The How of Happiness: Boosting Well-Being Through Kindness, Gratitude, and Optimism Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph. D. Department of Psychology loo-boh-MERE-ski © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

Collaborators: Julia Boehm, University of California, Riverside Rene Dickerhoof, University of California, Riverside David Schkade, University of California, San Diego Ken Sheldon, University of Missouri Chris Tkach, University of California, Riverside The How of Happiness: Boosting Well-Being Through Kindness, Gratitude, and Optimism © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

“Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence.” – Aristotle © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

“The purpose of our lives is to be happy.” – The 14th Dalai Lama © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

How Important Is Happiness To You? © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

How Important Is Happiness To You? © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

Is the pursuit of happiness a worthwhile goal? In other words, are there benefits to happiness, or does it just feel good? © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

225 STUDIES ON THE BENEFITS OF HAPPINESS: Are more productive at work and more creative Make more money and have superior jobs Are better leaders and negotiators Are more likely to marry and to have fulfilling marriages, and less likely to divorce Have more friends and social support Have stronger immune systems, are physically healthier, and even live longer Are more helpful and philanthropic Cope better with stress and trauma Happy people… FROM: Lyubomirsky, S., King, L. A., & Diener, E. (2005). The benefits of frequent positive affect: Does happiness lead to success? Psychological Bulletin, 131, © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

Are more productive at work and more creative Make more money and have superior jobs Are better leaders and negotiators Are more likely to marry and to have fulfilling marriages, and less likely to divorce Have more friends and social support Have stronger immune systems, are physically healthier, and even live longer Are more helpful and philanthropic Cope better with stress and trauma Happy people… 225 STUDIES ON THE BENEFITS OF HAPPINESS: © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved. FROM: Lyubomirsky, S., King, L. A., & Diener, E. (2005). The benefits of frequent positive affect: Does happiness lead to success? Psychological Bulletin, 131,

LONGITUDINAL STUDIES Happiness (Time 1) Outcome or Behavior (Time 2) Time © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

WORK PERFORMANCE STEP 1: Measure how happy employees are STEP 2: 3.5 years later, their department managers rate them on overall work performance and on these dimensions:  Offers useful ideas  Has high goals for performance  Pays attention to my instructions & feedback  Works well with others RESULTS: Happier employees are rated by supervisors as superior on all dimensions. FROM: Wright, T. A., & Staw, B. M. (1999). Affect and favorable work outcomes: Two longitudinal tests of the happy-productive worker thesis. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 20, © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

CREATIVITY STEP 1: Induce happy mood STEP 2: Complete a test of creativity CLUB GOWN MARE ____?____ RESULTS: Those in a happy mood are more creative than those in a neutral mood. FROM: Estrada, C., Isen, A. M., & Young, M. J. (1994). Positive affect improves creative problem solving and reported source of practice satisfaction in physicians. Motivation and Emotion, 18, © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

PHYSICAL HEALTH Have a lower incidence of stroke 6 years later (especially men) If have coronary heart disease, are more likely to survive it up to 11 years later Are less likely to be receiving work disability pension up to 11 years later Are less likely to die in a car accident 8 years later Are less likely to die of all causes up to 28 years later People who are happy at one point in time… FROM: Deeg & van Zonneveld, 1989; Kirkcaldy & Furnham, 2008; Ostir et al., 2001; Koivumaa-Honkanen et al., 2004; Krause et al., 1997 © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

“The joyfulness of a man prolongeth his days.” – Sirach 3-:22 “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.” – Proverbs 17:22 © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

PHYSICAL HEALTH Healthy volunteers completed a measure of happiness (or “positive emotional style”) They were then administered a rhinovirus (via nasal drops) FROM: Cohen, S., Doyle, W. J., Turner, R. B., Alper, C. M., & Skoner, D. P. (2001). Emotional style and susceptibility to the common cold. Psychosomatic Medicine, 65, Researchers quarantined them for 5 days and monitored them for 1 month RESULTS: Happier volunteers were less likely to develop a cold © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

QUESTION: Is it possible to become happier? And, if it’s possible to become happier, is it possible to sustain it? © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

