10 tips for better mental health & wellbeing (part 2)

In case you haven’t read my post ’10 tips for better mental health & wellbeing (part 1)’ (published on 10 October), it may be better if you read it first.

 

1. 2.  3. Tips for better mental health & wellbeing

 

The World Health Organisation (WHO) recognizes World Mental Health Day on 10 October every year. The objective is to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and mobilize efforts in support of mental health.

 

As a Psychiatrist, I have taken this opportunity and started talking about mental health and wellbeing. This is not only in the context of mental (psychiatric) illness, but in a wider context applicable to most, if not all, of us.

 

In Part 1, I discussed the ‘biopsychosocial’ model or approach to the assessment and management of mental health difficulties. I also looked into 3 of 10 key areas (or pillars) of daily life, and provided a number of simple yet effective recommendations, which can maximize one’s wellbeing and contribute to a happier and healthier life. The 3 key areas (or pillars) discussed in Part 1 were ‘biological’: sleep, nutrition and physical activity/exercise. Let’s now move on to the ‘psychological’ and ‘social’ ones:

 

4. Relationships and psychotherapy

 

Relationships are an important part of most people’s life; research has shown that they are essential to our wellbeing. I do not refer only to romantic relationships; our social network includes friends, family, colleagues, neighbors, teammates and so on.

 

A special type of relationship is the so-called therapeutic (in the context of psychotherapy). Let me start here by saying that I strongly believe that psychotherapy (also known as psychological therapy) is not just for those who have a mental illness. It can help anyone who has some sort of psychological, emotional or interpersonal difficulties (i.e. low self-esteem, anger or relationship problems), as long as they’re open to this therapeutic approach.

 

 

But, what exactly is this therapeutic approach? Or, therapeutic approaches rather, since there’s a large number of psychological therapies; these therapies differ both in their theory and the therapeutic approach used. Although they’re collectively known as ‘talking therapies’, some psychological therapies encourage ‘doing’ and learning practical skills, and not just ‘talking’; this is particularly true for CBT, mindfulness-based therapies, and art therapy. Let’s take a closer look at the most common ones:

 

Psychoanalysis and psychodynamic or psychoanalytic psychotherapy

 

Psychoanalysis is the most archetypal psychotherapy. Established by Sigmund Freud, there is a group of (psychoanalytic) theories and therapeutic techniques (‘Freudian’ being one of them). Psychodynamic (or psychoanalytic) psychotherapy differs from psychoanalysis in that it is less intensive and briefer than the latter.

 

These therapies can be particularly helpful for longstanding problems, especially when these problems affect our relationships. They can also be helpful for those of us struggling with personal fulfilment. Unconscious patterns can be brought into awareness and explored through the intervention of the analyst (therapist), who makes ‘interpretations’ rather than provide direct advice on how to change. The analyst acts like a mirror; he or she can help us see and understand ourselves better by shedding light on aspects of our personalities and internal world that we may be oblivious to. Needless to say that this process takes time; psychoanalysis is far from a quick fix.

 

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

 

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is usually delivered in much shorter time and follows a totally different approach. CBT focuses on a specific problem (i.e. low mood, anxiety, anger, low self-esteem, or even chronic pain), and on the here-and-now. It is not as holistic as psychoanalysis or psychodynamic psychotherapy; however, there’s strong research evidence about its effectiveness in the management of a number of psychological problems, mental illnesses and long-term physical conditions. According to the underpinning theory, our feelings, thoughts, behaviours and physical symptoms are closely linked to each other. The therapist helps us identify vicious cycles involving unhelpful thinking styles (cognitive distortions, thinking biases, traps or errors, as they are also called) and behaviours. By breaking these vicious cycles we can change the way we think and behave. By doing so, our feelings and physical symptoms can also change.

 

CBT is also available online. ‘Living Life To The Full‘ and ‘Moodgym‘ are two excellent websites offering self-help CBT courses, which can be very helpful. Self-help, however, by definition doesn’t involve a therapeutic relationship.

 

Mindfulness-based therapies

 

Mindfulness-based therapies, such as mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) and mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), use mindfulness as the main therapeutic approach. Derived from Buddhist traditions, this is a psychological process of bringing our attention to experiences occurring in the present moment. Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is another mindfulness-based therapy; it differs from CBT in that it teaches us to notice, accept and embrace distressing experiences (such as feelings or physical symptoms) rather than trying to change them. This does not mean resigning to these experiences, but acknowledging that they can be outside our control. ACT encourages us to rather change the way we perceive and view them. Essentially, a mindfulness approach can help us become less reactive to stress, build resilience, cope better with health problems (including long-term physical illnesses) and reduce psychological distress.

