This presentation looks at the latest research on positive psychology based on "The Science of Happiness" course offered by University of California, Berkeley. It provides helpful tips on how to create a happier and more meaningful life. Some of the main topics are "social connections", "compassion", "forgiveness" and "mindfulness". This presentation is a part of my motivational speech to inspire people to live a meaningful and fulfilling lives aligned with their core values. I am available to present at events, companies, and organisations. For more information please visit: www.consciousbeginnings.com.au or contact me at jon@consciousbeginnings.com.au

1. S

2. Who am I?

3. Happiness: a Natural State?
Happiness does not mean:
- Having all our personal needs met
- Feeling pleasure all the time
- Always feeling satisfied with life
- Never feeling negative emotions, pain,
sadness, anger etc.

4. Definition of Happiness
Aristotle: “A life lived in virtue”
Darrin McMahon: “Happiness is never
simply a function of good feeling but
rather of living good lives, lives that will
almost certainly include a good deal of
pain”
Sonja Lyubomirsky: “The experience
of joy, contentment or positive well-
being, combined with a sense that one’s
life is good, meaningful and worthwhile”

5. What determines our
Happiness?
According to research by Sonja Lyubomirsky,
professor of psychology at UC Riverside:
S 50% of our happiness comes from our genes
S 10% life circumstances
S 40% intentional activity

6. Hedonic Adaptation
Hedonic adaptation: our ability to adapt to changes in our
life circumstances
Humans beings are remarkable at getting used to changes
in their lives. New things boost our happiness for a short
while but then we go back to our baseline (set point)!

7. Affective Forecasting
Affective forecasting: predicting how much a life event is
likely to impact you
People think that really good events are going to make them
happy and keep them happy for a very long time and that
really bad events are going to crush them for the
unforeseeable future

8. Impact Bias
S We often underestimate our ability to recover from
difficult experiences - "psychological immune system”.
S Impact bias is a major cause of mistakes in affective
forecasting. It can lead us to avoid certain decisions or
activities out of an inflated fear that they will harm our
happiness or to covet certain outcomes (such as winning
the lottery) that don't actually boost our happiness as
much as we think they will.

9. Useful Tips
S Don’t postpone your happiness! I will be happy when x,
y, z happens!
S Don’t underestimate your resilience and put things off
with the fear of failure!
S Spend your money on experiences rather than
material things!

10. Money and Happiness?

11. Money and Happiness
S Research by Ed Diener: Money indeed increases the
level of happiness when it helps to lift people out of
poverty!
S Earning up to $75,000 (in the U.S.) makes people
happier but when that level is reached our happiness
seems to be unaffected with more income!

12. Benefits of Happiness
S Make more money and are
more productive at work
S Are smarter and more
creative
S Are healthier and live longer
S Have stable and fulfilling
marriages
S Have more friends
S Are more generous
S Cope better with stress and
trauma
S More resilient and have
stronger immune system
According to research by Sonja Lyubomirsky, Happy
People:

13. What makes us happy?
S Proven Facts: Good sleep
patterns, regular exercise and
achievements!
S Social connections
S Romantic relationships
S Family & friends
S Compassion & kindness
S Forgiveness
S Mindfulness

14. Social Connections
S Brene Brown: connection gives us
meaning and purpose in life.
S Research by Ed Diener and Martin
Seligman – social relationships form a
necessary but not sufficient condition for
high happiness
S Experiment: when people are actively
excluded from a game, same regions of
their brain light up when they're undergoing
physically painful experiences

15. Benefits of Touch
S Recent studies show many
physical and emotional benefits
of touch
S Touch activates the feelings of
reward and compassion
S Appropriate touch by teachers
resulted higher class
participation among students

16. Touch Deprived?
Psychologist Sydney Jourard observed friends having
conversations in cafes & how many times they touched
each other 1 hour:
S 180 times in Costa Rica
S 110 times in France
S 2 times in the USA
S 0 times in England

17. Kindness & Compassion

18. Kindness & Compassion
S Definition: “to suffer together”. The feeling that arises
when you witness another’s suffering and you want to
help relieve that suffering.

19. Kindness & Compassion

20. The Kindness-Happiness Loop
S Less loneliness, better health overall
S Volunteerism enhances well-being and life expectancy
S Promotes cooperation and social connection
S Evokes gratitude & is contagious
S Research: giving has a bigger happiness benefit than
spending on the self
Benefits of Kindness & Giving

21. Kindness is sexy!
Survey of 10,000 people from 37
different countries:
Kindness or good character
was the most important attribute
in forming a partnership with
somebody for life!

22. Cultivate Compassion

23. Forgiveness
S The hurts and conflicts we suffer in life take a
considerable toll on our psychological and physical well-
being
S Holding onto grudges and dwelling on them undermines
our happiness.
S Forgiveness associated with lower stress levels, better
moods, higher happiness and happier relationships

24. Forgiveness

25. Mindfulness

26. Mindfulness

27. Mind wandering
Study of 15,000 people (Matt Killingsworth):
S 47% of the time we are thinking something else than what
we are currently doing
S people are substantially less happy when their minds are
wandering than when they’re not
S strong relationship between mind-wandering now and being
unhappy a short time later

28. Mindfulness and the Brain

29. Tips
S Do acts of random kindness
S Volunteer and help others
S Keep a Gratitude journal
S Forgive quickly
S Practice Mindfulness
S Self compassion

30. A Native American Story

31. More Information
Please visit
www.consciousbeginnings.com.au
www.jontravels.blogspot.com
http://www.meetup.com/West-End-Mindfulness-Circle
https://www.edx.org/course/science-happiness-uc-
berkeleyx-gg101x