Science of Happiness Notes - 1st Session - 2024 PDF

GIRIJANANDA CHOWDHURY UNIVERSITY Hathkhowapara, Azara, Guwahati 781017, Assam DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES Science of Happiness Import...

GIRIJANANDA CHOWDHURY UNIVERSITY Hathkhowapara, Azara, Guwahati 781017, Assam DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES Science of Happiness Importance of Studying Happiness There is several importance of studying happiness: Enhanced Well-being: Understanding happiness helps individuals and communities improve their overall well-being by identifying factors that contribute to life satisfaction. Mental Health: Research on happiness can inform mental health practices, promoting strategies to combat depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders. Physical Health: Happier individuals often exhibit better physical health, with lower levels of stress, improved immune function, and even increased longevity. Productivity: Happy people tend to be more productive, leading to greater workplace efficiency and economic benefits for organizations and society. Positive Relationships: The study of happiness helps us understand how positive emotions and well-being impact relationships, leading to healthier and more fulfilling connections with others. Resilience: Happiness research sheds light on resilience-building techniques, helping individuals cope with adversity and bounce back from life's challenges. Quality of Life: It directly contributes to an improved quality of life by providing insights into what truly matters to individuals and societies in terms of happiness. Personal Development: Understanding happiness aids personal growth by guiding individuals toward self-awareness, self-improvement, and the pursuit of meaningful goals. Policy and Governance: Governments and policymakers can use happiness metrics to assess the effectiveness of social policies, ultimately leading to better governance and policy decisions. Ethical Considerations: It raises ethical questions about what makes a good life, providing a framework for moral discussions about individual and societal values. Meanings of Happiness Subjective Well-being: Happiness is often defined as an individual's overall sense of well-being and life satisfaction. It's the subjective feeling of contentment and fulfillment in one's life.  Hedonic Happiness: This aspect of happiness focuses on the pursuit of pleasure and the avoidance of pain. It emphasizes the importance of positive emotions, joy, and the maximization of pleasurable experiences. Eudaimonic Happiness: Eudaimonic happiness is centered on living a meaningful and purposeful life. It involves the pursuit of personal growth, self-actualization, and the realization of one's potential. Cultural Perspective: The definition of happiness can vary across cultures. In some cultures, happiness may be more collective, tied to community and family well-being, while in others, it may be individualistic, focusing on personal achievement and fulfillment. Spiritual or Transcendent Happiness: For some, happiness is a spiritual or transcendent experience, often associated with a connection to something greater than oneself, such as a higher power or the universe. Long-term Fulfillment: True happiness may involve a deeper and lasting sense of fulfillment, where individuals find meaning and contentment in the pursuit of their life's purpose and values. Balance: Happiness can be seen as a balance between positive and negative emotions and the ability to navigate life's challenges while still experiencing moments of joy and contentment. Satisfaction of Desires: Happiness may involve the satisfaction of one's desires and goals, where individuals feel a sense of accomplishment and contentment when they achieve what they want. Psychological Well-being: Happiness is associated with optimal psychological functioning, including self-acceptance, positive relationships, autonomy, and a sense of purpose. Autonomy: Autonomy helps people choose and relish a lifestyle according to their needs, wishes, and abilities, offering the impression that they can control their lives. This decision-making ability enables them to mold their lives, thus contributing to their happiness. Autonomy is prevalent among people of all cultures. However, inclusive autonomy—that is, autonomy that considers the feelings and opinions of others as well as one's own—rather than individual autonomy is associated with psychological well-being in collectivist societies. Mental peace: Happiness is a characteristic of the mind. Happiness as mental peace in individuals means a state of harmony within themselves and their surroundings. There is peace if there is a balance between the two. In Indian culture, happiness is comprehended in a spiritual and transcendental view. Hinduism bases happiness on mental tranquility that results from getting rid of excessive desires, selfishness, and materialistic attachment. Intentional actions: Intentional actions are participation in voluntary actions. These generate happiness because they provide diverse experiences and more opportunities for a meaningful life. These are immune to adaptation as people can alter how and when they do it. These actions may also fulfill one or more of the three psychological needs, competence, relatedness, and autonomy. Flourishing: Prospering in one’s life means having a purpose, contributing to the welfare of others, and being competent, respected, optimistic, and overall good. This is achieved through learning, self-discipline meditation, expression of gratitude, etc. The main motive of self-promotion is to keep a free mind to apprehend reality and progress in life.  