 

Other psychological approaches

 

Art therapy combines talking therapy with creative exploration through the arts. It can help explore and communicate feelings that may be too difficult or distressing to express in words. In his blog, author and blogger James Clear discusses the health benefits of art and creativity.

 

Counselling is another type of psychological therapy; it involves a therapist listening and helping us find ways to deal with emotional issues. It less structured than CBT, and may be particularly helpful when going through a change in life circumstances (i.e. bereavement).

 

Life coaching is not a type of therapy, but a collaborative approach to support an individual achieve their personal or professional goals.

 

Benefits & challenges

 

Despite their different therapeutic approaches, different psychological therapies have a very important element in common: the relationship with the therapist (often called therapeutic relationship or alliance). Research shows that this plays a very important role in the outcome of therapy (whether it is successful or not) no matter what therapeutic approach has been used.

 

Another benefit (again irrespective of the type of psychotherapy) is that they encourage us to pay close attention to our internal world (feelings and thoughts) and this alone can often be therapeutic. Psychotherapies provide a space where this internal world can be acknowledged, validated, understood and explored, and I strongly believe that this is where one of their greatest benefits lies.

 

A challenge, however, is that psychological therapies do not provide a quick fix. Improving our wellbeing and mental health is a skill that can be learned and developed over the rest of one’s life. It is a skill that takes consistent daily practice just like learning a musical instrument, or a foreign language. It therefore requires time, effort (practice), persistence and patience. In many ways, it is like gardening: we have to prepare the ground first, then plant the sees, ensure that they are adequately watered and nourished, and then wait patiently for the results.

 

“No one saves us but ourselves.

No one can and no one may.

We ourselves must walk the path”

Buddha

 

Resources

 

In the UK, there are two wonderful resources that provide psychotherapies free of charge:

 

• The Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme was introduced in 2008 to provide psychological therapies (mostly CBT) for common mental health conditions (such as anxiety and depression) in primary care settings. More recently, it has expanded to also provide psychological therapies for long-term physical health conditions and medically unexplained symptoms. IAPT accepts referrals from general practitioners, as well as self-referrals.

 

• MIND is a mental health charity with branches all over the country. Psychotherapy is one of the many services it provides.

 

If you’d like to find out more about the different types of psychotherapy, check out these websites:

 

• https://www.psychotherapy.org.uk/about-psychotherapy/types/
• https://www.bacp.co.uk/about-therapy/types-of-therapy/
• https://overcoming.co.uk/14/Help-for-Mental-Health
• https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/drugs-and-treatments/talking-therapy-and-counselling/#.W7Uo3K2ZOb8

 

If you’d like to further read about the different types of psychotherapy, I would recommend Psychotherapy: A Very Short Introduction.

 

If you’d like to read more about psychoanalysis or psychodynamic psychotherapy, I would recommend What is Psychotherapy?

 

 

5. Reading Well

 

But we don’t always have to see a therapist to benefit from these psychological approaches. There are a large number of resources available that use therapeutic techniques and can help with psychological or emotional difficulties. They can be very useful as a first step, whilst waiting for therapy, or as an adjunct to therapy. Although they’re lacking the therapeutic relationship with the therapist, they are excellent in that they provide psycho-education and support for self-care (both essential elements of the complex interventions I’ve studied in my research and mentioned in Part 1). Like psychotherapy, they encourage us to pay close attention to our internal world; they can also empower us to take steps to improve our mental health and wellbeing.

 

These resources include a large number of self-help books and online resources such as websites, blogs and apps.

 

There is a huge evidence base around the value of reading to support health and wellbeing. In the UK, there is a scheme endorsed by health professionals and supported by public libraries that allows people to visit their local library and take a book out for free. ‘Reading Well’ has two strands: ‘Books on Prescription’ and ‘Mood-boosting Books’.

 

An excellent online resource is the Overcoming website. It features a large number of resources, such as a list of self-help books (many of which are available on the Reading Well scheme) and free downloadable materials. There’s also an accompanying app.

 

Self-help books and guides

 

A large number of self-help books have been published, and many of them are available on the Reading Well scheme. The ‘Overcoming’ series contains over 30 titles that cover a range of difficulties (including but not restricted to mental health problems) that are amenable to a CBT approach. I have recently reviewed 2 of these books: Overcoming Anxiety and Overcoming Anger and Irritability and I would highly recommend them to those struggling with these issues.