THE SELF-HELP LITERATURE Happiness Is Free: And It’s Easier Than You Think! (Dwoskin & Levenson, 2002) You Can Be Happy No Matter What (Carlson, 1997) Happy For No Reason (Shimoff, 2008) You Can Be the Wife of a Happy Husband (Cooper, 1977) © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

~ Do the 5 principles work? ~ Do some work better than others? ~ Do they work better for some people than for others? ~ Are any positive effects due to placebo effects? ~ Do the happiness boosts last? © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

THREE REASONS TO BE PESSIMISTIC  We’re all born with a genetically- determined “set point” for happiness © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

 We’re all born with a genetically- determined “set point” for happiness  Happiness is a life-long trait THREE REASONS TO BE PESSIMISTIC © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

 We’re all born with a genetically- determined “set point” for happiness  Happiness is a life-long trait  “Hedonic adaptation”: We adapt to all things positive THREE REASONS TO BE PESSIMISTIC © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

My argument: Despite the fact that our happiness is partially genetically determined and despite the fact that our life situations have a minimal influence on how happy we are, still a very large portion of happiness – up to 40% – is in our power to change. © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

WHAT DETERMINES HAPPINESS? Set Point 50% FROM: Lyubomirsky, S., Sheldon, K. M., & Schkade, D. (2005). Pursuing happiness: The architecture of sustainable change. Review of General Psychology, 9, © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

WHAT DETERMINES HAPPINESS? Circumstances 10% Set Point 50% Intentional Activity 40% © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved. FROM: Lyubomirsky, S., Sheldon, K. M., & Schkade, D. (2005). Pursuing happiness: The architecture of sustainable change. Review of General Psychology, 9,

DEFINING HAPPINESS  Experience of frequent positive emotions AND a sense that one’s life is good  Researchers let people judge their happiness for themselves  Happiness is subjective © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

RESEARCH SHOWS THAT HAPPY PEOPLE:  Nurture and enjoy their social relationships  Are comfortable expressing gratitude  Are often the first to help others  Practice optimism about the future  Savor pleasures and live in the present moment  Make physical activity a habit  Are often spiritual or religious  Are deeply committed to meaningful goals FROM: Lyubomirsky (2001); Diener et al. (1999); Myers (2000), Diener & Lucas (1999), Argyle (1999) © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

RESEARCH SHOWS THAT HAPPY PEOPLE:  Nurture and enjoy their social relationships (relevant to hobbies -- e.g., interacting/working with others)  Are often the first to help others (relevant to hobbies)  Savor pleasures and live in the present moment (relevant to hobbies -- e.g., “flow”)  Make physical activity a habit (relevant to hobbies)  Are often spiritual or religious (relevant to hobbies)  Are deeply committed to meaningful goals (relevant to hobbies -- e.g., learning new things, pursuing new projects) © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

INTENTIONAL POSITIVE ACTIVITY  Behavioral: How we act  Cognitive: How we think  Motivational: What goals we follow © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

People adapt to almost all positive experiences. Adaptation to positive experiences is one of the greatest obstacles to raising happiness. My goal: To determine how we can thwart or slow down such adaptation. © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

ADVANTAGES OF ACTIVITY  Variety: You can vary it “ To be interested in the changing seasons is a happier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with spring.” — George Santayana © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

ADVANTAGES OF ACTIVITY  Variety: You can vary it  Timing: You can time it  Surprise: You can generate surprises  Attention: You can try to hold it in your mind and appreciate it © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

“My experience is what I agree to attend to.” – William James, “father” of psychology © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

ADVANTAGES OF ACTIVITY  Variety: You can vary it  Timing: You can time it  Surprise: You can generate surprises  Attention: You can try to hold it in your mind and appreciate it © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved. FROM: Lyubomirsky, S. (2008). Surmounting a critical barrier to becoming happier: Hedonic adaptation to positive experience. To appear in S. Folkman (Ed.), Handbook on stress, coping, and health. New York: Oxford University Press.

