Chapter 3: Happiness and Wellbeing PDF

Chapter 3 Happiness is connected to several key ideas: ❖ Wellbeing: This is often used as another term for happiness. Wellbeing includes positive emotions, good health, and personal growth. It involves doing well individually and in groups, even in tough situations. It’s about living a good li...

Chapter 3 Happiness is connected to several key ideas: ❖ Wellbeing: This is often used as another term for happiness. Wellbeing includes positive emotions, good health, and personal growth. It involves doing well individually and in groups, even in tough situations. It’s about living a good life now and in the future. Wellbeing also means being able to adjust to changes around us. There are five aspects of wellbeing: pleasure, satisfaction, calmness, enthusiasm, and energy. ❖ Full Life: According to Seligman, a full life means finding both enjoyment and purpose in life while being active in meaningful activities. ❖ Pleasure: This type of happiness comes from physical sensations through the five senses and body movements. However, its effect fades over time due to getting used to it, and people often need more intense experiences to feel the same pleasure. ❖ Higher Pleasure: This type of pleasure is more about the mind than physical sensations. It comes from using one's abilities and skills to achieve meaningful goals. Like physical pleasure, higher pleasure brings positive feelings that gradually fade with time. Definition of Happiness: Happiness is defined as a personal feeling that includes three parts: strong positive emotions, few negative emotions, and a sense of life satisfaction. This is the most 1  common definition in studies. Emotions are not hidden, they show in body language, and anyone can notice them. Happiness is not just about feeling good, but also about wellbeing and living a good life. It helps a person succeed in their environment and contribute to society. It involves valuing meaningful work, good relationships, and making the best use of one's surroundings and skills. This type of happiness gives people the strength to face challenges and be resilient. Happiness includes feeling good about the past, present, and future. In the present, it consists of both pleasure and higher pleasure. How to increase happiness: 1) Make Good Social Relationships: Positive relationships are key to happiness. Sharing in others’ joy and being kind strengthens bonds. Connecting with people lowers stress and anxiety and boosts resilience. It increases trust, confidence, and feelings of safety. Physical contact like a hug or massage releases oxytocin (a happiness hormone) and activates the brain's reward center. Loneliness can lead to health issues, especially in older adults, while positive feelings reduce these problems. 2) Helping Others: Helping and being compassionate to others builds strong relationships. Studies show that giving to others makes you happier than buying things for yourself. Cooperation is natural for survival, and helping people brings a sense of happiness due to a reward response in the brain. Compassion 2  triggers oxytocin, which boosts happiness and kindness. Children naturally help others, which increases their happiness. Helping others raises endorphins, creating a sense of warmth and connection. Charity also spreads to others, encouraging mutual support. To truly feel happier, helping should be done by choice, and it’s best to connect with those you help to see the positive impact. 3) Forgiveness: Holding onto anger or grudges causes stress and makes forgiveness harder. Forgiving others, however, reduces negative feelings, improves relationships, and boosts both mental and physical health. It can lower depression, blood pressure, and anger, while increasing optimism, compassion, and vitality. 4) Healthy Childhood: A loving and balanced childhood is a key factor in predicting a happy life. 5) Positive Thinking: Seligman’s studies showed that focusing on good things and using personal strengths to do something meaningful increases happiness. 6) Healthy Environment: A happy environment includes reliable people, freedom, honesty, generosity, peace, good values, and economic stability. 7) Money: Money can make people happy by meeting their needs and buying enjoyable things. However, more money doesn’t 3  always bring lasting happiness. It is most impactful when it helps people improve their living conditions. 8) Thankfulness: Being thankful to others or to a higher power increases happiness. It helps us see the good in life, builds stronger relationships, improves sleep, and boosts optimism. Writing thank-you letters enhances these effects and helps focus on positives. 9) Good Breathing: Proper breathing, like slow and deep breaths, reduces stress and anxiety, linking it to better overall wellbeing. 10) Meaningful Life: Having a life with meaning helps people endure challenges, achieve their goals, and feel a sense of self- worth and accomplishment. 11) Self-Acceptance, Independence, and Self-Reliance: Accepting oneself and avoiding inner conflicts is crucial for happiness. Self- acceptance can be developed through training. 12) Meditation: Meditation focuses on controlling the mind and body through attention. It activates positive emotion areas in the brain, improving happiness. 4