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While the news agenda is still largely dominated by Coronavirus, let's celebrate that there are still great things happening in our beautiful world. Ed Gould shares his Top Ten round-up from June to uplift and inspire. 1. Racially diverse plaster launched It's always been possible to buy clear plasters or those with differing tonal qualities, but one of the leading plaster brands, Band-Aid, has never produced products that were designed for all skin tones. Following a long-standing campaign that gathered momentum under the Black Lives Matter protests, Johnson & Johnson – which owns Band-Aid – has decided to alter its production. The company announced in June that it would now make at least five different coloured plasters. RELATED: Forum – anti-racism resources 2. Colourful harlequin toad found not to be extinct Often considered one of the most attractive amphibians, the Mindo harlequin toad was thought to have died out or, at least, to have been on the brink of extinction. This wonderfully camouflaged toad had been suffering from a fungal disease that had devastated its population. However, new sightings of the amphibian were reported in June, leading biologists to think that after three decades in the wilderness, the toad has finally developed resistance to the disease. The juvenile Harlequin toad. Alejandro Arteagath 3. Discovery in preventing brain damage in newborn babies According to News Medical, a team of researchers from Australia and China has been studying the effects of oxygen deprivation on the brains of babies as they're born. The scientists have discovered that a mitochondrial protein, known as COX5a, plays a pivotal role in helping to prevent brain damage when the oxygen supply is cut off or restricted. It's hoped that a new treatment can now be made to help infants undergoing difficult births which will protect their brains from oxygen deprivation-related damage. 4. Free psychology first aid training course As reported in Well + Good in June, John Hopkins University has launched an online course that anyone can sign up to. In response to some of the privations of lockdowns around the world, academics developed a psychological first responder programme. Part of the teaching involves helping people to acquire the skills to be more of a reflective listener. It's hoped the course will help people to make assessments of the mental well-being of those around them. It could, potentially at least, save many lives, as people know how to respond better to feelings of anxiety, depression and isolation. 5. Spontaneity has been found to make people happy As reported in the New York Post, being spontaneous is not just about living in the moment – it can make you feel happier, too. If you're the sort of person who likes to plan everything, then try a few more spur of the moment decisions: you could find that you feel happier as a result. This feel-good news story came after no fewer than 2,000 Americans were asked about their attitudes to spontaneity and happiness levels. Those who were more instinctive were found to suffer the least from unhappiness. Go off your trolley and get happier! shutterstock/Jacob Lund 6. Survey finds mindfulness lowers the severity of depression In a report published in Psychiatry Advisor, it has been scientifically shown that following a more mindful approach to life can help alleviate the worst symptoms of clinical depression. The study was based on a large survey that was conducted on people who had been following mindfulness-based compassionate living, or MBCL. The study took place in the Netherlands and it followed a group of individuals who had first been recruited back in 2013. The extensive survey found that those who followed MBCL were less likely, on average, to suffer from the most severe symptoms of depression. RELATED: Mindful behavior – 13 practical mindfulness tools for life 7. Ugandan company makes PPE from recycled materials There's been little feel-good news recently on the subject of medical personal protective equipment (PPE). Since demand has soared, most countries around the world have struggled to source adequate supplies, leaving many short of stock. However, in Uganda, a start-up business found that it was able to make PPE by recycling plastics. Old plastic was melted down and formed into face shields and other equipment, according to All Africa. The move is a big plus for the environment as well as healthcare workers who continue to be on the front line in the battle against the global pandemic. RELATED: Forum - navigating the COVID-19 pandemic 8. Dogs could help sniff out Covid-19 symptoms There have been few feel-good news stories about the global epidemic but a couple did come through in June. One related to Dexamethasone, a cheap medication that was found to significantly help severely affected patients. The other was that sniffer dogs have been found to be remarkably accurate in detecting the virus in people. According to the Guardian, our canine pals could even prove themselves to be more accurate in detecting the virus in its earlier stages than other methods, thereby helping to prevent the spread of the contagion. Paws for thought: dogs could sniff out COVID-19 shutterstock/aonip 9. Breakthrough in aggressive breast cancer made Researchers from Tulane University in New Orleans have announced that certain aggressive types of tumour can be stopped by turning off the function of a certain gene. Dr Reza Izadpanah, who led the research team, said that the gene – known as TRAF3IP2 – would play a big role as the target of new breast cancer treatments. Izadpanah said that by turning off the gene a disruptive effect on the metabolic pathways of cancer cells could be achieved. Medical News Today reported that 268,600 new cases of aggressive breast cancer were discovered in the USA alone last year, so this breakthrough is likely to have a big effect on future treatments. 10. Strong sun boosts renewable energy The sunny weather enjoyed in much of the northern hemisphere during June hasn't only been good for lifting people's lockdown spirits. It's also helped to produce lots of renewable electricity, too. Although solar farms work in any light conditions, sunny weather clearly makes them much more efficient. According to a report in Solar Power Portal, solar irradiation was one-and-a-half times its usual level in England recently which has meant that a lot more energy has been produced. Thanks to the UK's solar farms, around a third of the country's electricity was made from solar energy at peak times, thereby reducing the reliance on fossil fuels. ● What's your favourite feel-good news story from the past month? We'd love to hear your what you think below. Written by Ed Gould Ed Gould is a UK-based journalist and practitioner of Reiki.

The first survey about general causes for Stress at Work was designed to give you a quick idea about the different aspects that play a role in our well-being in our jobs. This time we'll look specifically at motivation and the results of the Motivation at Work Questionnaire. What is motivation? Motivation can be defined as internal and external factors that stimulate desire and energy in us to be continually interested and committed to a job, role or subject, or to make an effort to attain a goal. Motivation is the most significant predictor of success. [...] the longer someone is in a career, the less important innate ability (i.e., intelligence) is, and the more important motivation becomes [...] high motivation will ensure total preparation which will, in turn, ensure maximum performance and results. [2] Motivation results from the interaction of both conscious and unconscious factors such as the intensity of desire or need, incentive or reward value of the goal, and expectations of the individual and his or her peers. These factors are the reasons we have for behaving a certain way. [3] To understand what influences our motivation, let's take a closer look at Self-Determination Theory and the different aspects of motivation. If you haven't done so yet, now is a good time to answer the motivation at work questionnaire. It takes less than five minutes, and you'll investigate what gives you real motivation at work and what issues to address that hinder you in reaching your full potential. Motivation at work questionnaire Self-Determination Theory Self-Determination Theory (SDT; Ryan and Deci 2000) is a metatheory defining the psychological factors required for optimal motivation, engagement and well-being, concerned with how the individual interacts with and depends on the social and therefore work environment. SDT is based on the fundamental humanistic assumption that individuals naturally and actively orient themselves toward growth and self-organisation. [7] In SDT the basic psychological needs of competence, autonomy and relatedness and their indispensable role in self-determined motivation, well-being, and growth are the central aspects. We are continuously involved in a dynamic interaction with the social world – at once striving for need, satisfaction, and also responding to the conditions of the environment that either support or thwart needs. As a consequence of this person-environment interplay, we become either engaged, curious, connected, and whole, or demotivated, ineffective, and detached. [7] Let's take a closer look at the above mentioned three aspects of SDT on which our questionnaire is focused: Competence - the need to feel effective in interactions with the environment This need concerns our achievements, knowledge and skills; we need to build our competence and develop mastery over tasks that are important to us. Autonomy - the need to feel free and self-directed, to experience personal endorsement We need to feel that we are the masters of our destiny and that we have at least some control over our lives; most importantly, we need to feel that we are in control of our behaviour. Relatedness - the need to feel meaningfully connected/connect closely with others We need to have a sense of belonging and connectedness with others; each of us needs other people to some degree. [7][8] These three factors influence our motivation. We can now look at the different aspects of motivation through the lens of our individual replies in the motivation at work questionnaire. Different aspects of motivation There are several areas where we can make insightful distinctions when looking at motivation such as negative and positive motivation, extrinsic and intrinsic motivation and aspirations, autonomous and controlled motivation. They are all influenced by the above mentioned three key factors of SDT. In the questionnaire, we focused on the level of fulfilment of those three factors. Negative motivation and positive motivation The two poles here are threats/punishment (negative motivation) versus positive motivation, such as rewards/satisfaction/joy. Take a moment to think about situations where you were motivated either positively or negatively. As you will see, both can be highly motivating, but from the perspective of well-being, self-development and happiness, positive motivation is much more satisfying. External/extrinsic motivation and Internal/ intrinsic motivation “The relationship between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation: doing things because you like doing them in their own right [intrinsic] or doing them because you want a reward that has been offered. [extrinsic]” [1] Examples of extrinsic motivation are grading systems, employee evaluations, awards, and the respect and admiration of others. Intrinsic motivation can be seen as living true to our core values, our interests, and our sense of morality. Extrinsic Aspirations and Intrinsic Aspirations The distinction between extrinsic and intrinsic aspirations (life goals) is quite similar to the motivation mentioned above. Aspirations are long-term goals which guide our activities, and they fall into two categories: extrinsic aspirations like wealth, fame and attractiveness, and intrinsic aspirations like affiliation, generativity and personal development. There have been several studies on this subject that intrinsic goals being associated with greater health, well being and performance. [5][6] The problem with external motivators and aspirations is that crucial factors that influence our performance at work like creativity can't be consciously controlled. Dan Ariely (Cognitive Psychology (PhD) Business Administration (PhD) ) explains it on the example of offering a bigger bonus for better performance. The bonus is an external-positive motivator, but still has its challenges: “If I gave you a bigger bonus to jump you would jump more times," says Ariely. "You have very good control over your legs, and if I give you more money you will transmit more power to them, and therefore you will be more successful. We don’t have the same control over memory, creativity and concentration. You can’t will yourself into a higher state of concentration and creativity. It’s counterproductive and hinders performance strongly.” [1] So, even if an external-positive motivator like a bonus is motivating in a sense that we get aroused and activated, it doesn't reliably result in better performance. It's not surprising that it will work even less with a negative motivator like the fear of losing your job. So, let's look at intrinsic motivators. The negative motivators, like fear of failure or a feeling of inadequacy, are worth being addressed for the sake of our personal development. If we act driven by anxiety or feeling "not good enough" it might make us work harder, but in the long run, this is not nourishing and holds us back from living our best life. As we learned in the definition above, intrinsic motivation means that we do things because we like doing them in their own right. Internal-positive motivation is coming from a place of strength, security and values. Therefore, it's the best form of motivation not only regarding our productivity at work but for our overall well-being and personal development. As so often things are not only the two extremes of – in our case extrinsic and intrinsic – but there's a whole range between those two poles at which we will look now in a more differentiated way. Autonomous motivation and Controlled motivation Autonomous motivation includes motivation that comes from internal sources and encompasses motivation from extrinsic sources for individuals who identify with an activity’s value and how it aligns with their sense of self. It is displayed in green in the chart. Controlled motivation is comprised of external regulation — a type of motivation where an individual acts out of the desire for external rewards or fear of punishment. On the other hand, introjected regulation is motivation from “partially internalised activities and values” such as avoiding shame, seeking approval, and protecting the ego. [8] People adapt and orient themselves to their environment and their degree of self-determination in general, across many different contexts. Autonomy and what we perceive as autonomous decisions play an important role: Autonomous motivation: all three basic needs – competence, autonomy and relatedness – are satisfied. Controlled motivation: competence and relatedness are somewhat satisfied, but autonomy is not. Both internal and environmental forces influence intrinsic motivation. The context – including external forces (e.g., deadlines), interpersonal climates (e.g., praise, instruction), and internal events (e.g., being ego-involved) – affects intrinsic motivation as a function of the degree to which they are fulfilled. Here we can divide between different five regulatory styles that are deeply rooted in the three key factors of autonomy, competence, and relatedness with autonomy playing a central role. While having these needs met is a source of motivation, the lack of them being met is a source of stress, dissatisfaction, lack of motivation and frustration at work. The survey captures the degree to which these basic needs are being met for you at work and to identify areas which need to be addressed and improved. Participate in the happiness forum What was your overall SDT score, and how does it relate to your self-evaluation? How are you doing in these three different areas? Did you identify an area that is well developed while another could use a boost? Which areas can you identify where you are doing well in your job and why? Which areas can be improved, and what specific measures could help with that? What are your next steps? Sources: [1] https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20120509-is-it-all-about-the-money (07/06/2020) [2] https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-power-prime/201201/personal-growth-motivation-the-drive-change (12/06/2020) [3] http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/motivation.html (28/06/2020) [4] https://courses.edx.org/courses/course-v1:BerkeleyX+GG202x+1T2020/course/ (29/05/2020) [5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-determination_theory#Basic_needs_and_intrinsic_motivation (29/05/2020) [6] http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.90.1443&rep=rep1&type=pdf (29/05/2020) [7] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/317690916_Self-Determination_Theory (22/05/2020) [8] https://positivepsychology.com/self-determination-theory/(28/06/2020) Photo by Stephen Leonardi, Thao Le Hoang, Ian Schneider on Unsplash Written by Tine Steiss Tine is an artist, meditator, media engineer, activist and MBSR teacher. If she's not reading or writing she's working on turning her city garden into an edible paradise. Find out more about Tine on herrberta.art.