Intervention: An experiment in which people are instructed to change themselves in some way that has a positive outcome. © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

HAPPINESS INTERVENTIONS WE HAVE CONDUCTED: Over the course of 2-3 months, volunteers are asked to do the following on a regular basis:  Commit acts of kindness  Count their blessings  Write gratitude letters  Visualize their best possible future  Savor and replay happy days © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

The conclusion of our research: “Happiness takes work!” © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

THREE HAPPINESS-ENHANCING INTERVENTIONS  Study 1: Committing Acts of Kindness  Study 2: Expressing Gratitude & Optimism  Study 3: Expressing Gratitude & Optimism Across Cultures © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

THREE HAPPINESS-ENHANCING INTERVENTIONS  Study 1: Committing Acts of Kindness  Study 2: Expressing Gratitude & Optimism  Study 3: Expressing Gratitude & Optimism Across Cultures © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

If You Want Happiness…  For an hour — Take a nap  For a day — Go fishing  For a month — Get married  For a year — Inherit a fortune  For a lifetime — Help somebody else — Chinese Proverb © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

“The benefits of helping somebody is beneficial.” – George W. Bush © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

Kind Acts …  Help us see others and our community more charitably  Prompt us to feel better off by comparison  Relieve distress or guilt over others’ misfortune  Give us a sense of interdependence and cooperation  Lead us to see ourselves as generous, and to feel confident, competent, in control, and optimistic about our ability to help  Lead others to like us more and help us make new friends  Increase the chance that others will appreciate us and reciprocate in our times of need © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

Participants were instructed to do 3 or 9 acts of kindness per week for a period of 10 weeks Three groups:  High variety (do any acts out of an original list of 15) (n = 70)  Low variety (choose 3 acts out of a list of 15 and do them over and over again) (n = 23)  Control (list 3 or 9 events each week) (n = 94) Study 1: “ Acts of Kindness ” © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

How We Measured Happiness Items include… In general, I consider myself: not a very a very happy person Compared to most of my peers, I consider myself: less happy more happy  Subjective Happiness Scale (4 items) © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

How We Measured Happiness How do you feel about your life right now? terrible mixed dissatisfied delighted and satisfied  Terrible-Delighted Scale (1 item) © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

Instructions: We would like you to list 15 acts of kindness that you would like to do more in the future. Acts of kindness are acts or behaviors that are not normally expected of you in your daily life, and involve some sacrifice by you. Only write down acts of kindness that are easily repeatable on a daily basis. For example, if you live with someone, the act of kindness could be doing a chore that you don't usually do. If you go to a coffee shop or stand in a line every day, the act could be letting one person go ahead of you in line. If you drive every day, the act of kindness could be letting a car enter your lane or go ahead of you at a stop sign, etc. After you make your list, we ask you to choose 3 [9] of these acts and do them during the upcoming week. © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

Changes in Subjective Happiness Subjective Happiness Level Before Study Mid- Study 1-Month Later After Study © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

Theme of my research: “Fit” is critical. ~ Fit with your personality ~ Fit with your goals ~ Fit with your strengths ~ Fit with your lifestyle ~ Fit with the source of your unhappiness © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

THREE HAPPINESS-ENHANCING INTERVENTIONS  Study 1: Committing Acts of Kindness  Study 2: Expressing Gratitude & Optimism  Study 3: Expressing Gratitude & Optimism Across Cultures © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

Participants were instructed to write for 15 min per week over the course of 8 weeks Conditions:  Expressing Optimism: Write about your best possible future selves (n = 113)  Expressing Gratitude: Write letters of gratitude (n = 109)  Control: List what you have done over the past 7 days (n = 110) Study 2: “ Gratitude and Optimism ” © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

OPTIMISM CONDITION Instructions Please take a moment to think about your romantic life in the future (say in 10 years). Imagine that everything has gone as well as it possibly could for you. You have an amazing partner or wife/husband and everyone is impressed by the relationship you share. Think of this as the realization of all your hopes and expectations regarding a significant other. Now, for the next 15 min, write about what you imagined. © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

GRATITUDE CONDITION Instructions Please take moment to think back over the past several years of your life and remember an instance when someone did something for you for which you are extremely grateful. For example, think of the people – parents, relatives, friends, teachers, coaches, teammates, employers, and so on – who have been especially kind to you but have never heard you express your gratitude. Although you should try to write your letter of gratitude to a new person each week; if you prefer, you can write another letter to the same person you wrote to previously. Now for the next 15 min, write a letter to one of these individuals. © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

