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Archive for the ‘Articles’ Category
On the first day of the conference, Lisa Kamen presented a movie she made in the course of her study of Spiritual Psychology at Santa Monica University in a session called H-Factor….Where is Your Heart?
The movie, where Lisa interviews people as diverse as Los Angeles county prisoners, New York cabbies, the homeless, children, and happiness researchers like Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi and Robert Biswas-Diener, was very well received by the audience and sparked many interesting questions. The strength of the movie is in the fact that all of these people are asked the same question, What is your happiness?
From a psychological point of view, viewing happiness as a unitary construct, rather than as satisfaction, engagement, meaning, etc, may not yield research answers, but the diverse viewpoints captured in first person accounts gives the movie a contextual richness that goes beyond most any of the research presented at the conference.
Lisa lives in Los Angeles and plans to take the movie to film festivals after getting a final cut together. You can actually view the movie at www.whatisyourhappiness.com. Other ideas for the future include creating a charitable foundation and using it in schools to teach happiness. I actually hope to bring her to USC to show her film to our science of happiness class.
The project was done as part of her master’s thesis and the genesis of the project was in a cycling trip in India, where she witnessed joyous people living in poverty. Her natural question was how to teach her daughter, a “child of means”, the true definition of happiness beyond money. As such, the film was written with her daughter in mind (she’s the director of photography) and Lisa mentioned that her 11 year old daughter’s conception of happiness has moved beyond chocolate as a result of her involvement.
Incidentally, Lisa’s happiness is found in “having a voice” to share things she is passionate about, such as her movie.
Posted by: Dos | Jun-26-2008 | File Under: Articles
Who said that there’s no free stuff today?Apparently, everyone of us takes this for granted: Sleep. Yes, what are the alarm clocks and coffee at night means? We are avoiding sleep for the reason that time spent awake is more productive and further boots our overall life satisfaction.
It is wrong, according to numerous studies, having less than 8 hours of sleep a day causes more lack of productivenesses. Remember the pillow your officemates have in their desks? If the time spent sleeping at work is channeled to real work, unproductive decreases dramatically.
According to the T.V. show 60 minutes, having a good night’s sleep improves the body tremendously. It repairs nerve connections, aids in regeneration and improves mood. Of course, if the body feels go, so is the happiness levels.
But that’s not all, sleeping is also linked to weight loss: Sleep-deprived people are prone be obese as their hormones are released in different times and ways. Some sleep-deprived people feel hungry even if they just ate and some people eat because they feel the urge to do so.
Sleeping is not a hard habit to do. Here’s some tips:
- Turn off your alarm clock. If you wake in the middle of the night, look at the clock, smile and think, “Hurray! I have three more hours to sleep,” rather than worry about being awake.
- Add a half-hour to your sleep time one day at a time, until you reach eight hours of sleep. Go to bed at 9 p.m. if necessary.
- Follow the rule: Bed is for sleeping and intimacy, nothing else. Take your television out of the bedroom. And stop watching action, murderous TV and evening news programs at least one hour before bedtime.
- Decorate your bedroom to be an inviting, peaceful haven. Just as a nice table setting sets the stage for better digestion of food, climbing into a made bed with clean sheets can aid pre-sleep relaxation.
- If you find yourself worrying or even thinking, “Oh, no, now I’ll be sleep deprived,” get out of bed, read a book sitting in a chair until you feel drowsy. Then go back to bed.
- Warm, not cold milk, aids the sleep process.
- Alcohol impairs the sleep process. Nightcaps can actually cause mid-night awakenings and sleep turbulence.
- Take a luxurious, warm bath an hour before bedtime.
- Create family harmony. If you argue before bed, your stress hormones will be activated and interfere with sleep.
- Work stuff interfering? Make a to-do list for tomorrow before bed. If you are thinking about a task, rather than sleeping, get up and add it to your list.
Source: www.brandenton.com
Posted by: Dos | Jun-24-2008 | File Under: Articles
Today’s society is plagued by several stressful elements: deadlines, traffic jams, arrogant managers and the like. One predictor of this is the endless supply of self-help books ranging from work stress relief to managing time efficiently.Many of these are purely subjective and just based on the author’s opinion and not on any scientific research or data. That’s why positive psychology researchers - experts in the field of happiness research - are skeptic.
Former president of American Psychological Association Dr. Martin Seligman saw this emerging problem and in 1998, he founded the positive Psychology Movement and presently, “it has grown into one of the most promising branches of psychology.”