Interviewerin Veronika Eicher hatte noch einen leisen Geschmack von Rosinen im Mund - vom Abschluss der "Rosinenmeditation" in Dave Potters MBSR-Kurs - als sich die beiden zum Reden hinsetzten. Sie fragte ihn nach seinem Hintergrund in der auf Achtsamkeit basierenden Stressreduktion, der Motivation hinter seinem freien Kurs, dem Umgang mit chronischen Schmerzen und über Meditation. Wann haben Sie das letzte Mal achtsam gegessen? Dave Potter, zertifizierter MBSR-Lehrer, also Lehrer für Achtsamkeitsbasierte Stressreduktion (in Englisch Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction) und pensionierter Psychotherapeut, lacht, bevor er antwortet: "Nun, es ist alles eine Frage des Grades. Obwohl ich ein Achtsamkeitslehrer bin, gibt es Zeiten, in denen ich nicht sehr achtsam esse. Zum Beispiel unterhielten sich meine Frau und ich gestern Abend ununterbrochen während des Abendessens, und ich war mir überhaupt nicht bewusst, was ich aß. In einem früheren Leben als Marketing Manager bei Intel waren viele unserer Meetings über Mahlzeiten und es wurde von uns erwartet, dass wir gleichzeitig Geschäfte machen und essen. Früher habe ich den Leuten gesagt, dass ich auf der Karriereleiter von Intel nicht höher gekommen bin, weil ich nie gelernt habe, gleichzeitig zu essen und zu sprechen. " Obwohl Dave nicht lange bei Intel blieb, war er über 20 Jahre in der Computerbranche tätig. Zunächst als freiberuflicher Computerberater und später als Gründer eines Softwareunternehmens, das auf ein Dutzend Mitarbeiter und Kunden auf der ganzen Welt angewachsen ist. Im Alter von 51 Jahren stellte er fest, dass er sich viel mehr für Menschen als für Computer interessierte, obwohl er Technologie liebte. Er ging zurück zur Schule, um einen Abschluss in Beratung zu machen, und wurde Psychotherapeut. Zu diesem Zeitpunkt begann er, Achtsamkeit zu lehren, was mich zu meiner nächsten Frage führte: Wie haben Sie MBSR kennengelernt? „Ich kam mit MBSR ungefähr zu der Zeit in Kontakt, als ich anfing, als Therapeut zu arbeiten. Meditation war für mich aber nicht neu, da ich seit meiner Schulzeit meditiert hatte. Obwohl ich bereits ein Langzeitmeditierender war und nicht glaubte, dass ich viel lernen musste, war ich nach einem Schulungskurs von Jon Kabat-Zinn beeindruckt von MBSR und wie lehrreich es war. MBSR ist, wie Jon Kabat-Zinn es lehrte, weder esoterisch noch religiös. Stattdessen war die Sprache, die Jon benutzte, so einfach, dass Dave erst in der Teilnahme des MBSR-Kurses von Jon Kabat-Zinn die enorme Tiefe von MBSR und diese besondere Art des Meditationsunterrichts verstand. „Die Sprache ist sehr einfach:‚ Achte auf deine Erfahrungen, während du sie hast ': Aber der MBSR-Kurs war so tiefgreifend und bedeutungsvoll, dass ich ihn mit anderen teilen wollte! Ich ließ mich von der Universität Massachusetts Medical School, an der Jon Kabat-Zinn MBSR gegründet hatte, zum Lehrer ausbilden “, erklärte Dave. VERWANDTE THEMen: Achtsam essen: Du bist, was du isst Arten von Coaching Achtsam essen kannst du als eine von vielen Möglichkeiten wahrnehmen, in der täglichen Routine Achtsamkeit zu üben Viele Menschen nehmen an dem Kurs teil, um den Stress in ihrem Leben zu reduzieren. Wenn Sie neuen Schülern sagen, dass sie täglich 30 Minuten für Meditation aufwenden müssen, sagen die oft: „Woher soll ich die Zeit nehmen? Das macht mich mehr gestresst, nicht weniger! “ Ist das nicht ironisch? "Am Anfang haben viele Menschen das Gefühl, dass es stressiger ist, das stimmt. Dies liegt daran, dass sie jetzt genauer darauf achten, was in ihnen geschieht, und sie haben begonnen, Dinge zu bemerken, die die ganze Zeit dort waren, aber unter der Oberfläche. Aber normalerweise beruhigen sich die Dinge nach etwa drei oder vier Wochen. Was die meisten Menschen zu diesem Zeitpunkt feststellen, ist, dass ihr Tag zwar technisch 30 Minuten kürzer ist, der Rest des Tages jedoch produktiver und viel weniger stressig als zuvor. Die Leute sehen also die Früchte der Praxis, aber oft erst drei oder vier Wochen nach Kursbeginn. Das ist einer der Gründe, warum der Kurs acht Wochen dauert und nicht drei. “ Erfahre mehr über Dave Potters kostenlosen MBSR-Kurs Was können die Kursteilnehmer erwarten? „Zuerst fühlt es sich an, als ob nichts passiert. Die Teilnehmer sitzen in der Meditation, ihr Geist wandert, sie holen ihn zurück, ihr Geist wandert wieder, sie holen ihn wieder zurück und das wiederholt und wiederholt sich in einem scheinbar endlosen Zyklus. Es sieht so aus, als ob nichts Produktives passiert. Aber in diesem Prozess steckt Magie, die während des Geschehens überhaupt nicht sichtbar ist. Der Sinn der Meditation besteht nicht darin, Gedanken zu stoppen, sondern ihre Beziehung zu ihnen zu ändern, und der kritische Ort, an dem sich diese Beziehung ändern kann, ist, wenn sie bemerken, dass ihre Gedanken gewandert sind. Am Anfang sagen die Leute normalerweise: "Ich bin nicht gut darin, meine Gedanken wandern die ganze Zeit, ich kann das nicht." Sie sind frustriert, dass sie sich nicht dazu bringen können, an einem Ort zu bleiben und sich selbst verurteilen. Aber es geht nicht darum, den Geist an einem Ort zu halten: Es geht darum, was in dem Moment passiert, in dem sie entdecken, dass ihr Geist gewandert ist. Es geht darum, diese Tatsache zu akzeptieren und in diesem Moment freundlich zu sich selbst zu sein. " VERWANDTES THEMA: 9 wissenschaftlich belegte Vorteile von Meditation Jack Kornfield erzählt oft eine Geschichte über das Trainieren eines Welpen zum Apportieren. Am Anfang wirfst du den Stock und der Welpe bringt ihn nicht zurück. Aber du gibst nicht auf und wirfst den Stock viele, viele Male, bis der Welpe den Stock schließlich fast unerwartet zu dir zurückbringt. An diesem Punkt sagst du nicht: "Böser Hund !! Warum hast du den Stock vorher nicht zurückgebracht?!? " Du sagst: „GUTER JUNGE !!! GUT GEMACHT!" und gibst dem Welpen eine Belohnung. Das ermutigt den Welpen, es erneut zu tun und stärkt deine gute Beziehung zu deinem Welpen. "Bei uns ist es genauso. Wir trainieren unsere Schüler, um zu erkennen, dass diese Momente, in denen sie bemerken, dass ihre Gedanken gewandert sind, Momente des Erwachens sind. Diese Momente des Erwachens sind Grund zum Feiern, keine Selbstkritik. Jedes Mal, wenn du bemerkst, dass deine Gedanken gewandert sind, hast du gerade eine lebenslange Gewohnheit gebrochen. Darauf zielen wir in unserer Meditation ab. “ Trainiere deinen meditativen Geist wie einen Welpen: Mit Geduld und Leckerli Ich muss zugeben, ich dachte, wenn man lange genug meditiert - vielleicht wie Sie als lebenslanger Meditierender -, wandern die Gedanken irgendwann nicht mehr. Ist das falsch? "Es ist nicht wahr, dass fortgeschrittene Meditierende gelernt haben, ihre Gedanken vollständig zu stoppen. Das Beseitigen von Gedanken ist auch nicht das Ziel dieser Art von Meditation. Denken ist keine Funktion, die wir beseitigen wollen. Wir müssen nachdenken, planen, organisieren, bauen, etwas schaffen. Gedanken sind wichtig, aber sie sind nicht der wichtigste Aspekt unserer Erfahrung, und tatsächlich sind die Gedanken, die wir haben, oft falsch oder irreführend. Tara Brach sagt oft: "Gedanken sind real, aber nicht wahr." VERWANDTES THEMA: Tara Brach - Psychologin, Meditationsautorin und Lehrerin Es ist wahr, dass es Arten von Meditationen gibt, die darauf ausgelegt sind, die Konzentration zu perfektionieren. Aber diese Art der Meditation, wenn sie mit dem Ziel kombiniert wird, Zustände der Glückseligkeit zu erreichen, entspricht nicht der Realität des täglichen Lebens. Es gibt eine Geschichte über einen Mönch, der in eine Berghöhle geht, um isoliert zu meditieren. Nach Jahren des Übens perfektioniert er seine Konzentration bis zu dem Punkt, an dem er sich in fast ununterbrochener Glückseligkeit befindet. Er entscheidet, dass er bereit ist, vom Berg herunterzukommen. Fünf Minuten nach seiner Ankunft in der Stadt macht einer der Verkäufer auf dem Markt einen beleidigenden Kommentar und er explodiert vor Wut und scheint seine jahrelange Praxis in wenigen Augenblicken rückgängig zu machen. “Die Menschen sehen die Früchte ihres Trainings, aber oft erst drei oder vier Wochen nach Kursbeginn. Das ist einer der Gründe, warum der Kurs acht Wochen dauert und nicht drei." Die Art der Meditation, die in MBSR gelehrt wird, umfasst sowohl konzentrative Meditation als auch eine offenere Meditation, Auf die kann mitten im täglichen Leben zugegriffen werden, in der der Meditierende im Moment genau weiß, was um ihn herum und in ihm geschieht. " Dein Achtsamkeitslehrer: Dave Potter Dave Potter und ich sprechen mehr über die Kraft des Geistes. Er teilt das Beispiel eines buddhistischen Mönchs, Matthieu Ricard, der über 30 Jahre 50.000 Stunden Meditationspraxis hatte (das sind fünf Stunden am Tag - jeden Tag!) und von Psychologen und Neurowissenschaftlern ausgiebig untersucht wurde. Paul Ekman, ein Psychologe der Universität von Kalifornien, vermutete, dass Ricard eine sehr geringe „Schreckreaktion“ haben würde, die vergleichbar mit Angst ist. Je ängstlicher eine Person ist, desto stärker ist die physiologische Reaktion auf Erschrecken. In diesem Labortest wird das