Happiness The 40% Solution

1. HappinessThe 40% Solution Presented by Dianne Lemieux, Ph.D.

2. HappinessThe 40% Solution Part One Science of Happiness—A Brief Tour Part Two Simple Practices for Cultivating Wellbeing Simple practices for cultivating happiness and wellbeing Applications for these practices in psychotherapy Applications in education Applications in the military • Historical roots – philosophical, religious and cultural • Psychological investigations—advent and development of positive psychology • Contributions from contemplative traditions • Contributions from evolutionary biology • Contributions from biology and neuroscience

3. Cross-Cultural Studies, What Makes People Happy, Happiness Myths andThe Choices Truly Happy People Make Evening showing of “Happy” Tonight!

4. Western Historical RootsPhilosophical, Religious And Cultural Pre-17th Century Post-17thCentury French Encyclopédie—Declares everyone has “a right to be happy” Thomas Jefferson—the pursuit of happiness to be a self-evident truth George Mason—pursuing and obtaining happiness as a natural right and endowment John Locke— “it is the business of man to be happy” New perspective on happiness as pleasure and positive emotion and something that one could and should expect McMahon, D. (2005) • Happiness was a matter of luck, virtue or divine favor— not in our control • Classical Greek and Roman Philosophers—happiness could be earned—an outcome of moral comportment rather than an emotional state—achieved through a life of virtue—attained by only a few (Eudaimonia) • Early Christian view—happiness was not our natural state—found only in a lost age, end of time or in spiritual union with God at death

5. Paradigm Shift “For all its pleasures and benefits, this new perspective on happiness as a given right, tends to imagine happiness not as something won through moral cultivation, carried out over the course of a well-lived life [eudiamonia], but as something “out there” that could be pursued, caught, and consumed [hedonia]. Happiness has increasingly been thought to be more about getting little infusions of pleasure, about feeling good rather than being good, less about living the well-lived life than about experiencing the well-felt moment.” McMahon,D. (2009)

6. Science of HappinessAbstracts 1967-2000 • Anger 5584 • Anxiety 41416 • Depression 54040 • Joy 415 • Happiness 1710 • Life satisfaction 2582 • Ratio of 21:1

7. Martin Seligmanand the Birth of Positive Psychology

8. PsychologyThe Good News/Bad News • Good news—developed a science of mental illness—classification system—measurement systems—evidenced based treatments • Not Good news—at times accentuates pathologizing and victimizing—forgotten to facilitate genius and enhancing normal lives • Not Good Enough news— needed a “positive psychology” focused on flourishing --Seligman, M. (2002)

9. Authentic Happiness Theory • Original title for “Authentic Happiness” was “positive psychology” • The content of study was “what we choose for its own sake.” • The first step was to “dissolve the monism of happiness into more workable terms” • Happiness could be analyzed into 3 elements that individuals choose for their own sakes: positive emotion, engagement, and meaning Seligman, M. (2002)

10. Three Happy Lives • The Pleasant Life—experience a high level of positive emotion and pleasure—generally those who are very social • The Good Life—capable of experiencing flow—craft their work, play and social lives in such a way to use their greatest strengths —to create flow • The Venerable or Meaningful Life—belonging to and serving something that one believes is bigger than oneself --Seligman, M. (2002)

11. Inadequacies in the Original Theory • Happiness is primarily about positive affect neither engagement nor meaning in themselves connote positive affect. • The measure of life satisfaction is biased by mood in the moment (70%)-- it is also higher in extraverts (important with regard to public policy) • Positive emotion, engagement and meaning do not exhaust the elements that people choose for their own sake Seligman, M. (2011)

12. Well Being Theory • Wellbeing rather than happiness as a construct --composed of several measurable elements • Less monistic in its viewpoint • 5 elements consist of what free people choose for their own sake • Each element has 3 properties: 1. it contributes to well-being 2. it is pursed for its own sake not to get any of the other elements 3. it is defined and measured independently of the other elements. Seligman, M. (2011)

13. Five Elements of Wellbeing Theory PERMA • Positive Affect (measured subjectively) • Engagement (measured subjectively) • Meaning –belonging to and serving something that you believe is bigger than yourself (subjective and objective components • Accomplishment- often pursued for its own sake even when it brings no meaning, positive emotion or positive relationship • Positive relationships (doing a kindness produces the single most reliable momentary increase in well being of any exercise tested) Seligman, M. (2011)

14. Expansion of Authentic Happiness Theory to Well Being Theory Authentic Happiness Theory Well-Being Theory Focus: well-being Measures: positive emotion, engagement, meaning, positive relationships, and accomplishment Goal: increase flourishing by increasing positive emotion, engagement, meaning, positive relationships, and accomplishment Defined subjectively and objectively (24 strengths and virtues underpin all of the measures not just engagement) • Focus: happiness • Measure: life satisfaction • Goal: increase life satisfaction • Defined subjectively • ( 24 strengths and virtues are the supports for engagement) Seligman, M. (2011)