Positive psychologist suggest that to attain an optimistic outlook in life, one must embrace that happiness has the power to control ones’ self and to create internal joy. They suggested these practical tips to be used on a daily basis:
1. Use Past Experiences Constructively
This involves avoiding sticking to negative thoughts from past experiences to be able to move on and live a ‘fresher’ life. Utilizing earlier life experiences and applying it to the present will lead to a brighter future.
2. Focus Energy on the Present
By making an effort to anticipate in advance potential positive occurences present in your daily life, you will be more alert to unanticipated positive events. Also, by taking “mental photographs” of momentary pleasures will help in capture these positive occurences. Lastly, it helps to have a routine to ponder the positive things that existed in a day as not to take some things for granted.
3. Work Towards the Future
Planning for the future is a good idea and it really is. Just keep it realistic and avoid shooting for fantasy.
4. Engage in Physical Activity on a Regular Basis
Athletes know this already that having an active physical life makes a happy person. Scientifically, physical activities allows the brain to release feel good hormones and chemicals that regulates and increases the mood of a person. Make an effort to find time to have physical activities as long your body is capable of doing it.
5. Explore Ways of Finding Meaning
By dedicating yourself in believing something bigger than you will provide you with a sense of purpose and worth that makes life more meaningful. One good example of this is by having a spiritual life.
6. Assume a “Big Picture” Perspective
Having a “Big Picture” perspective is like having a guide in your life. It is inevitable to one’s life to encounter problems or a stressful situation and having thi kind of perspective works. By asking yourself if the stress you are feeling is beneficial for you in the long run, you can save efforts in emotional investment and of course, time. Just keep an eye in your priorities by considering ways to use these as an opportunity for growth.
7. Invest in Relationships
There is a saying that “no man is an island;” this makes sense as people are created to be with other fellow human beings. Investing in relationships like family and friends provides comfort or a shoulder to cry on once a painful event occurs. They can also be an extension of your happiness in a way that you can share it all together.
Source: www. stamfordplus.com
We know that happiness is good for our health and well-being. In most ways, it is what keeps us motivated. And as life goes on we tend to search and find more reasons to be happy. But where exactly does our share of happiness come from?
Are we born with it?
Is it possible that happiness lies on every cell of your body? Well it is, and you can blame your neurotransmitters for that. Neurotransmitters are brain chemicals that pass information from a neuron to a cell. Simply put, it is your brain telling the rest of your body to be happy under certain circumstances. According to studies, high concentrations of norepinephrine - a type of neurotransmitter - leads to feelings of elation and euphoria. Studies also show that high levels of some neurotransmitters - specifically norepinephrine - can increase happiness while low levels of neropinephrine have been linked to feelings of depression.
The human brain has also been found to have a “reward system” which is a collection of brain structures that attempts to regulate and control behavior by inducing pleasurable effects. The “reward system” is actually a part of the brain’s limbic system which influences how we respond to the world around us. The limbic system is involved in many of our emotions and motivations, particularly those related to survival, such as fear and anger. The limbic system also regulates feelings of pleasure related to our survival, such as those experienced from eating and sex. The feelings of pleasure, which scientists call reward, are very powerful. If something is pleasurable or rewarding, you want to do it again. The feeling of pleasure then increases the levels of neurotransmitter neropinephrine and causes us to feel happy.
The functions of rewards are basically directed into the modification of behavior and positive emotions. Primary rewards include things that are necessary for survival such as food, water, shelter, and even sex. On the other hand, the value of the secondary rewards originates from the primary. These are money, music, pleasant touches, etc. Such rewards are physical and sensory however, their effects on us are entirely psychological. The more we feed our reward systems, the more we feel pleasure and obtain happiness.
Or is it learned?
In every mistake, hardship, or situation we face, there is always a tendency for us to gain something. But do you know that happiness is one of those things you can actually learn? When we have a problem, it is natural for our brains to work on coping with it and eventually, solving it. As a matter of fact, studies have shown that the applications of coping strategies or learned behaviors can improve a person’s mood. Successfully coping with a challenge increases the amount of norepinephrine released in the brain therefore causing happiness.
For instance, aerobic exercise - which is used as a coping strategy by many persons - can actually stimulate the output of norepinephrine by as much as four and one half times normal. Studies have compared athletes’ “runner’s high” to drugs wherein there is a “tolerance” effect and that a person’s body gets used to a certain level of the drug. In this case, norepinephrine serves as the drug and that the more a person tolerates in achieving happiness, his body works on increasing the said neurotransmitter.