Subjekt an die Instrumentierung angeschlossen und die physiologische Reaktion auf ein sehr lautes Geräusch, ähnlich einem Schuss, gemessen. Als Ekman Ricard testete, musste er es ein zweites Mal tun, weil er nicht glauben konnte, was seine Instrumente ihm über Ricards Reaktion sagten. Ricards physiologische Reaktion war geringer als bei jedem Probanden, den er jemals getestet hatte. Tatsächlich war sie niedriger, als die Medizin bis zu diesem Zeitpunkt für möglich gehalten hatte. Als er Ricard fragte, wie er das gemacht hate (in der Erwartung, er würde sagen, er würde seine Aufmerksamkeit auf einen einzigen Punkt lenken und alles andere blockieren), sagte Ricard, er habe das Gegenteil getan - er sagte, anstatt seine Aufmerksamkeit einzuschränken, habe er sie erweitert und sich vorgestellt so groß wie das Universum zu sein, so groß, dass Geräusche oder Störungen leicht zu absorbieren sind. Er sagte, er habe das Geräusch sehr deutlich gehört, aber es sei für ihn nicht störend, da er seine Perspektive erweitert habe, um absolut alles aufzunehmen und zu akzeptieren, was ins Bewusstsein geriet. Könnte diese Technik auch eine Möglichkeit sein, mit der MBSR-Teilnehmer lernen, mit unangenehmen Gefühlen oder chronischen Schmerzen umzugehen? Indem sie sich den größten Schmerz und die schlimmste Erfahrung als weniger schmerzhaft in der Praxis vorstellen? Der Kurs beseitigt keine Schmerzen. Menschen mit chronischen Schmerzen haben normalerweise alles versucht. Sie haben nichts gefunden, was Ärzte verschreiben ihnen gegen die Schmerzen verschreiben können. Im MBSR-Kurs arbeiten wir nicht daran, die Schmerzen zu beseitigen, sondern unsere Beziehung dazu zu ändern. Wir bringen unseren Schülern bei, auf paradoxe Weise mit schwierigen Emotionen und körperlichen Schmerzen zu arbeiten, was wir in Woche 5 in einer Praxis namens „Turning Towards“ vorstellen. Die Schüler lernen durch diese Praxis und bauen auf den Fähigkeiten auf, die sie in den ersten vier Wochen gelernt haben. Am Ende können sie mit schwierigen Gefühlen oder Empfindungen umgehen, ohne alarmiert zu sein. VERBINDUNG: Chronische Schmerzen - ein Erfahrungsbericht Bei chronischen Schmerzen bitten wir die Schüler, neugierig auf sie zu werden. Anstatt zu versuchen, sie verschwinden zu lassen - was natürlich nicht funktioniert. Ohne das Unbehagen als „Schmerz“ zu bezeichnen, lassen wir sie die tatsächlichen körperlichen Empfindungen untersuchen. Ist es zum Beispiel scharf oder pochend, groß oder klein, genau wo befindet es sich, wo liegen seine Grenzen? Wenn sie es auf neugierige, nicht ängstliche Weise genau untersuchen, entdecken sie, dass ihr „Schmerz“ keine statische Sache ist, dass sich ihre Erfahrung davon verschiebt, wenn sie auf diese Weise neugierig darauf sind. “Mit Achtsamkeits-basierter Stressreduzierung (MBSR) beseitigen wir keine Schmerzen, aber wir verändern die Beziehung zu ihnen.” Nachdem wir den schwierigen Bereich erkundet haben, bitten wir sie, ihre Aufmerksamkeit auf einen Teil des Körpers zu lenken, der relativ entspannt ist. Dort sollen sie einen Moment bleiben, um zu bemerken, welche Art von Empfindungen sie dort haben. Vielleicht ist es Wärme oder Weichheit oder einfach frei von Schmerzen. Dies wirkt vielleicht, als würden wir sie bitten, sich abzulenken, aber wir lassen sie einfach die Aufmerksamkeit auf einen anderen Teil ihres Körpers lenken, der tatsächlich mit dem schwierigen Bereich verbunden ist. Nachdem sie einige Minuten dort verbracht haben, gehen sie zurück in die schwierige Gegend. Sie wechseln hin und her. Wenn die SChüler dies einige Male tun, empfinden sie das Unbehagen als nur einen Teil von sich. Sie stellen fest, dass es nicht unveränderlich ist. Auf diese Weise lernt der Schüler, den schwierigen Bereich in einem größeren Kontext zu sehen und zu erleben. Ähnlich wie es Matthieu Ricard mit dem lauten Klang im „Startle“ -Test getan hat. In diesem Sinne ist es eine Erweiterung des Bewusstseins und der Perspektive, die den Schmerz weniger schwierig macht. Der wahrscheinlich begabteste und kompetenteste Meditationslehrer für den Umgang mit chronischen Schmerzen ist Vidmayala Burch. Sie ist Gründerin von Breathworks in Großbritannien. Sie versteht chronische Schmerzen, weil sie sich mit ihren eigenen schweren, schwächenden Schmerzen befasst hat, die sie ihr ganzes Erwachsenenleben lang bis jetzt begleiten. Sie ist eine begabte Lehrerin und Vorbild für Menschen, die mit chronischen Schmerzen zu tun haben. Vidyamala verwendet oft Kissen, um zu demonstrieren, wie wir physischen (oder emotionalen) Schmerz mit Angst und Sorge verbinden. Ein Schüler sitzt mit einem Kissen auf dem Schoß in der Mitte des Raumes und gibt dem Kissen die Bedeutung von physischem Schmerz und den schwierigen Empfindungen (oder problematisches Lebensereignis). Dann wird auf dieses Kissen ein weiteres hinzugefügt, das eine Angst oder Sorge darstellt, die der Schüler bezüglich des Schmerzes hat. Zum Beispiel die Angst, dass der Schmerz schlimmer wird. Dann fügen die Schüler weitere Kissen hinzu, vielleicht wegen der Sorge, um die Arbeit, um sich zu ernähren, oder eine weitere und eine andere Befürchtung. Am Ende sind die Kissen oft so hoch gestapelt sind, dass sie sind höher als der Kopf des Schülers. In der Übung bat Vidmayala sie, die Kissen der Sorge und Angst nacheinander zu entfernen und jedes loszulassen. Alles, was in ihrem Schoß bleibt, ist das erste Kissen, das die tatsächlichen körperlichen Empfindungen darstellt. Dieses Kissen ist immer noch da, aber viel weniger problematisch als unter all den anderen Kissen der Angst und Sorge, die zu den tatsächlichen körperlichen Schmerzen (oder problematischen Lebensereignissen) hinzugefügt wurden. Kissenübung gegen den Schmerz: MBSR wurde ursprünglich für Schmerzpatienten konzipiert Die „Kissenübung“ mit Vidyamala Burch war für mich als chronische Schmerzpatientin unglaublich aufschlussreich. Ist es das, worum es bei Achtsamkeit geht? Genau. Achtsam zu sein bedeutet, zu erkennen, was tatsächlich passiert, und zu bemerken, dass wir die Situation mit unseren Ängsten und Sorgen verschärfen. In buddhistischen Begriffen würde man sagen, dass es den ersten Pfeil gibt, der die Schwierigkeit selbst darstellt, und der zweite Pfeil ist all die Sorgen und Ängste, die wir darüber haben. Wir können nicht immer etwas gegen den ersten Pfeil unternehmen. Aber der zweite Pfeil, der die Schwierigkeit vergrößert, kann entfernt werden. Sie waren einer der ersten Lehrer, die uns Ihren MBSR-Kurs in unserer happiness Akademie kostenlos zur Verfügung gestellt haben, und Sie haben den Kurs auch kostenlos auf Ihrer Website palousemindfulness.com angeboten. Was war Ihre Motivation dafür? „Darauf gibt es ein paar Antworten. Die erste ist: "Warum nicht?". Die Tatsache, dass ich das sogar sagen kann, liegt daran, dass ich im Ruhestand bin und kein zusätzliches Einkommen benötige, und an der Effizienz und Reichweite des Internets. Vor allem aber wusste ich, dass es Menschen gibt, die es sich nicht leisten können, für einen Achtsamkeitskurs zu bezahlen. In vielen Teilen der Welt gibt es auch keinen Zugang zu einer persönlichen MBSR-Klasse. Meine Absicht war es, Achtsamkeit so weit wie möglich verfügbar zu machen, unabhängig von der finanziellen Situation oder dem geografischen Standort. Ich habe das Glück, dass dies auch die Absicht der meisten anderen Achtsamkeitslehrer ist, selbst derer, die bekannt sind und hohe Gebühren für ihren Unterricht verlangen können. Weltbekannte Achtsamkeitslehrer wie Jon Kabat-Zinn, Vidyamala Burch und Tara Brach haben mir ihre schriftliche Erlaubnis erteilt, ihre Videos und Schriften kostenlos zu verwenden, damit Achtsamkeit breiter verfügbar ist. “Der Kurs macht das Leben nicht perfekt. Es geht darum, in Frieden zu sein, auch ohne sich friedlich zu fühlen." Als ehemaliger Psychotherapeut freut es mich zu wissen, dass durch den Palousemindfulness-Kurs Menschen geholfen wird. Jeden Tag bekomme ich Briefe von Leuten, die sagen, der Kurs habe ihr Leben verändert. Was könnte besser sein für einen pensionierter Therapeut, dessen Arbeit darin bestand, Menschen zu helfen? VERBINDUNG: Gemeinsam neue Gewohnheiten praktizieren: Fünf Übungen für mehr Achtsamkeit im Alltag Der Kurs macht das Leben nicht perfekt. Es geht nicht darum, die ganze Zeit friedlich zu sein. Nicht einmal der Dalai Lama ist die ganze Zeit friedlich. Es geht darum, in Frieden zu sein, auch ohne sich friedlich zu fühlen. Wenn ich von meinen Schülern höre, dass sie dies gelernt haben und dass sie glücklicher und belastbarer sind als zuvor, ist das für mich mehr wert als jede finanzielle Entschädigung. " Meditieren Sie noch täglich? "Ja, das tue ich. Ich hatte einige Perioden in meinem Leben, in denen ich keine formelle Meditiationspraxis aufrecht erhielt. Ich dachte, wenn ich mein Leben nur achtsam lebte und das Leben selbst meine Meditation sein ließe, würde das ausreichen. Während dies im Prinzip zutreffen könnte, weil jede Erfahrung zu einer achtsamen Erfahrung gemacht werden kann, war in diesen Perioden ohne formale Meditiationspraxis ein Großteil meines Lebens nicht sehr achtsam. Vor ungefähr 30 Jahren, nachdem ich immer wieder