Participants recruited into a “high motivation” vs. “low motivation” group Testing the Role of Motivation “Do you want to become happier? Sign up here to learn more…” “This study is about practicing cognitive exercises. Sign up here to learn more…” © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

n = 80n = 78n = 75 n = 33n = 31n = 35 2X3 Design (6 groups) Optimism Gratitude Control Motivated Non- Motivated © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

n = 80n = 78n = 75 n = 33n = 31n = 35 2X3 Design (6 groups) Optimism Gratitude Control Motivated Non- Motivated © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

Changes in Happiness Immediately After the Intervention © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

Changes in Happiness 9-Month Follow-Up © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

Changes in Happiness Immediately After the Intervention OptimismGratitude Not Motivated Motivated © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

Changes in Happiness 9-Month Follow-Up OptimismGratitude Not Motivated Motivated Not Motivated Motivated © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

The Role of Effort Changes in Well-Being GratitudeOptimismControl © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

The Role of “ Fit ” Changes in Well-Being GratitudeOptimismControl © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

Our findings attest to the important role of motivation, effort, commitment, and fit. © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

THREE HAPPINESS-ENHANCING INTERVENTIONS  Study 1: Committing Acts of Kindness  Study 2: Expressing Gratitude & Optimism  Study 3: Expressing Gratitude & Optimism Across Cultures © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

Our hypothesis: The pursuit of happiness is universal. Thus, both Asian- Americans and Anglo- Americans will benefit equally (but perhaps differently) from our happiness interventions. © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

Participants were instructed to write for 10 min per week over the course of 6 weeks Conditions:  Expressing Optimism: Write about your best possible future selves (n = 78)  Expressing Gratitude: Write letters of gratitude (n = 80)  Control: List what you have done over the past 7 days (n = 81) Study 3: “ Gratitude and Optimism Across Cultures ” © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

n = 36n = 41n = 40 n = 42n = 39n = 41 Again a 2 X 3 Design Optimism Gratitude Control Anglo- Americans Asian- Americans © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

ANGLO-AMERICANS (N = 117) % Female47% Mean Age 39 % Married59% % College Graduate65% % >$60,000/year48% % Not religious20% ASIAN-AMERICANS (N = 122) % Female56% Mean Age 31 % Married37% % College Graduate97% % >$60,000/year48% % Not religious 23% Comparing Our Two Ethnic Groups Born in: China 41% Taiwan14% Vietnam13% S. Korea 7% Hong Kong 4% India 4% © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

Changes in Well-Being 1-Month Follow-Up © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

Changes in Well-Being 1-Month Follow-Up Changes in Well-Being © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

Changes in Relationships During the Second Half of the Intervention © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

Changes in Gratitude During the Second Half of the Intervention © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

“We don’t believe in this Robinson Crusoe happiness. All happiness is relational.” – Karma Ura, director of Centre for Bhutan Studies © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

WHAT’S NEXT?  More happiness interventions  Do expectations matter?  Does timing matter?  Does social support matter?  Do habits matter?  Why do the strategies work? © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

WHAT’S NEXT?  Can we alleviate depressive symptoms?  More happiness interventions  Do expectations matter?  Does timing matter?  Does social support matter?  Do habits matter?  Why do the strategies work? © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

PREDICTION: By 2020, depression will be the second-leading cause of mortality in the entire world, affecting 30% of all people. – World Health Organization FROM: Murray, J. L., & Lopez, A. D. (1996). The global burden of disease: A comprehensive assessment of mortality and disability from diseases, injuries and risk factors in 1990 and projected to Summary. Boston: Harvard School of Public Health: World Health Organization. © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

Question: Would depressed people benefit more from happiness interventions? ~because they have more room to improve Or would they benefit less? ~because their cognitive and behavioral deficits prevent them from taking full advantage of the strategies © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

“Happiness depends upon ourselves.” – Aristotle Website: © Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. All rights reserved.