Or maybe it’s in our consciousness…
Different situations in our lives can lead us into learning coping strategies and this can actually bring us happiness. Let’s say that we have found a solution that helped us solve a problem. We tend to keep this particular situation in mind so that the next time we face the same problem, we would know what to do. That’s when happiness comes into cognition.
Studies show that when people use coping strategies successfully, it can lead to feelings of pride and self-efficacy. These studies show that when people are experiencing feelings of pride and self-efficacy their bodies are also releasing a number of chemicals. Among the chemicals released is the neurotransmitter norepinephrine, which produces feelings of happiness.
In the long run, we tend to keep the coping strategies we learned because we know that they worked for us and actually produced happiness. It eventually becomes part of our consciousness and once you search for the same solution, your brain automatically ticks into these information.
Everyday Life
Sure, we are always in the look-out for reasons and ways to be happy. However, we still stumble on a few rocky situations from time to time, robbing us of our happiness. But life does not stop there. Since we have already experienced and enjoyed being happy, problems should serve as the reason to move on and find happiness again. This is where hope and optimism come in. These two, like happiness, are great motivators for us to be healthier physically, mentally, and emotionally.
When we are deprived of happiness, there’s always this tendency for us to lure into a depressed state which is not bad after all. What’s important is that we try to find sense in the situation we are in and then work on finding solutions. Hope is what drives us to work hard to improve ourselves and produce good results. Optimism, on the other hand, causes us to look on the bright side of things and influences us to do our best so that we can expect good outcome.
Happiness, hope, and optimism are three different things but share a common denominator. They are all great motivators for us to enjoy life, endure our hardships, find solutions, and then enjoy again. In fact, being happy, hopeful, and optimistic does not stop within ourselves. In one way or another, we are able to share them to the people close to us by being with them, giving them advice, or by simply being a friend. If we impart these motivations to other people, then it’s a step to making the world a better place to live in, since we encourage them to find their own share of happiness.
Sources: www.mentalhelp.net, www.bipolar.about.com, www.bettyphillipspsychology.com, www.addictionscience.net, www.cancerweb.ncl.ac.uk, www.foxnews.com
For Robert Grady, the more the merrier. After all he have nine children with ages from 18 years to 7 weeks old. Together with his wife Debra, they originally planned to have 12 kids. She actually gave birth to 10 children but unfortunately, one died during infancy.Robert never actually grew in a big family. His fascination to have kids was inspired by his uncle in Indiana who have 12 kids. “It was a big Catholic family. I was so impressed with the family, I thought it would be nice to have one.” he said.
He like to do things with his whole family.. Even though he is a registered nurse in the intensive care unit of San Juan Regional Medical Center in Flora Vista, he was blessed to work for long hours which he can have four days off in a weeks. He spends his free time with his family wisely by going to the grocery together, sports events or late night movie watching at home.
The only thing Robert is concerned is the trend nowadays -that is happening to the whole world - that people often disregard having a big family with concerns with the economic and financial situations.
Even though food and oil prices are rising in dramatical heights everyday, Robert is optimistic and does not worry about the future. He believes that his faith in God will provide for his family abundantly.
Whatever we put in our body affects our physical health. When we eat something bad, we get ill. Something good, we feel rejuvenated. It is like “garbage in, garbage out,” a term used in the Information Technology world to describe a fact wherein when a bad command is inputted to a computer, a bad result will come out.But you know, aside from the physical effects we feel when we ear, our mood and emotion are also subjected to changes. Consequently, proper nutrition affects our emotional, physical and metal states. When our body is in its optimal condition, we feel not just physical but also emotional well-being that is necessary for happiness.
Doctors often advice that changing our diet to a healthy one facilitates mental and emotional cleansing; that is letting us free from toxins that one way or another is linked to having negative thoughts. After which, we will feel blooming, enthusiastic and fresh.
Going to the path of a healthy diet for happiness is easy although we also need to compromise. To do it, one must recognize they are malnourished - lacking vital nutrients in the body - although most people will not admit.
Raw and Fresh
One way to go healthy is by eating fresh, raw foods. These foods contain everything intact: nutrients, mineral, vitamins, proteins, enzymes, etc that is optimized for absorption in the body. Granted that some people find eating raw food a bit weird, cooking actually decreases and in most cases kills most of the good elements in the food. Although it is unavoidable to eat cooked food because of sanitary and health reasons, you can supplement the depleted nutrients by eating organic foods like cheese and yogurt which does not need cooking. Also, lightly steamed vegetables do the part.