Hope: Happiness is not just about now but also about a better tomorrow. Disregarding future happiness will make present happiness meaningless. Hope promotes optimism, belief, and faith, leading to happiness. Self-lessness. Acts of selflessness can also bring happiness. Selfless people have strong connections with others and emphasize less on self-centeredness and more on other- centredness. Such people experience authentic happiness and harmony in their lives. This selfless happiness is at the core of Hindu and Buddhist texts. A sense of satisfaction. Happiness and life satisfaction are keenly related. Satisfaction from life domains like relationships, work, and living conditions, can bring satisfaction to peoples’ whole life. It can also be judged by what people want, expect, deserve, and have. In collectivistic cultures like India, people derive their sense of life satisfaction from other people’s opinions about them. Symptoms of DEPRESSION Persistent Sadness: Feeling sad, empty, or hopeless most of the day, nearly every day. Loss of Interest: Losing interest or pleasure in activities that were once enjoyed, including hobbies, social activities, or sex. Fatigue: Experiencing extreme tiredness or a lack of energy, even after restful sleep. Changes in Sleep Patterns: Having trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or oversleeping. Changes in Appetite or Weight: Significant changes in appetite, resulting in weight gain or loss. Difficulty Concentrating: Finding it challenging to focus, make decisions, or remember things. Feelings of Guilt or Worthlessness: Experiencing excessive guilt or feeling like a burden to others. Irritability: Being easily agitated or annoyed, often over minor things. Physical Symptoms: Experiencing unexplained physical problems, such as headaches or digestive issues. Withdrawal: Withdrawing from friends, family, and social activities. Thoughts of Death or Suicide: Having recurring thoughts of death or suicide, or making suicide plans or attempts. This is a serious symptom that requires immediate attention. Aches and Pains: Reporting unexplained physical symptoms and aches, such as joint pain or back pain. Changes in Activity Level: Showing a significant decrease or increase in physical activity. Feelings of Emptiness: Feeling like life lacks meaning or purpose. Low Self-Esteem: Having a diminished sense of self-worth. Sleep Disturbances: Changes in sleep patterns, including insomnia or excessive sleeping. Difficulty with Relationships: Struggling with personal relationships, including increased conflicts and withdrawal from loved ones. Loss of Motivation: Feeling a lack of motivation or interest in achieving goals. Symptoms of Anxiety Excessive Worry: Frequent and intense worry or fear about various aspects of life, often with little or no apparent reason. Restlessness: Feeling on edge, restless, or unable to relax. Muscle Tension: Experiencing muscle tension, which can lead to headaches, neck pain, or body aches. Irritability: Feeling easily irritated or having a short temper. Fatigue: Feeling tired and lacking energy, often due to the constant state of alertness. Difficulty Concentrating: Finding it hard to concentrate or experiencing a "blank mind." Sleep Disturbances: Having trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or experiencing restless, non-restorative sleep. Rapid Heartbeat: Experiencing palpitations or a racing heart. Shortness of Breath: Feeling like you can't catch your breath or are suffocating. Sweating: Excessive sweating, especially in stressful situations. Trembling or Shaking: Trembling hands or other parts of the body, particularly when anxious. Gastrointestinal Symptoms: Stomach discomfort, nausea, diarrhea, or other digestive issues. Avoidance Behavior: Avoiding situations or places that trigger anxiety, which can lead to social isolation. Nervous Habits: Engaging in repetitive behaviors like nail biting, pacing, or tapping. Overthinking: Ruminating excessively on past events or worrying about the future. Panic Attacks: Sudden and intense episodes of fear or panic, often accompanied by physical symptoms like a racing heart, sweating, and a sense of impending doom. Phobias: Intense and irrational fears of specific objects or situations (e.g., heights, spiders, flying). Difficulty with Social Situations: Feeling extremely anxious in social situations, which can lead to avoidance of social interactions (social anxiety disorder). Determinants of Happiness Relationships. Family support and empathy have a positive relationship with current happiness and changes in happiness. Families, partnerships, childbearing, and quality friendships are essential sources of happiness. Companionships in any form are necessary for a happy and dignified life. These relationships fulfill the need for relatedness, thus contributing to happiness. Life events. Positive life events like the birth of a child or winning a lottery can suddenly boost happiness, while adverse life events like divorce, a major accident, a job loss, or devastation in a natural hazard can decrease happiness. There is more to these experiences than merely the feelings they evoke. Greater personal relevance to life events brings more happiness. However, happy people adapt emotionally and cognitively to major life events  and return to their biologically set point after a while. Nevertheless, some incidents significantly influence people's lives, and they do not recover over time. Education. Happiness and education are vital in developing countries but