 

I would also recommend books by Gill Hasson. Gill is a teacher, trainer and writer with 20 years of experience in the area of personal development. She largely combines CBT principles with a mindfulness-based approach. I have reviewed, and highly recommend, the following books by her:

Mindfulness Pocketbook: Little Exercises for a Calmer Life

Positive Thinking: Find happiness and achieve your goals through the power of positive thought

Overcoming Anxiety: Reassuring Ways to Break Free from Stress and Worry and Lead a Calmer Life

How To Deal With Difficult People: Smart Tactics for Overcoming the Problem People in Your Life

Kindness: Change Your Life and Make the World a Kinder Place

Happiness: How to Get Into the Habit of Being Happy

 

 

Another excellent resource is the self-help guides produced by the Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust. There are guides for a number of conditions and difficulties, including low mood, anxiety, anger and sleeping problems. They are based on the CBT model and are free to download.

 

6. Mindfulness & meditation

 

I’ve already mentioned mindfulness and mindfulness-based therapies (tip 4). Yet, I believe that mindfulness is such an important skill to develop; it should not only be considered in the context of therapy, but in a much wider context: that of wellbeing.

 

But, what exactly is mindfulness and how can it be cultivated?

 

I’m going to quote Dr Jane Hutton, Consultant Clinical Psychologist in Psychological Medicine at King’s College Hospital.

 

“Mindfulness can be defined as paying attention in a particular way in the present moment. It can be cultivated in every moment of our everyday lives – for example, walking down the street looking around us rather than looking down at our phones. It can also be cultivated through structured practices, for example, meditations on the breath and on the body. Our intention in practising mindfulness is to cultivate an enhanced awareness of what’s going on in the present moment, and that’s both externally in the world around us but also internally: our thoughts, our emotions, our bodily sensations and how they can all affect one another. It is about cultivating awareness of things as they are right now, but it’s also making deliberate, conscious choices that can help us to change things where that’s possible and where that might be helpful”.

 

So, how can mindfulness help?

 

Mindfulness strategies can be helpful to most of us and not only to those affected by mental (or even physical) illness. Mindfulness can help us become less reactive to stress, build resilience, cope better with health problems (including long-term physical illnesses) and reduce psychological distress. It can be practiced independently (via self-help books and online videos and apps, such as Headspace), but there are also many courses and structured programmes available.

 

Mindfulness can help us:

• become more self-aware
• feel calmer and less stressed
• feel more able to choose how to respond to our thoughts and feelings
• cope with difficult or unhelpful thoughts
• be kinder towards ourselves

 

Clinical trials have also shown that mindfulness can help reduce the experience of physical pain, and improve physical health. For example, it can improve cardiovascular health through reducing blood pressure and the risk of hypertension.

 

 

I have found the Mindfulness Pocketbook of great value, as it allowed me to get a better understanding on what mindfulness is and become familiar with a variety of mindfulness exercises and practices. In this book, Gill Hasson introduces a number of mindfulness strategies. She describes exercises and practices to help the reader in a clear and easy-to-follow way. Each of the 54 two-page-long chapters includes practical advice on how to become more mindful in a range of everyday situations.

 

Mindful eating is a great example of an everyday mindfulness strategy. In Eating Mindfully: How to End Mindless Eating and Enjoy a Balanced Relationship with Food Susan Albers recommends eating in a less robotic manner by giving our full attention to our eating, focusing on the process and enjoying our meal. Getting rid of distractions and turning off the television/phone etc is especially important for eating mindfully.

 

Other simple mindfulness activities include:

• Mindful moving, walking or running
• Mindful colouring and drawing (a large number of mindful colouring books have recently become available, and they’re not just for kids)
• Body scan
• Breathing exercises
• Yoga
• Mindful meditation

 

Out of all these activities, yoga is my favorite, as it can combine mindful meditation with physical exercise and an awareness of breath. I know that yoga classes can be quite expensive, but you don’t always have to join one to practise yoga. I have recently discovered an app called ‘Down Dog’, which allows me to practise yoga at home. The YouTube channel ‘Yoga with Adriene‘ is another wonderful way to practise yoga, as well as meditation, in the comfort of your home.

 

How about meditation?

 

Quite often the word ‘meditation’ is used alongside or even interchangeably with ‘mindfulness’. So, is meditation the same as mindfulness? Not quite, even though there is a bit of cross cover. There are different types of meditation and mindfulness can be practised through meditation. Mindfulness is a skill, and can be practised through a number of activities, but and not all mindfulness activities are meditations.