Enzymes
One of the most important elements in food that our body needs is the enzyme. Enzymes are substances produced by a living organism which produces changes in other substances without being changed itself. It also assists in chemical processes in the body.
Enzymes have a very important role in our system by controlling and improving our mood though the neurotransmitters. It also helps in digesting the nutrients in our body which detoxifies repairs and regenerated the body’s cellular system.
Neurotransmitters
By improving the enzymes in our body, our neurotransmitters are also affected positively.
Neurotransmitters are hormones or chemicals found in the brain that supports the transmission of information from a neuron to a cell. Decreased levels of this causes various mood disorders and in some cases, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and autism in children.
The body has several neurotransmitters necessary for mood and emotional function. Let’s just focus on those necessary for attaining happiness. These are Serotonin, Dopamine, Norepinephrine, Endorphins, Enkephalins, Phenylalanine and Gamma Amino Butyric Acid (GABA).
One of the most important is Serotonin: This influences mood and gives us a sense of well-being. Serotonin also makes us feel relaxed and optimistic. Having decreased levels of this causes irritability, insomnia, negative feelings, loss of focus in life and depression.
To get good serotonin levels, one must eat foods rich in calcium and folate. Calcium can be found in orange, banana, lemon, spinach, broccoli, asparagus and cabbage and in several nut varieties like macadamia, cashew and walnut. On the other hand, folate can be found in kiwi, strawberry, carrots, avocado and peas.
Seafood is also a good source of Omega 3, a serotonin enhancer. It is found not just in fishes but also in flaxseed and sunflower seeds.
Another neurotransmitter is Dopamine. This is responsible for alertness, feelings of excitement, pleasure and mental sharpness. Low levels of this cause apathy -numbness of feelings. Dopamine can be found in soy-based products like tofu and Soya milk.
Third is Norepinephrine which is responsible for motivation, energy and drive of a person. Low levels of this cause depression and the lack of ambition in life. Eating green vegetables and soy products helps in norepinephrine production.
Another important and highly regarded neurotransmitter is the Endorphine. Normally, this is association with body builders and athletes as this is usually produced and released by the body when a person is involved in physical activities such as dancing and exercising. Endorphins cause feeling of extreme happiness: euphoria.
Other neurotransmitters are Enkephalins which gives pain relief, Phenylalanine that causes one to be motivated, and GABA which is responsible for feelings of calmness and relaxation. Lacking these three neurotransmitters causes one to feel unfulfilled, insecure, restlessness and anxiety. Foods like wheat, fish, seeds and cacao are good sources for the production of these.
Vitamins and Minerals
Aside from the neurotransmitters, vitamins and minerals are also responsible for a feeling of bliss.
Vitamin B6 is important in normal nerve function. Without this, one suffers from irritability, dizziness and confusion. Bananas and avocados are good sources of this vitamin.
Folate, on the other hand, is responsible for normal brain function. Low levels of this cause the serotonin levels to decrease. Asparagus, beans and sunflower seeds are rich in folate.
Chromium, which is found in seafood, eggs, cheese and dairy products promotes regulated blood sugar levels, improved metabolism and prevents Attention Deficit Disorder, anxiety and depression.
Magnesium causes one to avoid depression, anxiety and insomnia. Kiwi fruit, cacao, apples and bananas are rich in this feel-good vitamin.
Be a Vegan
If you can see in the news lately, celebrities are posing nearly naked with just a few large lettuce leaves covering their private parts, apparently, they are for a good cause of being a vegetarian. Studies show that being a vegetarian - a strict one - helps in the detoxification of the body. Also, animal meat is full of toxins that are released when they feel intense pain and fear when they are to be slaughtered.
One reason to be a good follower of vegetarianism is that it is proven that vegans are among the healthiest people on earth. They also live longer and less prone to disease. That is enough reason for happiness!
Happiness does not need to be an arduous task, just the pleasure we get from eating benefits us in many ways - that if we eat healthily!