weak in wealthy nations. Higher education restricts happiness because it limits the pursuit of satisfying and valuable opportunities. Nonetheless, education enhances flourishing and quality of life, leading to happiness. Work. Occupational success begets happiness and life satisfaction. Self-employment provides the most happiness and unemployment the least. Besides, retirement does not make people unhappy, although factors like willingness, social support, health issues, income, and pension are crucial. Involvement in work activities may fulfill the need for competence, thus leading to happiness. Assets. Economic resources are a vital component of people's lives. Possession of assets increases life satisfaction. This might be because acquiring tangible items, such as asset ownership, provides hedonic happiness. Moreover, having assets makes it easier for people to compare with others, making them appear superior. This sense of competence may add to the happiness of an individual. Government/Law. Quality of governance increases a country's happiness that continuously emphasizes people's socio-economic empowerment. Happy people are more politically active and elect good governments, or good governments create happy citizens. Countries that offer their citizens more physical and legal safety, freedom, and social equality have happier residents. Natural environment. Connecting with the outer world through walks, treks, inhaling fresh air, planting trees, and other activities can provide happiness. Nature-connectedness is related to happiness. Building a relationship with nature improves cognitive and affective processes, which increase subjective well-being. Recognition. Recognition of a job well-done increases the motivation to do it better. Recognition is essential for the development of identity. Without recognition, one cannot fully connect with their inner self. Recognition of one’s work generates a sense of competence, commitment, intrinsic motivation, initiative, and innovation, bringing happiness. Societal progress. People are happier in societies with an excellent culture that values knowledge and education, tolerance among social groups, respect for others, caring, and modernity. There is a cultural effect on happiness levels with living standards, social spending, political freedom, and participation in cultural festivals. India scored moderately in this regard. Religion/spiritual activities. Religious and spiritual activities bring happiness. Religion provides many benefits, such as psychological benefits (meaning to life and psychological security), social benefits (social identity and support), and cognitive advantage (the foundation of a thinking system). These benefits contribute to happiness and put people’s faith in religion. World Happiness Report The World Happiness Report is an annual publication released by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN). It ranks countries based on their levels of happiness and well-being, providing valuable insights into global happiness trends. Its main objective are: a) Assessing and comparing subjective well-being and happiness levels across countries. b) Analyzing the factors that contribute to happiness and well-being. c) Providing policymakers with data to make informed decisions for improving the well-being of their citizens. Surveys are conducted in various countries, collecting self-reported data on life satisfaction, emotions, and well-being. Factors considered include GDP per capita, social support, life expectancy, freedom to make life choices, generosity, and perceptions of corruption. The Cantril Ladder, a scale that asks respondents to rate their current life satisfaction on a scale of 0 to 10, is a key component of the assessment. Countries are ranked based on their average scores in the happiness factors. The report typically identifies the happiest and least happy countries, along with trends and changes over time. It highlights success stories and policy initiatives that have positively impacted happiness. The report explores how various factors contribute to happiness: Economic Factors: GDP per capita, income inequality, and employment. Social Factors: Social support systems, family, and community. Health Factors: Life expectancy, mental health, and physical health. Freedom: Freedom to make life choices and personal life satisfaction. Trust and Corruption: Trust in government and perceptions of corruption. Generosity: Acts of kindness and charitable giving. The report offers guidance to policymakers on improving the well-being of their citizens. It emphasizes the importance of not solely focusing on economic growth but also on social and environmental factors. Policies that promote social inclusion, mental health support, and community engagement are often highlighted. The report tracks global happiness trends, such as the impact of events like economic crises, natural disasters, and health pandemics on happiness levels. It often discusses the role of technology and social media in shaping well-being. The World Happiness Report has influenced public policy discussions and initiatives in many countries. Governments and organizations use the findings to assess their progress and make changes to improve the well-being of their citizens. However, critics argue that happiness is subjective and difficult to measure accurately. Some contend that the report relies heavily on self-reported data, which can be influenced by cultural and societal norms. It may not fully capture the well-being of marginalized or vulnerable populations. India's ranking was 126 out of 146 countries.