According to the results, it seems to have worked. The sample showed they were 7% happier after the experiment. “The fgure is statistically signifcant,” said Professor Wiseman, “I thought we wouldn’t see a change, but we got a 7% rise.”
"Thinking about one positive thing that had happened the day before appears to have been by far the most effective technique.”
“There was no big improvement in the weather or anything in the news that could have accounted for it”, he says. “Who knows, but I like to think we might have cheered up the nation!” “Everyday may not be good, but there is something good in every day.”
Why not see if the techniques used by Professor Wiseman in his ‘Happiness Experiment’ can have a positive impact on your own happiness? He suggests:
- Starting the day by thinking about the things that made you happy from the previous day
- Remembering to smile whilst carrying out everyday tasks such as making a cup of tea
- Carrying out small acts of kindness, such as paying someone a compliment or holding the door open for someone
- Expressing gratitude for the lucky aspects of your life, for example being in good health
You can learn more about Prof. Wiseman on his website or follow him on Twitter.
In a similar vein, you could also follow Dr Happy - we hope you are already following Worklife Support...
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment