The Promise of Sustainable Happiness

Abstract

From ancient history to recent times, philosophers, writers, self-help gurus, and now scientists have taken up the challenge of how to foster greater happiness. This chapter discusses why some people are happier than others, focusing on the distinctive ways that happy and unhappy individuals construe themselves and others, respond to social comparisons, make decisions, and self-reflect. We suggest that, despite several barriers to increased well-being, less happy people can strive successfully to be happier by learning a variety of effortful strategies and practicing them with determination and commitment. The sustainable happiness model (Lyubomirsky, Sheldon, & Schkade, 2005) provides a theoretical framework for experimental intervention research on how to increase and maintain happiness. According to this model, three factors contribute to an individual's chronic happiness level: (a) the set point, (b) life circumstances, and (c) intentional activities, or effortful acts that are naturally variable and episodic. Such activities, which include committing acts of kindness, expressing gratitude or optimism, and savoring joyful life events, represent the most promising route to sustaining enhanced happiness. We describe a half-dozen randomized controlled interventions testing the efficacy of each of these activities in raising and maintaining well-being, as well as the mediators and moderators underlying their effects. Future researchers must endeavor not only to learn which particular practices make people happier, but how and why they do so.

The experiences of employees participating in organisational corporate social responsibility initiatives

“…In addition, it has been illustrated that committing acts of kindness represents the most promising route to sustained happiness (Boehm & Lyubomirsky, 2005). This study supported this theory by concluding that participation in CSR leads to fulfilment and ultimately to a feeling of joy.…”

“…That being said, according to modern theories of self-esteem, life is only genuinely satisfying if we discover value within ourselves. Yet, one of the best ways of discovering this value is by nourishing our unique strengths in contributing to the happiness of our fellow humans, and by conducting activities that include committing acts of kindness, expressing gratitude or optimism and savouring joyful life events, all of which represent the most promising route to sustaining enhanced happiness (Boehm & Lyubomirsky, 2005;Seligman, 2002).…”

Delivering Happiness: Translating Positive Psychology Intervention Research for Treating Major and Minor Depressive Disorders

“…Although the Sin and Lyubomirsky meta-analysis demonstrated that depressed individuals can actually benefit more from positive psychology interventions than nondepressed ones, many of the studies that used clinically depressed populations were conducted in the context of individual or group therapy. 44 Based on the significant body of research showing that clinician-administered PAIs increase well-being, we believe that self-administered PAIs will be successful as an effect size. However, the mean difference in depression scores from pre-to post-test indicated that the PAI decreased depression scores from the severe to the mild-to-moderate range.…”

“…Randomized controlled longitudinal experiments have validated the effectiveness of these intentional activities in raising well-being and reducing depressive symptoms. 44 …”

Concepciones de la Felicidad y su relación con el Bienestar Subjetivo: un estudio mediante Redes Semánticas Naturales

“…La búsqueda de la felicidad y el logro del bienestar (desarrollo del potencial humano o de la buena vida) son uno de los fines humanos que se buscan desde la antigüedad (Boehm & Lyubomirsky, 2009;Lyubomirsky & Lepper, 1999;Riff & Singer, 2007). Asimismo, cada vez son más los estudios dentro de la ciencia psicológica que buscan hallar cuáles son los factores involucrados en el bienestar y la salud (Aspinwall & Staudinger, 2007).…”