 

Resources

 

If you’d like to find out more about mindfulness, check out these websites:

 

• https://www.mindful.org/meditation/mindfulness-getting-started/
• https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/drugs-and-treatments/mindfulness/#.W7Upbq2ZOb8

 

To learn more about the different types of meditation, check out this article. To find out more about the benefits of meditation (and yoga), read this article.

 

You can easily practise meditation at home; there are plenty of guided meditations on YouTube. There are also apps and websites that offer guided meditations for free (i.e. Headspace) or for a subscription (i.e. Calm or 10% Happier). For more clinically-orientated meditations, you can download audio files from here and here. Or, you can easily find guided meditations on YouTube.

 

 

If you live in London and prefer to join a meditation class, there are regular classes at the London Buddhist Centre and at the Buddhist Society. For meditation retreats in the UK or abroad, check out this recent article published in the Guardian.

 

7. Positivity and Gratitude

 

Positive thinking is a skill that can be practised, learned and become an effective stress management strategy. Positive thinking and optimism have been associated with both mental wellbeing and physical health benefits, such as:

 

• Better coping skills during hardships and times of stress
• Lower rates of depression
• Lower levels of distress
• Better mental and physical wellbeing
• Greater resistance to the common cold
• Better cardiovascular health and reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease
• Increased life span

 

 

In Ikigai: The Japanese secret to a long and happy life I read about a study conducted at Yeshiva University, which found that people who live the longest have two dispositional traits in common. A positive attitude is one of the two (the other one is a high degree of emotional awareness, which can be cultivated with psychotherapy).

 

This exemplifies the interplay between physical and mental health. Thinking positively enables us to cope better with stressful situations, which not only enhances our mental wellbeing (reducing depression and distress), but also reduces the harmful health effects of stress on our body.

 

So, how can we think more positively?

 

One simple yet effective strategy is to reflect on our each day, identify and write down three positive things about that day. This can help us create a more positive mindset; it can also help us focus on the positive aspects of our everyday lives, rather than dwell on our shortcomings.

 

In her book Positive Thinking Gill Hasson draws from the theories behind Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and provides tips and strategies on how to think and behave in a more positive way.

 

In the Positivity Blog, blogger and author Henrik Edberg shares positive thinking tips on how to stop being pessimistic. My favourite tips of his are to try to find what’s good or helpful about a negative situation, and to be grateful for a few of the things we may often take for granted.

 

In Overcoming Anger and Irritability William Davies describes ‘reframing the situation/trigger’ as a method to work on our thinking in the context of anger management. This method is about changing the way we perceive one situation, and I believe that its usefulness lies well beyond anger management. A classical example is that of the half full/half empty glass. The way we perceive something (anything from a simple object to a complex situation) is colored by a number of variables such as our previous experiences, knowledge, personality, expectations, perspective (picture 1), mood, physical sensations, the context (picture 2), the environment (picture 3) etc. The visual (or optical) illusions are a simple yet effective example of how fluid our perception of something can be.

 

 

Every cloud has a silver lining

 

Another archetypal example is the proverb ‘every cloud has a silver lining’, a metaphor for optimism meaning that a negative occurrence may have a positive aspect to it.

 

Of course, there are situations where it may be very difficult to identify something positive (i.e. when losing a loved one). In such situations, reframing can take a different form: looking at the situation from a much wider perspective, instead of trying to look out for a positive aspect of the situation itself. For example, in the context of a loss of a loved one, reframing will entail thinking about (and feeling grateful for) our loved ones who are still with us. Or, in the event of losing a job, reframing will entail thinking about a friend who recently lost their loved one, or (again) thinking about (and feeling grateful for) our loved ones. Or even, thinking about people afflicted by war, poverty, illness…

 

Gratitude

 

I believe that gratitude goes hand in hand with positive thinking. Quite often we focus on what could be different or better, and this can easily trigger or perpetuate negative emotions, including stress, sadness, or even anger. Feeling grateful is a way to break this cycle and help create a more positive mindset.

 

In Kindness Gill Hasson takes my earlier strategy a step further: at the end of each day, she advises, reflect on what happened during the day, identify and write down three things you feel grateful for.

 

I previously wrote that the way we perceive something can be colored by many variables including our mood. This relationship, however, is bidirectional. Our mood can also be affected by the way we perceive something. This is exactly why changing our thinking is so important, and why positive thinking is so powerful.