15. The Work of Mihaly CsikszentmihalyiFlow/Engagement • Definition: a psychological state which accompanies highly engaging activities when there is an optimum balance between skill and challenge • Description: this state is highly focused--time passes quickly—one is unaware of thoughts, emotions or the sense of self—described as highly rewarding and intrinsically enjoyable after the fact • No shortcuts to flow –one must deploy highest talents to the activity

16. A Quick AsideThe Challenge of the Dalai Lama • In 1992 at a meeting between Western neuroscientists and the Dalai Lama (Mind and Life Meetings) his holiness challenged western researchers to explore the mind and positive mental states rather than only studies of negative emotional states • Neuroscientist Richard Davidson PhD began a series of investigations initially working with Tibetan Buddhist Monks and eventually collaborating with Jon Kabat-Zinn teaching MBSR to nonmeditators to see if a short trial of meditation practice could influence the patterns of their brains.

17. Definitions Happiness: everyday synonym for subjective well being, life satisfaction and the like. --Peterson, C. (2006) .

18. Definitions Engagement: involvement in activities that involve flow Eudaimonia:the idea that true happiness entails identifying one’s inner self cultivating one's strengths and virtues, and living in accordance with them Hedonism: the doctrine emphasizing the maximizing of pleasure and the minimizing of pain Life Satisfaction: overall cognitive appraisal that one’s life is a good one Subjective Well-Being: relatively high levels of positive affect, relatively low levels of negative affect and the overall judgment that one’s life is a good one Peterson, C. (2006)

19. Definitions Overall wellbeing/life satisfaction + positive (vs negative) emotions = happiness (subjective well being) Diener, E. (2008)

20. Definitions “the experience of joy, contentment, or positive well-being, combined with a sense that one’s life is good, meaningful, and worthwhile.” Lyubomirsky, S. (2007)

21. Definitions “Happiness, for me, is defined as the intersection of meaning and pleasure in work and relationship.” --- Tal Ben-Shahar

22. Definitions “Positivity [happiness substitute] consists of a whole range of positive emotions…The term is purposely broad. It includes the positive meanings and optimistic attitudes that trigger positive emotions … It even includes the long-term impact that positive emotions have on your character, relationships, communities and environment.” Fredrickson, B. (2009)

23. Conceptual Domains of Happiness • Sense of Wellbeing • Traits • Emotions • Sensations Kahneman, D. (1999)

24. How Do Contemplative Teachers Define Happiness?

25. “Wellbeing is a deep sense of serenity and fulfillment which underlies all emotional states.” --Matthieu Ricard

26. “nonenergetic joy” --Chad Tad Ming (Google’s Jolly Good Fellow)

27. “Happiness is our natural state… To acquire happiness you don't have to do anything, because happiness cannot be acquired. Does anybody know why? Because we have it already. How can you acquire what you already have? Then why don't you experience it? Because you've got to drop something. You've got to drop illusions.” ― Anthony DeMello

28. “Happiness is an inside job.” --Silvia Boorstein

29. Conscious, calm, creative, caring and content on fmri when mind and body are at rest and not stressed --Rick Hanson

30. What is Positive Psychology? • “Concerned with strength as with weakness • As interested in building the best things in life as repairing the worst • As concerned with making the lives of normal people fulfilling and with nurturing high talent as with healing pathology” --Martin Seligman

31. Positive Psychology • Happiness is not “the negation of unhappiness” • Aims to link the research community with the community at large --Tal Ben Shahar • Application of findings toward the aim of increasing the well being of individuals and society (i.e. Greater Good in Action—UC Berkely—DacherKeltner)

32. Methods Used to Study Happiness“No Need to Reinvent the Wheel” • Observation and experience sampling of individuals • Cross sectional surveys of happy people • Longitudinal studies of what makes people happy • Experimental studies

33. Satisfaction with Life Scale Below are five statements that you may agree or disagree with. Using the 1 - 7 scale below, indicate your agreement with each item by placing the appropriate number on the line preceding that item. Please be open and honest in your responding. • 7 - Strongly agree • 6 - Agree • 5 - Slightly agree • 4 - Neither agree nor disagree • 3 - Slightly disagree • 2 - Disagree • 1 - Strongly disagree ____ In most ways my life is close to my ideal. ____ The conditions of my life are excellent. ____ I am satisfied with my life. ____ So far I have gotten the important things I want in life. ____ If I could live my life over, I would change almost nothing. 31 - 35 Extremely satisfied 26 - 30 Satisfied 21 - 25 Slightly satisfied 20        Neutral 15 - 19 Slightly dissatisfied 10 - 14 Dissatisfied  5 -  9   Extremely dissatisfied Diener, Robert A. Emmons, Randy J. Larsen and Sharon Griffin

34. Flourishing Scale Below are 8 statements with which you may agree or disagree. Using the 1–7 scale below, indicate your agreement with each item by indicating that response for each statement. • 7 - Strongly agree • 6 - Agree • 5 - Slightly agree • 4 - Neither agree nor disagree • 3 - Slightly disagree • 2 - Disagree • 1 - Strongly disagree • ____ I lead a purposeful and meaningful life • ____ My social relationships are supportive and rewarding • ____ I am engaged and interested in my daily activities • ____ I actively contribute to the happiness and well-being of others • ____ I am competent and capable in the activities that are important to me • ____ I am a good person and live a good life • ____ I am optimistic about my future • ____ People respect me • Scoring: • Add the responses, varying from 1 to 7, for all eight items. The possible range of scores is from 8 (lowest possible) to 56 (highest PWB possible). A high score represents a person with many psychological resources and strengths Diener, E., Wirtz, D., Tov, W., Kim-Prieto, C., Choi, D., Oishi, S., & Biswas-Diener, R. (2009).