meditiert hatte, verpflichtete ich mich zu einer regelmäßigen täglichen Meditationspraxis von einer halben Stunde jeden Morgen und habe seitdem nicht aufgehört. Bis auf eine Handvoll Tage während dieser 30 -Jahres. Ich meditiere nicht, um Friedenserfahrung zu machen, während ich meditiere, obwohl das angenehm sein kann. Ich mache es, weil es den Rest meines Tages beeinflusst. Meine Morgenmeditation schafft eine Belastbarkeit und Lebendigkeit für den Rest des Tages, die ohne diese Praxis nicht da wäre. Meine morgendliche Übung ist eigentlich ziemlich einfach, ähnlich wie in Soto Zen "Zazen" oder "nur Sitzen" genannt wird, eine Zeit, in der ich nirgendwo anders sein oder etwas anderes tun muss. Eine Zeit, die nur für mich ist. Vor Jahren, als meine Tochter jung war, nahmen wir an einem Elternkurs von Barbara Coloroso teil und am Ende des Kurses sagte sie: „Ich möchte, dass Sie 30 Minuten am Tag mit der Person verbringen, mit der Sie für den Rest zusammen sein werden von deinem Leben mit ... und ich meine nicht den Ehepartner, der vor Ihnen gehen können. Ich meine SIE." ● Danke Dave, für das Gespräch und für deine Arbeit. Melde dich hier für den kostenlosen MBSR-Kurs in der happiness Akademie an. Und vergiss nicht, an der MBSR-Kursdiskussion im Forum teilzunehmen: Teile deine Erfahrungen und Ideen mit anderen Mitgliedern. Das vollständige Interview mit Dave Potter findest du hier: Interview von Veronika Eicher Veronika ist freiberufliche Texterin. In ihrer Freizeit werkelt sie im Garten. Auf Instagram teilt sie ihre Gedanken über die Klimakrise, Natur und nachhaltiges Leben.

As drag icon RuPaul Charles launches GuRu, his new self-help book, Calvin Holbrook looks at how the entertainer is increasingly showcasing his spiritual side and his life lessons that can help you create your best, happiest and most joyful life. Can we get an amen? At the age of 59, original drag superstar RuPaul Charles is at the pinnacle of his long career following the runaway success of his VH1 reality show RuPaul’s Drag Race, snatching a handful of Emmys, and bagging a Hollywood Walk of Fame star in the process. But he’s becoming just as well known for his spiritual advice too, recently launching GuRu, his self-help book cum memoir. After living with depression and addiction issues, therapy-loving RuPaul hasn't only cultivated a thick skin but a unique spiritual style too, mixing up some Eckhart Tolle teachings with the no-nonsense advice of Judge Judy (his favorite TV show). So, here are eight essential life lessons we can learn from RuPaul at any age. 1. Don't take life too seriously RuPaul (full name RuPaul Andre Charles) says that this piece of advice is the most important he's ever been given, and he follows the life lesson to this very day. Our time on our little green and blue planet is small – and for about one third of it we’re snoozing – so it’s important to remember this and learn to enjoy our lives, whatever our emotional or financial situation. By learning to laugh at life’s ups and downs, you can loosen the existential dread that often washes over us and grips us with fear. Let it all go, laugh out loud, and live in the present moment. If you struggle with being in the now, here are some mindfulness tips to help pin this down. Fierce and fun: Ru says don't take life so seriously. © Facebook/RuPaul 2. “If you can't love yourself, how the hell are you gonna love somebody else?” “Can I get an amen?” As ends RuPaul Charles' most memorable – and significant – catchphrase. Indeed, the inward projection of love is an essential first step towards being able to love others. And science agrees with Ru: there’s evidence that feelings of self-hatred and worthlessness can cause problems in relationships, and those with low self-esteem often underestimate their partner's real love for them, as they feel they’re not worthy of real love. So, make sure you understand yourself: accept yourself and your body, perceived flaws and all. We’re all unique and deserving of love. 3. Don't be held back by a limited perception of yourself RuPaul often talks of the ‘inner saboteur’: the other side of us that does things to deny ourself growth, because we’re scared or think we’re not worthy of success. All so often in life, ‘I can’t’ holds supreme in our minds and we fail to even try, but as Ru’s life lesson suggests, if you stop listening to those self-sabotaging thoughts and focus, you can work towards your goals. RELATED: How to stop self-sabotage – 5 techniques to try Indeed, on Drag Race, Ru sets the drag queen contestants challenges that tests their fears and abilities, often helping them to uncover talents that were previously hiding within. Star power: Ru on the Hollywood Hall of Fame © Kathy Hutchins/Shutterstock.com 4. Don’t become bitter Carrying on from that, sometimes it can be overwhelming trying to reach your life goals or dreams. With determination, self-belief and hard work, you can get there, but sometimes 'life' just gets in the way. Life lesson number four: if at first you don’t succeed, don’t get bitter, dust yourself off and try again. “For RuPaul Charles, finding his ‘tribe’ – peers that share the same interests and passions – was the start of his journey into drag.” Indeed, a 2011 study shows that persistent bitterness can make you physically unwell, so avoid it at all costs. As Ru Paul said in a 2015 interview for L/Studio: “You have every right to become bitter, and your mind will tell you, ‘F*** this, f*** all of this. Don’t take the bait. Continue to love yourself, because that’s where your power is.” Amen! 5. Find your tribe Growing up – and even in adult life – many of us feel like we don’t quite fit in: we’re either too geeky, too feminine, too gay, too tomboyish, too tall, too short, too shy, too damn whatever. Many of us felt and still feel alone, but as recent science shows, loneliness can be a bigger health risk than smoking or obesity. RELATED: Understanding the power of friendship For RuPaul, finding his ‘tribe’ – peers that share the same interests and passions – was the start of his journey into drag, success and discovering a whole new family. Know what turns you on in life and then seek out and surround yourself with people that share your passions and hobbies: with the help of like-minded friends, you can find inspiration, support, a beautiful sense of belonging and, hopefully, a whole lot of fun and laughter along the way. Two tribes: Ru with best buddy and colleague Michelle Visage © Kathy Hutchins/shutterstock.com 6. “If they ain't paying your bills, pay them bitches no mind!” Likewise, once you’ve found your tribe, learn to ignore anyone that criticizes you or your life – the ‘haters’ – what they think about you is none of your business. This life lesson also includes cutting out negative friends from your life: you know, the ones that are always having a huge life drama, moaning about everything or just eternally pessimistic. Science shows that negative people are toxic to our well-being, so leave them behind as you soar. RELATED: When to end a friendship... and how GuRu: The self-help book from RuPaul Charles 7. Know your rhythm In the L/studio interview, RuPaul says, “Know thyself. Know what it is that makes you, you.” This is perfect advice for those among us that feel lost or unsure of what direction to take with our work life. Sit down and take time out to be still and really think about who you are: your passions, what you're good at, and what you love to do (or would like to do). Knowing yourself is a great way to find a career where you can blossom: Ikigai is a useful tool to help you discover what will make you happiest when you get out of bed each morning. Some of the stars of Drag Race © Ron Adar/shutterstock.com 8. “We’re all born naked and the rest is drag” A key RuPaul catchphrase, the entertainer has been telling us for decades that we’re all born naked and the rest is drag, but we’re not literally talking hip pads and wigs here. This life lesson is a strong reminder of identity, and that drag is whatever guise we choose to adopt visually, whether that’s to stand out from the crowd or to fit in with it. Maybe you’re a London banker donning a €2,000 sharp suit to look the part at work, a Herschel bag-wearing hipster, or a punk with a mohawk and Doc Martens. What we wear is a expression of our personality, but underneath all the façade, we’re all the same: beautiful flesh and bones on our own unique spiritual journey: basically, we are one! ● RuPaul's book GuRu is available now from Amazon and all great bookstores. Main image: © Kathy Hutchins/Shutterstock.com happiness.com | The fine art of being: learn, practise, share Are you a happiness.com member yet? Sign up for free now to: ■ enjoy our happiness magazine with practical life tips ■ share and support others in our happiness forum ■ lself-develop with free online classes in our happiness Academy LGBTQ | Self care | Mindfulness | Resilience Written by Calvin Holbrook Calvin edits the happiness magazine, makes gay artwork, and loves swimming, yoga, dancing to house/techno, and all things vintage! Find out more.