 

8. Routines and structure

 

As a Psychiatrist, I cannot overemphasize the importance of having routines and a structure to one’s days, weeks, and life. Routines and structure are important because they provide a sense of security and familiarity, as well as order, direction and meaning. They also help provide a sense of achievement (purpose) as well as enjoyment (pleasure). All these are essential ingredients for a happy and a balanced life.

 

Routines

 

A number of books on the subject are available to read. The one that has caught my attention, however, is My Morning Routine: How Successful People Start Every Day Inspired. In keeping with its title, this book does not only focus on the importance of the morning routine (which I think is a great starting point – both literally and metaphorically) but it also explores the routines of 64 of today’s most successful people, including Biz Stone, the co-founder of Twitter, and Arianna Huffington, founder of The Huffington Post.

 

Quite like the morning routine, an end-of-the-day routine is also important to help us relax and unwind. For specific recommendations on how to relax, read my post on my pre-bed post-travel routine. This is essentially a relaxation routine and, despite the name, is by no means specific to traveling.

 

 

Structure

 

In keeping with the structure of my recommendations (pun intended), for most of us, a typical day should include:

• 7-8 hours of sleep (tip 1)
• 3 meals (tip 2)
• Exercise/physical activity (tip 3)
• Purposeful activities, such as work, education, family responsibilities, and activities of daily living – self-caring, cleaning, cooking, shopping (tip 9)
• Pleasurable activities, such as hobbies and pastimes (tip 10)

 

In addition to the above, reading (tip 5), mindfulness or meditation (tip 6) and positive thinking and gratitude strategies (tip 7) can easily be incorporated into our everyday lives for optimal wellbeing.

 

I strongly believe that having meaningful, purposeful and pleasurable activities is essential for one’s mental health. Let’s now take a closer look at these activities.

 

9. Finding purpose

 

I’ve recently come across the Japanese concept of ‘ikigai’. This can loosely be translated to ‘a reason for being’ (or ‘la raison d’être’, as the French say), a ‘purpose in life’ or even ‘the reason for which you wake up in the morning’ (akin to a daily purpose). Ikigai usually refers to the source of value in one’s life or the things that make one’s life worthwhile.

 

 

The book Ikigai: The Japanese secret to a long and happy life has been instrumental not in shaping my views, but consolidating them. The authors pay particular attention to Okinawa, the Japanese island where people live longer than anywhere else on planet Earth. Drawing from Dan Buettner’s Blue Zones, they write that finding a purpose in life (an ikigai) is among the keys to longevity (along with diet, exercise and forming strong social ties). Even if we are to take this with a pinch of salt, I think there’s a valuable message here: finding purpose in life can contribute to one’s wellbeing.

 

Purposeful activities

 

Having purposeful activities (such as work -either paid employment or volunteering- or education) can provide routine and structure in our life; it can also foster our sense of self-worth and increase our self-esteem by helping us gain a sense of achievement and mastery.

 

However, let’s not forget that work and education are not the only purposeful activities in our lives; family responsibilities and activities of daily living (such as self-caring, cleaning, cooking, shopping) are also purposeful.

 

Unfortunately, purposeful activities are not always pleasurable. Most of us work or clean the house because we have to, rather than want to do it. If, however, we manage to derive pleasure from such activities, it will be even better. Education is often an activity that is both purposeful and pleasurable, especially if we have chosen the subject of our studies (i.e. when studying for a degree, as opposed to going to school).

 

The same applies to a number of other activities, such as learning a foreign language or a musical instrument, or even physical exercise and sports. For some of us, these can be things we simply have to do; for others, they are hobbies, which are mostly regarded as pleasurable activities, but they also serve a purpose.

 

Even though I do not find these activities (work, education, house chores etc) always pleasurable, I’d much rather view them as purposeful, as opposed to something that has to be done. In other words, just by choosing a different set of words, I reframe a substantial part of my daily life, and I therefore view it in a much more positive way.

 

10. Finding pleasure

 

“A hobby a day keeps the shrink (me) away!” says Geir Berthelsen, the founder of the World Institute of Slowness. He adds that hobbies help us appreciate life here and now.

 

I couldn’t agree more. Having pleasurable activities (i.e. hobbies) helps introduce routine and structure in our life. As we’ve seen, they can often be purposeful, as well as pleasurable. But most of all, as the name suggests, they provide enjoyment and pleasure.