35. Available at these Websitesor on the Internet • Authentic happiness questionnaire center (UPenn) • Ed Diener Subjective Wellbeing • Love 2.0—online tools (Fredrickson) • PositivityRatio.com—Self Test (Fredrickson)

36. Tracking Happiness • Experience sampling • App: Track your happiness.org • “How are you feeling right now?” • “What are you doing?” • “Are you thinking about something other than what you are currently doing? Killingsworth, M.

37. Measuring HappinessExpressive Behavior Coding the actions of facial muscles, voice tone, posture etc. from photos, audio, or video Coding written material (application statements, spiritual autobiographies)

38. Measuring Happiness • Neurophysiologic components of happiness • Brain studies

39. Does Happiness Matter? Barbara Fredrickson’s Work on The Value of Positivity

40. A Word About Positive Emotions and Pleasure Positive Emotions Pleasures Pleasures are the result of giving the body what it needs in that particular moment. “Feel good” • Emotions (positive and negative) are embodied. That is, they affect bodily processes like our heart rate, muscle tension and posture • Positive emotions are triggered by how we interpret our current circumstances. • “Feel good” • Often have a component related to meaning

41. Neural Correlates Positive Emotions Pleasures Prefrontal cortex (cingulate, orbital frontal, insula) codes pleasure-- links with deep structures in the brain Ventral pallidum and nucleus accumbens which evoke liking, pleasure Deep reward systems in the brain that are activated by sensory pleasures can be activated art, human connection, humor, music, social and normal pleasures • Individual differences in sustained activity of the nucleus accumbens predict natural occurring levels of well being/ eudemonic wellbeing

42. The Value of Positive EmotionsHealth Benefits • Correlated with gains in life expectancy (up to 10 years) • Speed cardiovascular recovery following a negative emotional experience • Correlated with lower rates of cardiovascular disease in longitudinal studies • High ikigai (having something worth living for-PERMA) correlated with lower rates of cardiovascular disease • Correlated with a stronger immune system • Correlated with lower inflammation (protein—interleukin-6) and lower development of cold and flu virus following direct exposure in controlled studies (Cohen et. al., 2003)

43. Cardiac Vagal Tone The greater the difference between your heart rate at inhalation and at exhalation, the higher your vagal tone, which predicts better immune function, cardiovascular health, glucose regulation, and — oddly enough — social skills. Fredrickson has found that practicing lovingkindness meditation seems to help people cultivate higher vagal tone. She says our hearts literally become more responsive to our breath as we experience loving feelings toward others

44. Cardiac Vagal Tone • Helps body regulate: • Heart rhythms • Inflammation • Glucose • Helps the mind regulate: • Attention • Emotions • Social skills • Predicts shared positivity resonance and connection-- works both ways

45. Cardiac Vagal Tone • Meditation practice -> increases positive emotions -> increases experiences of positivity resonance -> increased cardiac vagal tone -> increased positive emotions • Individuals with higher starting cardiac vagal tone also nudged the upward spiral to a greater extent • Learning to generate positive emotions through loving kindness meditation increases cardiac vagal tone --Frederickson (2015)

46. Upward Spiral Connections betweenPositive Emotions and Cardiac Vagal Tone • The more people experience positive emotions, the more people feel connected and attuned with others. • Increases in the extent to which people feel connected and attuned with others predicts increases cardiac vagal tone. • Higher initial levels of cardiac vagal tone predict the extent to which people experience positive emotions in response to meditation --Frederickson (2015)

47. The “Smart Vagus” • Latest stage of development of the autonomic nervous system • Unique to mammals • A myelinated branch of the vagus nerve • Linked to nerves that control facial expression and vocalization

48. The “Smart Vagus” • Runs from the brainstem up into the cotex and limbic system and down into the organs of the body. • Monitors and controls bodily functions, inhibits the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system • Helps regulate the primitive autonomic nervous system by modulating our visceral (organ based) emotional (limbic based) and behavioral (cortex based) states to support social contact • Controls the muscles of our face, eyes, mouth, and inner ear to enhance social communication and connection --Porges (1998)

49. Positive Emotions and the Immune System • Our emotions appear to alert our immune system about which types of immune-related threats are most likely to occur given the circumstances, thus enabling our body to prepare for these threats. • Emotions cannot change our DNA, but appear to change the way our DNA gets expressed into the cells that make up our immune system and our body.

50. Chronic Adversity andImmune Function • Associated with: • Increased expression of proinflamatory genes • Reduced expression of antiviral genes • Reduced expression of antibody synthesis genes