With the world in crisis, now is the perfect time to discover the ancient Tibetan practice of Tonglen meditation, writes Calvin Holbrook. With each in-breath, we take in others’ pain. With each out-breath, we send them relief. As human beings, we usually react to pain and suffering by attempting to avoid it or distance ourselves from it. Instead, we tend to gravitate towards the pleasurable, and the experiences, objects and people who bring us comfort. But what if we reversed that logic and actively welcomed uncomfortable feelings and pain into our lives for a moment? Inviting pain and suffering of ourselves and others is the starting place for Tonglen meditation. And with huge amounts of global suffering present at the moment as a result of COVID-19, political and racial tensions and continued global disparities, now is an appropriate time to learn more about this ancient practice. What exactly is Tonglen meditation? Tonglen is Tibetan and translates as 'giving and taking’. Tong means "giving or sending", and len means "receiving or taking.” Tonglen refers to a meditation practice found in Tibetan Buddhism which is used to awaken compassion. The origins of Tonglen date as far back as the 11th Century. During this era leprosy wreaked havoc, causing many deaths in Tibet. Meditation masters brought Tonglen over from India to help those who were suffering from the disease, and also to heal themselves so they could continue to help others to recover. How does Tonglen meditation work? Tonglen meditation is very much visualization and breath-focused and is used to transform negative energy into positive. With each in-breath during the practice, we visualize taking in the pain and suffering of others. With each exhalation, we send relief and healing light to those people so they can find peace. In a similar vein to loving-kindness meditation, Tonglen breeds greater compassion: we become liberated from selfishness and open up to love for both others and ourselves. Indeed, the aim of Tonglen meditation is to change our attitude towards pain and to open our hearts so we can become more loving as we dissolve the pain that surrounds us. Tongen meditation increases our compassion shutterstock/mimagephotgraphy According to The Tibetan Book of the Dead by Sogyal Rinpoche, Tonglen is effective in countering the restricting and sometimes negative influence of our ego by opening our hearts to those suffering around us without losing ourselves in their personal drama. With distance we are compassionate teachers and observers. RELATED: Tummo Meditation and Breathing: a Guide Tonglen can be practised for those who are ill, those who are dying or have already passed, or those people in pain of any kind. While it can be done as a formal meditation practice (outlined below), we can also practise Tonglen on the spot at any given time: if we’re out and we see a stranger in pain, we can breathe in that person’s suffering and send them relief on exhalation. By practising Tonglen regularly, we start to connect with the open dimension of our being. How to practise Tonglen meditation As just mentioned, you can do Tonglen at any moment. But if you wish to cultivate a more formal Tonglen meditation practise, here are the steps to follow: 1. Flash on Bodhichitta The first step is to rest your mind in a few seconds of openness or stillness. This stage is traditionally known as ‘flashing on absolute bodhichitta’. Bodhicitta is a spontaneous wish to attain enlightenment motivated by great compassion for all beings. 2. Start a visualization and inhale Once prepared, it’s time to visualize the person or people who are suffering.Try to imagine them as possible and feel their pain and distress. Work with texture: as you feel your heart opening in compassion toward them, visualize all of their suffering gathering into a mass of hot, black, heaviness. Breathe it in. Inhale fully, imagining all the negative energy filtering through all the pores of your body. .embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } Pema Chödrön explains Tonglen Meditation YouTube/OMEGA 3. Exhale and spread peace When you exhale with Tonglen meditation, you should aim to breathe out feelings of light, brightness and coolness. Feel positive energy fully, passing through your whole body. Imagine you are passing peace, happiness and well-being to the person in pain. Develop a firm conviction that all of his or her negative karma has been eliminated. Keep breathing in and out in such a way until your visualization is synchronized with your inhalations and exhalations. 4. Expand your compassion Finally, extend your taking in and giving out practice. If you’re doing Tonglen for someone you love who is ill, extend it out to everyone who is in a similar situation. Make it bigger. Furthermore, as with loving kindness meditation, you can also do Tonglen for people you do not have a close connection with or care for – perhaps those that have hurt you or hurt others. Practise Tonglen for them, thinking of them as having the same suffering as your friend or yourself. Breathe in their pain and send peace their way. What are the benefits of Tonglen? Although Tonglen is an important therapeutic tool in Tibetan medicine, in the West, few studies exist regarding the efficacy of this specific meditation – both regarding the benefits to the meditator and those that are being meditated on. While there is an ever expanding body of research on various forms of meditation, research into Tonglen is limited. “Tonglen meditation breeds greater compassion: we become liberated from selfishness and open up to love for both others and ourselves.” Nonetheless, practised regularly, it's safe to say many of the usual benefits of meditation – such as stress relief, reduced anxiety, improved sleep, etc – will apply. In terms of the meditator, the visualization aspect of Tonglen may have advantages as it can lead to a number of cognitive benefits. Repeatedly visualizing scenes or images that evoke positive emotional situations can reinforce the production of brain neurotransmitters associated with positive emotional states, encouraging the pruning of synaptic relationships that are counterproductive to this practice. However, when it comes to the healing properties that Tonglen aims to achieve for those on the receiving end of the positive intemtions, the effects are clearly hard to measure and there is very little clinical evidence to support it to date. RELATED: Meditation for anger – how to calm your rage quickly A 2016 study aimed to evaluate the distant healing effect of Tonglen meditation on stress, anxiety, depression, fatigue, and self-perceived quality of life in cancer patients. Just over 100 cancer patients took part, half of which were the subjects of three months of Tonglen meditation from 12 meditators – not know to them. The other half of patients were the control group. Tonglen: take in the negative and give out light Patients were questioned about quality of life and mood during and after treatment. In terms of depression, a statistically significant improvement was found in the treatment group that received Tonglen, suggesting it could make a real difference to how they felt. However, there were no significant findings in the other areas, meaning a more in-depth analysis and evaluation of Tonglen meditation is needed in the future. Tonglen meditation: round-up By practising the Tibetan practice of Tonglen on a regular basis, you can expect your compassion levels to expand naturally over time, as well as benefiting from the usual lifestyle advantages meditation brings. And while there is little scientific evidence to currently back up that Tonglen can improve the pain and suffering of those on the receiving end of it, it can certainly do no harm. Indeed, sending out positive energy to others could only lead to good things. More research is needed in the future to see if such compassionate meditation can really make a difference. ● Main image: shutterstock/sun ok happiness.com | The fine art of being: learn, practise, share Are you a happiness.com member yet? Sign up for free now to: ■ enjoy our happiness magazine ■ share and support in our happiness forum Vedic meditation | Mindfulness | Mindful running | 6 phase meditation Written by Calvin Holbrook Calvin edits our magazine and is a lover of swimming, yoga, dancing to house/techno, and all things vintage. Find out more.

Können 2.600 Jahre alte Lehren des Buddhas zu mehr Glück im heutigen Leben beitragen? Die Achtsamkeitslehrerin Ulla Koenig ist davon überzeugt. Veronika Eicher sprach mit ihr über das Streben nach Glück und ihren Kurs "The Buddha's Path to Happiness". "Buddha's Weg zum Glück" ist ein fünfwöchiger englischer Kurs in der happiness Akademie. Unter dem Originaltitel "The Buddhas Path to Happiness" werden darin Lehren behandelt, die der Buddha uns für unseren eigenen Weg zum Glück durch seine Überlieferungen mitgegeben hat. Kursleiterin Ulla Koenig über den Kurs, ihre Karriere und ihren persönlichen Ansatz, Glück zu entdecken: 1. In deiner Kursbeschreibung steht: "Wir können Ruhe und Frieden in Momenten der Ruhe, des Glücks und der Klarheit finden." Konntest du heute schon solche Momente erleben? Ja, es gab viele kleine Glücksmomente während meines Tages. Jeder für sich ein kleines Juwel. Der Geruch von Efeu im Garten. Das sonnengeküsste Haar meines Sohnes. Erdbeeren zum Frühstück. Ein fünfminütiges Gespräch mit einem Freund. Perlen an einer Schnur. Solche Momente treten auf, wenn ich empfänglich dafür bin und Ruhe habe. Deine Kursleiterin: Ulla Koenig 2. Müssen wir aktiv nach Glück suchen oder findet es uns? Wir müssen definieren, was „Glück“ für uns eigentlich bedeutet. Was suchen wir? Was widmen wir unserer Aufmerksamkeit, unserer Anstrengung, unserer Zeit? Können wir Glück schaffen, konsumieren oder suchen? Glück entsteht für mich, wenn die Umstände stimmen. Ein Teil davon ist die Beziehung zur Erfahrung selbst, unsere Sichtweise darauf. Wir haben einen natürlichen Drang, unsere Beziehung zum Leben zu erforschen. Was wir hier erkennen, ist unser realer Weg zu mehr Glück, Frieden und Zufriedenheit. Ein Weg, der manchmal entgegengesetzt unserer natürlichen Impulse und Gewohnheiten führt. Was kann uns der Buddha über das Glück im 21. Jahrhundert lehren? 3. In deinem Kurs „Buddha's Path to Happiness“ basierst du den Weg zum alltäglichen Glück auf Buddhas Lehren. Ist es realistisch, 2.600 Jahre alte Weisheiten auf das schnelllebige 21. Jahrhundert zu adaptieren? Die Frage ist berechtigt, ob alte Lehren für unser heutiges Leben Mehrwert bieten oder nicht. Tatsächlich scheinen unsere modernen Tage so völlig anders zu sein als frühere Lebensweisen. Doch unsere Psyche, unsere Perspektiven und unser Miteinander haben sich nicht so sehr verändert. "Wir müssen definieren, was "Glück" für uns eigentlich bedeutet. Was suchen wir? Schließlich erleben wir immer noch die gleichen Herausforderungen und stellen uns die gleichen Fragen wie vor Tausenden von Jahren. Wir möchten immer noch Frieden in Herz und Verstand. Wir möchten Glück empfinden und uns ein Freiheitsgefühl in den Herausforderungen unseres täglichen Lebens erhalten. Der Buddha hat glücklicherweise alles tief genug erforscht, um uns zum Nachdenken anzuregen. Es sind zeitlose Überlegungen, die unabhängig von Kultur, Geschlecht und Glauben anwendbar sind. 4. Du arbeitest mit Häftlingen, Geflüchteten und Krebspatienten. Kannst du eine besondere Erinnerung an diese Meditations- und Achtsamkeitsarbeit der letzten Jahren teilen? Eines berührt mich immer besonders tief: Die Erleichterung meiner Schüler, wenn sie aus eigener Erfahrung eine Reihe von Werkzeugen und Techniken kennenlernen, die sie überall und jederzeit anwenden können und die sie unterstützt. Achtsamkeit ist dafür ein äußerst vielseitiges Werkzeug. Mit der entsprechenden Sorgfalt und Vorsicht kann es an viele Situationen angepasst werden. Ich habe von Gefangenen die gleichen Äußerungen gehört wie von Menschen mit Behinderungen. Manchmal ist gerade ein schwieriges Umfeld, in dem die Menschen bereit sind, Zeit und Mühe in das Ausprobieren von Techniken aufzuwenden. Das sind auch die Umgebungen, in denen ich die meisten Veränderungen bei Menschen gesehen habe. Es sind diese Erfahrungen, die mein Vertrauen und meine Dankbarkeit für die Praxis vertieften. Zum Kursbeginn: The Buddha's Path to Happiness "Ein Weg zum Glück, der manchmal gegen unsere natürlichen mpulse und Gewohnheiten verläuft." 5. Wie verlief dein persönlicher Weg zum Glück? Es war eine kurviger Weg. Er begann mit dem Gefühl, dass ich mich nach mehr als unsere Konsumkultur mit ihrem engen Sinn für Recht und Unrecht sehnte. Als Teenager stellte ich die Strukturen, Institutionen und gemeinsamen Ansichten stark in Frage. Und ich begann nach Alternativen mit all ihren Herausforderungen und Sackgassen zu suchen. Als ich die Einsichtsmeditation (Vipassana-Meditation) fand, hatte ich das Gefühl, näher an das zu kommen, wonach ich suchte. Die undogmatische Freiheit der Erforschung fand ich dann in den Lehren des Buddha. Ich resonierte mit der Betonung der persönlichen Verantwortung anstelle des blinden Glaubens. “Wir erleben immer noch die gleichen Herausforderungen und stellen die gleichen Fragen wie vor Tausenden von Jahren.” Das Gelernte deckte sich mit meiner persönliche Erfahrung als Mutter, Mitarbeiterin, Freundin, Geliebte. Nichts davon widersprach oder widerspricht diesen Entdeckungen. Im Laufe von Monaten und Jahren habe ich gemerkt, wie Freiheit und Glück wuchsen, um Herausforderungen zu meistern. Das Entdecken hält an. Ich sehe es als Geschenk. 6. Findest du in deinem Alltag Zeit für Meditationen und Achtsamkeit? Als Mutter von zwei Kindern ist das Praktizieren von Achtsamkeit im Alltag eine sehr wichtige Übung. Dadurch entfalten Qualitäten wie Freundlichkeit, Mitgefühl und Gelassenheit ihr Potenzial. Ich versuche ein gesundes Gleichgewicht zwischen Übungen auf dem Kissen und fernab davon zu finden. Ich genieße lange Spaziergänge und gehe in die Natur. Der Rückhalt durch Achtsamkeit macht sich in der Meditation gleichermaßen wie beim Einkaufen im Supermarkt mit zwei Kindern oder bei einem Treffen mit Arbeitskollegen bemerkbar. Möchtest du dich im Kurs "The Buddha's Path to Happiness" einschreiben? Hier erfährst du mehr. Neu in der happiness Akademie: Erfahre mehr über Ulla's neuen Kurs Mindfulness in Times of COVID-19 (auf Spendenbasis). Interview von Veronika Eicher Veronika ist freiberufliche Texterin. In ihrer Freizeit werkelt sie im Garten. Auf Instagram teilt sie ihre Gedanken über Klimakrisen, Natur und nachhaltiges Leben.

Could ancient teachings the Buddha gave 2,600 years ago help to bring more happiness to our lives? Mindfulness teacher Ulla Koenig thinks so. Veronika Eicher chatted with her about finding happiness and her course, 'The Buddha's Path to Happiness.' The Buddha's Path to Happiness is a five-week course on the happiness Academy shows that covers the insightful teachings the Buddha provided us when it comes to finding our path to happiness. Creator Ulla Koenig discusses the course, her career, and her personal approach to discovering joy. 1. In your course description you write: 'We can find rest and peace within moments of calm, happiness and clarity.' Did you have any experiences of happiness today? Yes, there were many small moments of happiness during the day. Everyone by itself a small jewel. The smell of the elder in the garden. Touching my son's sun-kissed hair. Having strawberries for breakfast. A five minute chat with a friend. Pearls on a string. Such moments appear, when there is receptivity and calm. Ulla Koenig: your course tutor 2. Do we need to search actively for happiness or does it come naturally to us? We need to reflect on what 'happiness' actually means for us. What is it we are looking for? What do we dedicate our attention, our effort, our time to? Can we create, consume or search for happiness? For me, happiness arises when the circumstances are right. One part of this is the relationship to experience itself, our way of looking. We have a natural urge to explore into our relationship to life. What we realize here is the path for our practice towards more happiness, peace and contentment. A path which at times goes against the very grain of our impulses and habits. What can the Buddha teach us about happiness in the 21st century? 3. In your course 'The Buddha's Path to Happiness' you're guiding people back to experience happiness in their daily life based on Buddha's teachings. Is it possible to adapt 2,600 year old teachings to our speedy, 21st-century life? It's valid to ask whether or not ancient teachings still have something to offer. Indeed, these modern days seem so entirely different from past ways of living. Yet our psyche, our perspectives, and our ways of relating to each other haven't changed that much. "We need to reflect on what "happiness" actually means for us. What is it we are looking for?" We're still experiencing the same challenges and asking the same questions as people did thousands of years ago. We still wish to find peace of heart and mind, happiness and a sense of freedom within the challenges of our day-to-day life. Luckily, the Buddha explored deep enough into all of this to give us some food for thought. Timeless reflections, applicable independent of culture, gender and belief. 4. You work with prisoners, refugees and cancer patients. Do you want to share a special memory you experienced of your meditation and mindfulness work in the last years? What deeply touches me is the relief students feel when they learn through own experience; that there is a set of tools and techniques they can apply anywhere and at anytime to support them. Mindfulness is an immensely versatile tool, which can, with the appropriate care and caution, be adapted to many situations. I've heard the very same expressions from prisoners as from people with special needs. Sometimes it's within the environment of increased hardship and challenge where people are ready to explore the techniques and dedicate time and effort to it. These are also the environments where I have seen the most transformation in people; expressions which then deepened my confidence and gratitude for the practice. Enroll now: The Buddha's Path to Happiness "The happiness path goes at times against the very grain of our impulses and habits" 5. How did you find your personal way of happiness? It was a windy road, which started off with curiosity and a sense of longing for something more than our consumer culture with its narrow sense of right and wrong. When I was I teenager, I strongly questioned the structures, institutions and common views I grew up with. And I started a search for alternatives, with all its challenges and dead-ends. Once I found insight meditation (vipassana) I had a sense of coming closer to what I was looking for. The undogmatic freedom of exploration I found in the teachings of the Buddha. The emphasis of personal responsibility instead of blind belief resonated with me. “We're still experiencing the same challenges and asking the same questions as people did thousands of years ago.” I could link this back to my personal experience of being a mother, a co-worker, a friend, a lover. None of this conflicted or contradicted these explorations. Over the course of months and years I could see how more freedom, more happiness and more skill to meet the challenges grew within. The exploration still continues. I see it as a gift. 6. Do you find time during your daily work to meditate and be mindful? As a mother of two, applying mindfulness in daily life is a very important aspect of practice. Qualities like kindness, compassion and equanimity show their potential then and there. I try to find a healthy balance between time off and on the cushion, enjoying long walks and being in nature. The support of mindfulness reveals itself in the depth of meditation as much as in going shopping in the supermarket with two children or having a meeting with work colleagues. Interested in enrolling on The Buddha's Path to Happiness? Discover more about the course here and sign up. New in: Find out more about Ulla's new donation-based course Mindfulness in Times of COVID-19. Interview by Veronika Eicher Veronika is a freelance writer. She likes to spend her free time working on her dream of a farm. On Instagram she writes about climate crises, nature and sustainable living.

Middle age can be a time of renewal, if you're willing to ask the right questions. By Michael F. Steger on behalf of Greater Good Science Center. I’m still having my midlife crisis, I think. It started when I one day realized that I had unconsciously imagined that my mid-20s self would simply grow into a middle-aged person who had nicer clothes, but would still go to gallery openings, weird theater shows, and feedback-drenched indie rock shows at dive bars. On top of that, I’d finally be able to speak and understand French. That’s what I had imagined. What is today’s reality? I answer emails 31 hours a day. The highlight of my personal edification is wandering into Trader Joe’s to uncover what kooky new thing they’ve infused with pumpkin. My mid-20s self would mutter “as if” at my precautions to make sure I don’t drink coffee after noon. I now carefully consider the health implications of shoveling snow too enthusiastically. Hopefully you’re as bored with my midlife crisis as my family and friends are. If you want to rescue me by launching a guerilla dance troupe in Fort Collins, Colorado, or by setting aside passes for me at your next gallery opening, be my guest. My midlife crisis is sufficiently nerdy that it leaves me plenty of emotional space to appreciate the blessings in my life. I adore my family, I’m pretty healthy, I don’t have any huge sins to atone for, and my job as a professor who travels the world researching and speaking about meaning and purpose in life is suitably weird and wonderful. Midlife can be a time of happiness Still, I wonder: What is a midlife crisis, anyway? Why should midlife be a time of crisis — and what do we mean by “crisis”? Is it a time of change, a fulcrum from the past to the future, or is it just a fabricated leftover from an earlier generation? Finally, how the heck am I going to get through my crisis without understanding French? Meaning, purpose, and midlife These are difficult questions to answer with research. If people believe that midlife is a significant time of change and reprioritization, then it is, even if there is no particularly good reason for it. Many of the reasons given for why we reach turning points, large and small, refer to hormonal changes related to testosterone or menopause, or the kids leaving home to become (semi-)independent adults, or to the ailing health of parents, or to the life cycle of a career in which many plaudits have been earned and the next advancement requires massive life changes or simply the mind-numbing drudgery of “more of the same.” Explanations for why crises happen in midlife often highlight that many of these factors can coincide. There is some recent evidence that happiness definitely dips in midlife. Whether or not a re-evaluation of one’s life is warranted by reaching a particular age, the themes of change — in our bodies, our family roles as providers, our careers or ambitions, our need to learn French — are all deeply relevant to our sense of meaning and purpose in life. If who we are and what we do and how others see us suddenly seems altered, or incomplete, or even dissatisfying, the basic building blocks of meaning can be threatened. Scholars tend to view meaning in life as being made up of three primary elements: Coherence is our ability to make sense of our lives. Significance is our perception that life is fundamentally worth living and that we ourselves matter. Purpose is our commitment to pursue very long-term goals that are deeply important to us and organize our choices and actions in life. Research does not always find that meaning declines as we age. A quite large study in California found that meaning in life peaked at around age 60 in their participants. My own research suggests that meaning in life does not necessarily peak like this, but it is tricky (to say the least) attempting to pin down trajectories of a complex human experience like meaning in life based on surveys that are only taken at one point in time. Additional studies would help us better understand whether and why meaning in life peaks, for whom, and if it is mainly the purpose element that seems most challenging for us in midlife and beyond. “Whether or not a re-evaluation of one’s life is warranted by reaching a particular age, the themes of change are all deeply relevant to our sense of meaning and purpose in life” Purpose gets the most attention of the three elements of meaning because it is the piece that actively expresses and enacts all the rest. Great purposes grow from the sense we make of the world and help us make the contributions that assure us our lives matter. If we feel we are “doing the wrong thing” with our lives, we probably don’t have a great sense of purpose. In the largest meta-analysis to date, Martin Pinquart reviewed 70 studies on purpose in life across the lifespan. This study concluded that there is a small drop in purpose that can be observed as people grow into old age. This was a study of the purpose element of meaning in life, and many of the instruments used to measure purpose ask people how much they have lots of goals or interesting things to look forward to. It seems somewhat logical that we have fewer future-oriented goals or activities as we get older, but that is not necessarily reassuring news. In fact, to many of us, having fewer goals can make it feel as if we have less to live for. That might be why finding a sense of purpose is the key to getting through your midlife crisis. There’s a nice review of the relevant research in another article in Greater Good, “How to Find Your Purpose in Midlife.” In that piece, leaders in the field like Patrick Hill and Eric Kim explain how purpose is reliably linked to better health, including agility, speed, and grip strengths among older adults, as well as better cognitive functioning and even longevity. In fact, there are dozens of studies like this now showing that we live healthier, happier, more cognitively capable, and significantly longer lives when we have meaning and purpose, and these studies are conducted with strong methodologies and excellent statistical control over other relevant factors. Through studies like these, a picture emerges of purpose after 50. It’s really good for us, and a lot of us have it. While some aspects of the meaning and purpose recipe fall away as we get into our later years, other aspects, as well as a general impression that one’s life is meaningful, may keep rising to new heights for many of us as we age, bringing numerous benefits for health and well-being. Find your purpose, save your midlife So, what do you do, if you find yourself in the midst of a crisis of meaning and purpose in midlife? Here are three suggestions based on the three elements of meaning in life, coherence, significance, and purpose: Figure out who you are, and develop some sense of how the world generally works that gives you a sense of consistency and predictability. After years of burning the candle at both ends, pause and reinvest time and attention in reflection and learning. Reconnect with your strengths, values, and what gives you joy. Discover and protect the sense that your life has value, and that being alive is worthwhile, and pay attention to ways in which you make a positive difference and that your life matters. If you are like most people, your relationships play a crucial role in making life feel significant. Spend time and attention understanding how your relationships have changed over the years. What needs to happen so that you and the important people around you can continue to grow together? Give your time and energy to the dreams and aspirations that are deeply important to you, that ideally improve life beyond you and around you, and that help you organize your goals and choices in life. This is the big Purpose