 

However, some of us may often say that lack of time and money stops us from engaging in pleasurable activities. This of course largely depends on our viewpoint. For example, we may think as pleasurable only activities that require a substantial amount of time and money (i.e. traveling, location- or weather-dependent sports such as skiing or diving etc). If this is the case, all it takes is to alter our definition of ‘pleasurable’ to include activities that can still bring pleasure in our everyday lives. In other words, we have to change our perspective.

 

Pleasurable activities

 

Here are a few activities that most of us would consider pleasurable, and can easily be incorporated into our daily lives:

 

• Socializing with friends
• Spending time with family
• Spending time with pets
• Relaxing
• Going for a walk
• Going out for a meal
• Cooking and/or baking
• Exercise and sports
• Arts
• Watching a film (at home or at the cinema)
• Listening to (recorded) music
• Going to a music concert or a play
• Reading
• Learning (i.e. a foreign language or a musical instrument)
• Creative writing

 

The list of pleasurable activities is of course endless as well as subjective. Inspired from Berthelsen, I try to add a pleasurable activity to my every day. For example, some of the things I enjoy the most are writing, and watching films. So, unless I am meeting a friend, or going to a gig or to the theatre (which are also things I really enjoy, but I don’t do as often during the week), I always make sure that I spend a couple of hours each day either writing or watching a movie.

 

The activities mentioned here are not only pleasurable, but they can also be therapeutic. Research has shown that they can be beneficial for our mental health and wellbeing, and there are forms of therapy utilising some of these activities (i.e. art therapy, music therapy, bibliotherapy etc).

 

The power of music

 

Let’s take music as an example:

 

Many research studies provide evidence in support for the beneficial role of music (classical, as well as some other types of music) on both physical and psychological symptoms. For example, a systematic review indicated that listening to music might have a beneficial effect on physiological parameters (such as blood pressure, heart rate, and respiratory rate), anxiety, and pain in people with coronary heart disease. Another systematic review concluded that music interventions might have beneficial effects on anxiety, pain, fatigue, and quality of life in patients with cancer.

 

Music therapy and the Mozart effect

 

We can often see the health benefits of listening to music in the context of music therapy. This is an umbrella term for evidence-based interventions that use music in a therapeutic context. There are two types of music therapy: receptive (listening to music), and active or expressive music therapy (playing or creating music). Music therapy has been evaluated in a number of different physical and mental conditions, including dementia, and the results are positive.

 

The ‘Mozart Effect’ refers to the positive effect that classical music has on cognitive skills. Researchers found that listening to the Sonata for Two Pianos in D major, K. 448 by Mozart improved spatial reasoning skills (part of the widely used Stanford-Binet IQ test). It is rather unclear whether this effect is specific to this particular piece of music or applies to classical music in general. Music composed by Yanni (‘Acroyali/Standing In Motion’) was also found to have a similar effect. It may be that the positive effect on cognitive abilities is mediated by musical patterns shared by Mozart’s and Yanni’s compositions.

 

 

A note on happiness

 

According to the ‘In the Shadow of Happiness’, a recent report published by the Nordic Council of Ministers, “in international happiness research there is considerable consensus on distinguishing between three dimensions of subjective wellbeing”. These include:

1. life evaluation (i.e. how happy or satisfied we feel with life in general),
2. affect (how happy they currently feel),
3. and eudaimonia (how meaningful they perceive their life to be).

 

In The Little Book of Lykke: The Danish Search for the World’s Happiest People Meik Wiking, CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen, also distinguishes between the three dimensions of happiness: cognitive dimension (life evaluation – overall satisfaction with life), affective dimension (affect – the emotions experienced on a day-to-day basis) and eudaimonia (sense of purpose).

 

In The Blue Zones of Happiness: Lessons from the World’s Happiest People Dan Buettner explores these three dimensions (or strands) in three different countries, which are often heralded as the world’s happiest places: Denmark, Costa Rica and Singapore. For instance, he explains how the Danes score high on the purpose strand, as well as the pleasure (experienced happiness) and pride (evaluative happiness) ones.

 

In Happiness Gill Hasson consider happiness from two viewpoints: a short-lived pleasure versus a general sense of wellbeing. She discusses Aristotle’s distinction of happiness into hedonic happiness (small pleasures) and eudaemonic happiness (a sense of meaning, purpose and fulfilment).

 

Despite these differences in these definitions of happiness, it is clear that happiness is multi-dimensional, and encompasses both pleasure and purpose. Furthermore, like positive thinking, happiness is a skill that can be practised and learned.

 

“Happiness depends on ourselves.”

Aristotle

 

Alex

(the Traveling Psychiatrist)