Sources: www.asktom-naturally.com, www.roehampton.ac.uk, www.biopsychiatry.com, www.naturalhealtechniques.com, www.ods.od.nih.gov, www.ivu.org, www.people.ku.edu, www.medterms.com
The parts of our body are connected to each other. Each has its own purpose. Like our brain, it helps us control what to do in our daily routines. In connection to happiness, do you know that there is a little part in our brain that sends information to our heart whether we feel surprised, worried, dreaded or happy?This is the hypothalamus. It’s a tiny, sub cortical structure shaped like an ice-cream cone. Its bottom tip rests on the chickpea-sized pituitary gland, which it uses to link the nervous system with the endocrine system.
It is true that everything we feel, it comes from our heart. But before our emotion starts, the Hypothalamus processes it first. It is also the reason why our mood changes. To further explain this, let me give you the story of Phineas Gage.
He was a foreman in a railroad construction company. One day, he was excavating rocks to make way for a railroad track. He then used dynamites to make things easier. But tragedy struck him unexpectedly. When he detonated the dynamites, a tamping iron flew in the air and passed through his head; from his cheek to his brain. Fortunately, he survived the incident but his mood changed. According to the doctors, Gage’s case had confirmed findings that certain parts of his brain were affected. It gave evidence that his frontal cortex is involved in his personality because after the incident, the once jolly and quiet man suddenly became hot-tempered.
We sometimes say that we are not happy with our life. Happiness can be controlled by our mind. Our emotion is a state of mind.
It is the same as a heart transplant. Although the patient has changed his heart, his love never changed. Same with other kinds of emotion such as anger, anxiety, and happiness, it will always be there unless you try to forget it as it is controlled by the mind.
“A person who has doubts is thinking about two different things at the same time and can’t make up his mind about anything”. James 1:8
Whenever I am going through tough times in my life which I do not know what to do, I always take things to God in prayer.
Many times our own intelligence will just not suffice. True wisdom comes with union with God. God makes us wise and complete. God knows what we need and what we want to ask Him. He will bring forth the answer which we need to receive.
Don’t worry! The Lord will not mock, taunt, ridicule or reproach us when we ask Him for wisdom. Actually, he gives it generously. God will not disapprove us for asking nor laugh at us. He will give us the answer; you just need to ask without any doubt.
The waves of doubt will keep knocking us if we let them in, so if you continue to let them, we will often become agitated or confused. Not approaching God when we know we need Him can cause sadness, sometimes even a loss of direction.
The devil will beat us up. So, as you can see, doubt will give the devil a foothold. It gives him permission to beat us up if we follow its path.
We don’t really get anywhere when we doubt as it can crush us repeatedly. It is agonizing to be carried away with doubt..
A double minded man is unstable, he is unable to settle down his mind, live his life in faith and cannot stand by himself. Therefore, confidence in making desisions is not gained, the same as taking risks when he needs.
Learn to believe in your own decisions. If you ask God for wisdom, then he will give you.
“Therefore I say unto you, what things you ever desire, when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you shall have them.” Mark 11:24
Source: The Bible
My friend’s grandparents are about to celebrate their golden wedding anniversary in a couple of months. Through the years, they have shown good example of couples as lifetime partners.I asked them to give some points for a harmonious, lasting, and happy relationship:
1. Appreciate his/her work.
Saying a simple “thank you” does not require a lot of energy.
2. Make time for each other
Make it a point to often spend time together but leave a little space to breathe. Also spend time alone with each other, so that at the end of the day you could both share your experiences. This way, you’ll stay interesting with your partner.
3. Be faithful
Fidelity is the word needed here. Though he/she doesn’t see you all the time, make sure that your partner is the only one in your heart. Learn to satisfy with him/her.
4. Keep it hot
You can do it by traveling to different places. As environment changes, moods change as well. Always have physical contact - as simple as holding hands, a massage or just plain leg rubbing.
5. Honesty is the best policy
Don’t lie or hide things. The problem will only get bigger. Don’t even hesitate to tell him/her the truth. If you got any problem, be opened.
6. Never prolong untoward issues.
If both of you are experiencing awkward things in your everyday life together, as early as possible, talk about it.
7. Look good
Stay fit & healthy for each other. Better if you’ll do exercise together. Afterall, who wants an unattractive partner?
8. Remove uncertainties
Doubt is the number one termites in a relationship. Trust can never be earned if doubt hinders your love. If you really love the person, believe in his actions.
9. Say “SORRY”
Say sorry when you’re wrong; even when pride prohibits
10. Support
Support each other’s dream. Be willing to follow your passions, support your partner in their decisions & create new ones together. Two heads are better than one.
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