item. To my mind, the best purposes are not strictly attainable. They aren’t dull items on a checklist to be ticked off and forgotten. They are dreams so important that simply working toward them is important and fulfilling. With purposes like these, it doesn’t matter how many years any of us have left; all of them can be infused with our pursuit of purpose. This is easier said than done, of course. (There just aren’t many things that are easier done than said… tech support maybe?) This list of priorities for a meaningful life is like an anti-shopping list. There are no shelves displaying prepackaged “know yourself” pods and no multipacks of “here’s how my life matters” to stock up on. I believe it really is the process of exploring the list for yourself that creates the meaning and purpose that nurture us in life. Part of the battle for meaning in midlife is to simply recognize that meaning is important for your well-being, as opposed to a distraction from the important stuff, like all those emails you need to answer. Meaning is not another nagging chore, either; it is a foundation for a fun and impactful life. How the middle-aged have found purpose I asked my LinkedIn connections what they thought about purpose after 50. Across public comments and private messages, an exciting and inspiring image came into focus. One of the leading themes was the re-examination of whether the systems people had lived by were still working for them. For example, one accomplished coach and entrepreneur told me that in her late 40s she recognized that the success and opportunity she had earned in her life as an executive came at a serious cost to her health. She launched a second career as the leader of a coaching company that helps people live a healthier, happier life. Similarly, another career-changing professional talked about recognizing her personal values were out of step with corporate values. She went on an around-the-world adventure, and shifted her skills and expertise away from optimizing the customer experience for profit, toward optimizing those experiences for well-being. Purpose is key to avoiding a midlife crisis shutterstock/sirtravelalot A second major theme involved turning away from financial incentives and turning instead toward helping others and being of service. Two very successful leaders in the world of happiness programs and coaching talked about the importance of giving back. One of these leaders devotes time to an organization that aims to smash stigmas around mental health, and the other organized his practice into a B-Corp, which is a formal business charter to build “B”enefits for people or planet into the revenue structure of a company. Other people commented on the importance of education, pursuing Master’s degrees, working to rejuvenate an interest in constant learning and growth, and building businesses or organizations that will last. Each of these paths helped people find and foster purpose after 50. “Having fewer goals can make it feel as if we have less to live for. That might be why finding a sense of purpose is the key to getting through your midlife crisis.” It might seem silly to engage in fretful navel-gazing about whether life has been everything we hoped for when we hit 50 (or any other random birthday). However, no matter how old you are, it does seem vital to regularly ask whether you are truly doing what you want and what you could do with your life. Having some degree of prosperity and privilege — as in some of the cases mentioned above — might make the quest for meaning easier, but “What is the meaning of my life?” is a question all people must ask, sooner or later. And the answer often seems to require sharing whatever resources you might have. Is there anything special about the age 50 or about midlife generally? I don’t know, but I do resonate deeply with the words of one of my LinkedIn commentators, Heidi Stone, who talked about an important moment in her own journey as a “catalyst for a fresh take on life.” I suspect it doesn’t matter if we pursue a fresh take on life at age 50, 62, or 76. What seems more important is that we try to be open for any catalysts that can help us take a fresh look at whether we are doing the work now, and living our lives now, in a way that builds the vital resource of meaning and purpose in life. I suppose that should put an end to my midlife crisis, but… encore, je ne peux pas parler français! ● Main image: shutterstock/Rido This article originally appeared on Greater Good, the online magazine of the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley. We are grateful to republish it with the kind permission of the Greater Good Science Center. greatergood.berkeley.edu

The researchers behind the original 'happiness pie chart' share what they've learned in the past 15 years. By Kira M. Newman on behalf of Greater Good Science Center. Do you know the happiness pie chart? If you’ve read a book or listened to a talk about happiness in the past 15 years, there’s a good chance you heard that 50 per cent of our happiness is determined by our genes, 40 per cent by our activities, and 10 per cent by our life circumstances. Neat and tidy, the pie chart — originally proposed in a 2005 paper by researchers Sonja Lyubomirsky, Kennon M. Sheldon, and David Schkade — painted a clear picture of what contributes to our well-being. Unfortunately for some of us, the chart suggested, the genes we got from our parents play a big role in how fulfilled we feel. But it also contained good news: by engaging in healthy mental and physical habits, we can still exert a lot of control over our own happiness. RELATED: Is happiness genetic? In recent years, critics have raised questions about this simple formula — one that many summaries (including mine above) misreport anyway. And now, a decade and a half after the pie was baked, two of the authors are coming out to say that they agree with many of the criticisms. Even so, they add, their broader message still holds: It’s possible to take deliberate steps to get happier and to stay happier in life. The proof in the pie “When you are given a graph that is this clean, it seems reasonable to be skeptical,” warns George Mason University professor Todd Kashdan in his blog post critiquing the pie chart. While the pie has separate slices, he argues, our genes, our life circumstances, and our activities aren’t three isolated factors that influence our happiness directly. They can also influence each other, muddying those distinctions. The original happiness pie chart For example, Kashdan writes, you may have a gene for leadership, but you won’t necessarily turn into an adept leader unless you find yourself in the right life circumstances (for starters, a supportive social environment). Or, as the University of Groningen’s Nicholas Brown and the University of Leipzig’s Julia M. Rohrer write in their 2019 paper, perhaps you have a genetic disposition toward anxiety — activated by the circumstances of your stressful childhood — that is putting a damper on your happiness. As these examples illustrate, and new studies are showing, genes may be expressed or not depending on what happens in our lives (both what happens to us — our circumstances — and what we choose to do — our intentional activities). In the other direction, genes can influence our tendency to engage in activities that will make us happier, such as exercise, acts of kindness, or pursuing goals. RELATED: The power of kindness Even assuming these three factors could be totally separated, critics argue that the 50 per cent for genes and 10 per cent for life circumstances are underestimates — making the 40 per cent figure too high. For example, Brown and Rohrer cite recent research suggesting that the heritability of happiness is 70 to 80 per cent. The 10 per cent figure was based on studies mainly measuring demographics — like age, income, education, race, and sex, they point out. But the term “life circumstances” is extremely broad and includes (as Lyubomirsky and her colleagues noted in 2005) “the national, geographical, and cultural region in which a person resides.” But studies done in a single country probably won’t capture the widest possible variation in life circumstances like these, which may explain why the 10 percent slice is too small. “Happiness can be successfully pursued, but it is not easy.” Sonja Lyubomirsky and Kennon M. Sheldon Finally, even assuming the 50/40/10 was right, there is that crucial misunderstanding that countless speakers and publications have perpetuated: these numbers don’t represent how much of our individual happiness comes from various sources, but how much of the differences among people (in general) do. If your happiness is 8/10, you can’t say that 3.2 points of that is determined by your activities; you can merely say that just under half of the average gaps between your happiness and other people’s comes down to what activities everyone is doing. Put that way, not only is the conclusion less catchy, but the control we have over our own well-being seems much less significant. Happiness science today In their updated paper about the pie chart, Sheldon and Lyubomirsky acknowledge that they largely agree with these criticisms. The numbers were intended to be estimates in a thought experiment, says Lyubomirsky, adding that their original paper should have clarified how our genes, circumstances, and activities can influence and interact with each other. “Our aim [more than 18 years ago] was more to pose a question — is it possible for happiness to go up — and to stay up? — than to provide an answer,” says Lyubomirsky. “Like all pie charts, ours was a gross oversimplification.” What determines happiness? Unsplash/Fernando Brasil She and Sheldon also admit that activities may influence happiness less than they thought, contributing as little as 15 per cent of the differences in one study. On one hand, that might seem like bad news for those of us who devote substantial time and effort to our own self-improvement. On the other hand, it just confirms what we probably know already: “Happiness can be successfully pursued, but it is not ‘easy,’” they write. In other words, happiness for many people will simply be something that is hard won. For others, happiness may feel like a natural state. Debates aside, it’s clear that the optimistic message of the pie chart did inspire groundbreaking research over the last 15 years into positive psychology. We’ve learned that the behaviors and habits we engage in do matter — from gratitude to kindness to mindfulness — and that they can lead to an enduring happiness boost. And thanks to that research, we also have an understanding of what we can do to give ourselves the best chance of success: Choose activities that fit our personality and interests. Activities fit us better when they feel natural, enjoyable, and aligned with our values, rather than driven by guilt or other people’s expectations. Choose activities that are virtuous and meaningful, rather than obsessing about feeling good all the time. Hedonism won’t necessarily make you happy, even if you feel good in the moment. If we pursue pleasure, it shouldn’t be at the expense of living a meaningful life. We also need to pursue a purpose, and practice forgiveness, gratitude, and generosity — those give us a sense of competence, autonomy, and connection, which are core human needs. Commit to and put effort into the process. Unsurprisingly, people who invest more effort into their new habits see greater improvements in their well-being. Add variety into our routine. Doing an exercise — like writing gratitude letters — the same way over and over can mean that we become accustomed to it and don’t reap as many benefits. You have to keep your brain alive to possibilities. “People can create for themselves a steady inflow of engaging, satisfying, connecting, and uplifting positive experiences, thereby increasing the likelihood that they remain in the upper range of their happiness potentials,” Sheldon and Lyubomirsky write. At the end of the day, it’s impossible to predict how much happiness you’ll get from any specific change you make in life. We’re all individuals, and no pie chart can tell us that. What it can tell us, though, is that it’s worth it to try. ● Main image: shutterstock/Mavo This article originally appeared on Greater Good, the online magazine of the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley. happiness.com is grateful to republish it with the kind permission of the Greater Good Science Center. greatergood.berkeley.edu

With 5 June being World Environment Day, we wanted to highlight some uplifting environmental stories for this month's Bright Side. Ed Gould rounds up his Top Ten from the past month. There were plenty of positive news stories that didn't necessarily get the attention they deserved in May. In fact, many of them related to the global environment which – perhaps understandably – was not always top of the mainstream media's agendum during a worldwide emergency. And, as it's World Environment Day on 5 June, let's take a look at some stories which will hopefully mean great things for the globe. 1. Endangered gibbons back from the brink Numerous news outlets, including the South China Morning Press, reported that a decades-long project to conserve the remaining numbers of Hainan gibbons has had major success. The number of gibbons had dropped to as low as ten in the 1970s following the loss of habitat, and they are thought to be the rarest apes on the planet. However, for the first time since then, their numbers have exceeded 30. Although still endangered, this is a big success for conservationists given the gibbons' low birth rate. Hanging around: Hainan gibbons have made a comeback 2. New disposable bottles will degrade naturally Rather than using fossil-fuel derived plastics for their disposable bottles, two big drinks manufacturers have announced their backing for a plant-based alternative. Coca-Cola and Carlsberg both said in May that they would help to upscale the production of these biodegradable bottles, which have been developed in the Netherlands. According to the Guardian, the bottles can be recycled, but won't last for more than a year if they're disposed of instead. 3. Deforestation success for indigenous Brazilian group Although illegal logging remains a serious problem in many parts of the world, including the Amazon basin, one group of indigenous Brazilians has won a lengthy court case to protect their corner of the world. A report in Latin Post stated that the Ashaninka people had won their day in court following a 20-year legal battle with loggers operating in their area. The equivalent of US$3 million has been awarded to the group in a compensation judgement handed down by the courts. 4. India sees a drop in carbon emissions As fewer people flew or took to their cars, May was a month that saw less carbon-intensive usage than usual in many developed economies. In India, the drop in carbon emissions was even more remarkable because the country has seen year-on-year rises for over 40 years. The BBC reported that India's lower energy usage was part of of the marked change seen in the first quarter of 2020. However, it also pointed out that the uptake of renewable sources of energy was now becoming widespread in the country, indicating this may be a long-term change – let's hope so. A typical India street scene shutterstock/Radiokafka 5. Garlic could help fight global warming Garlic is an everyday ingredient in many parts of the world, but could it play a part in saving it? Some Swiss bio-engineers think so. According to The New York Times, trials are now ongoing in the UK with the foodstuff being used as part of a supplement in the dietary intake of dairy herds. The cleverly-named Mootral feed supplement works by reducing harmful bacteria in the stomachs of cows. With less flatulent herds, it's believed that methane carbon emissions in the dairy sector could drop by over 30 per cent. According to the makers, the use of garlic will also help cows to burp less too! 6. BBC launches mindfulness app for kids Mindfulness may have helped many people during the recent Coronavirus crisis. However, getting younger children to be more mindful has been something of a challenge, especially as many have been outside of traditional schooling environments. The BBC launched an app to meet the demand for mindfulness among children called 'Your Mindful Garden'. It includes activities such as raking virtual sand and breathing exercises for younger ones to help them understand some of the concepts involved. The app is voiced by the actor Stephen Fry and is designed for daily use. RELATED: The benefits of meditation for kids 7. Rare bee spotted for the first time in years Whether a result of more people looking at nature or recent changes to pollution levels around the globe, some rare species have been spotted recently. Few were more scarce than the blue Calamintha bee, which was seen for the first time in years, creating a buzz in the United States. According to Fox News, the Osmia Calaminthae, a species of bee that was so rare it was thought to have been extinct, was spotted by Chase Kimmel, a researcher who works at the Florida Museum of Natural History. It's the first documented case of the rare bee in over four years! This small blue bee is making a big buzz! flickr/Bob Peterson 8. Huge solar plant announced for Nevada According to GreenTech Media, the world's largest solar plant has been given the green light. It will be built in Nevada and is expected to be able to produce 690 megawatts of energy once it's up and running. The Gemini Solar Project is expected to create about 900 construction jobs and will be completed by 2022. 9. Danish green hydrogen gets a boost The Financial Times reported that half a dozen Danish companies have come together in order to produce green hydrogen as an environmentally friendly fuel for heavy industry and the transportation sectors. The move will lead to one of the largest such plants in Europe. It's part of Denmark's attempts to be carbon neutral by 2050 and could mean that the use of natural gas in the country as a fuel is phased out by as soon as 2027. The conglomerate of green energy production has been backed by big names in the Danish energy, shipping and logistics industries. 10. US company uses rubbish for green hydrogen In another green hydrogen announcement made in May, a Californian company said it would soon start processing 42,000 tons of solid domestic waste to turn it into clean fuel. According to American press reports, the scheme will involve the use of household rubbish on a scale never previously seen before, which will make its price as competitive as other forms of hydrogen fuel. It's thought that landfill sites full of rubbish will now be able to be turned into clean energy and even collected rubbish will be taken directly to their processing plant. SGH2, the company behind the move, has partnered with the city of Lancaster to trial the scheme. ● Written by Ed Gould Ed Gould is a UK-based journalist and practitioner of Reiki.

What is the definition of happiness? Does it involve fancy holidays, flash cars or lavish shopping trips? Well, only if you want a cheap thrill. As Calvin Holbrook discovers, the true meaning of happiness lies in daily pleasure, engagement and life satisfaction. What is happiness? It’s the eternal question that’s been on the lips of philosophers, theologians and regular people like you and I for centuries. Much more recently, this question has received a great deal more attention from the scientific community. But does all the recent research into well-being bring us any closer to a well-rounded definition of happiness? Well, before getting into what science has discovered about what happiness truly is, perhaps it’s first easier to rule out what happiness definitely isn’t. 1. Happiness is not about being wealthy Data from the first half of the 20th century – a period of world wars and depression – indicated that happiness levels increased as household incomes rose. Researchers used to believe that more money made people happier. However, this is not the case nowadays. And while living in poverty surely makes happiness harder to achieve, recent research suggests that after a certain point, money does not buy us any more happiness. RELATED: Happiness Is A Choice: 8 Ways To Choose It Today In a well-cited 2010 study by Daniel Kahneman and Angus Deaton from Princeton University, a magic number was put on the relation between happiness and income: $75,000 (€65,000). The researchers found that money increases happiness up until this amount annually, but exceeding that amount, there is no rise in happiness. What is happiness? Experiences with loved-ones is one of its main elements One key exception to money not leading to happiness is when you choose to spend your cash on experiences, specifically with friends and family. In their book Happy Money: The Science of Smarter Spending, authors Elizabeth Dunn and Michael Norton showed that spending our hard-earned cash on experiences or investing it in others does makes us happy. “By giving to another person, you’re… creating a connection and a conversation with that person, and those things are really good for happiness," says Norton, an associate professor of marketing at Harvard Business School. 2. Happiness is not feeling joyful 24 hours a day When trying to answer the question 'What is happiness?', science also suggests that happiness does not come from feeling happy all of the time. Indeed, almost all happy people will experience periods of sadness in their lives. In fact, what researchers have found is that humans have a baseline level or 'set-point' of happiness. This psychological term describes our general level of happiness, and all humans have different set-points: those with higher ones will be happier most of the time compared with those that have a less joyful outlook (and lower set-point). “What is happiness? Science suggests that happiness does not come from feeling happy all the time. Almost all happy people will experience periods of sadness in their lives.”  It follows then that unhappy life events shift happiness levels below their set-point while positive or exciting events boost your happiness levels above your set-point. However, sooner or later, when the life event finishes, happiness levels returns to their natural base level (that's why we often feel the 'holiday blues' when coming down from the high of a recent trip). RELATED: 6 ways travel boosts your mental health and happiness 3. Happiness is not a destination, it's a journey Many people still view happiness as a destination to arrive at after they’ve achieved certain tick-lists: the well-paid job, the partner, the mortgage, the kids, the latest hi-tech gadget or pair of sneakers. Happiness is flow: find what you love to do and do more of it! But often we forget that we're living in the present, and this is key: to experience happiness as journey and not a destination. Likewise, it takes effort to gain and maintain happiness. Indeed, many techniques for becoming happier – such as writing a gratitude journal or exercising – only work if they are regular habits and not one-off events. On the contrary, one-off life events such as getting married or getting a promotion will bring some short-term happiness but this will quickly wear off (remember that set-point?). So, what exactly is a good definition of happiness? Now we know what it isn’t, how can we define happiness? In her well-respected book The How of Happiness, positive psychology researcher Sonja Lyubomirsky defines happiness as: “the experience of joy, contentment, or positive well-being, combined with a sense that one’s life is good, meaningful, and worthwhile.” So, day-to-day pleasure and meaning in life (through job satisfaction, for example) are considered two key factors in defining what happiness is. This resonates with the ancient Greeks who believed happiness consisted of two parts: Hedonia or pleasure, and Eudaimonia or meaning. More recently, positive psychologists – such as Martin Seligman in his 2002 book Authentic Happiness – have added the component of ‘engagement’ or ‘flow’ to the happiness definition. Combining these trio of happiness components – pleasure, meaning and engagement – psychologists have come up with a scientific term for defining happiness: subjective-well being (SWB). What is the definition of happiness? © YouTube/Greater Good Science Center So, your SWB, or happiness, is a combination of how good you feel on a daily basis, how satisfied you are with your life (does your life have meaning?), and how engaged you are with both activities that you love and your network of friends and family. Luckily, aside from our genetics – which determine or set-point of happiness – we can keep working on the happiness variables by enhancing engagement, meaning and purpose in our lives. Indeed, with consistent practice, we can create life-long habits which will ultimately lead to a more satisfying, fulfilling and joyful life. Now that’s our definition of happiness! ● happiness.com | The fine art of being: learn, practise, share Are you a happiness.com member yet? Sign up for free now to: ■ enjoy our happiness magazine with practical life tips ■ share and support others in our happiness forum Positive Psychology | Mindfulness | Compassion Written by Calvin Holbrook Calvin edits the happiness magazine, as well being an artist and lover of swimming, yoga, dancing, and all things vintage! Find out more.

Do you ever get stressed at work? Many of us do. In fact, stress and depression account for around half of lost working days in the UK. Find out your work stress level by taking our questionnaire and then discover ways you can manage it effectively. What are the main causes of the stress you encounter in your job? It could be a combination of some of the following: a heavy workload, unclear expectations, lack of agenda and decision-making abilities, an overload of responsibilities, and boundaries that are not respected. If you feel stressed at work, you are not alone: According to the 2019 publication Work-related stress, anxiety or depression statistics in Great Britain, there were just over 600, 000 workers in the UK suffering from work-related stress, depression or anxiety (new or long-standing) in 2018/19. Over the same period, just under 13 million working days were lost due to these conditions. And stress, depression or anxiety accounted for 44 per cent of all work-related ill health cases and 54 per cent of all working days lost due to ill health. To help understand this we’ve developed the stress at work questionnaire. If you haven't completed it yet, please do so by hitting the link below. It takes less than three minutes and will shed some light on your personal experience at work and inspire you to think about the causes of stress you encounter in your job in a way that allows you to dig deeper into understanding and consequently managing your work stress. Stress at work questionnaire After you’ve gotten the result from your stress at work questionnaire, it's time to analyze it. The results are on a scale from zero to 60, with zero representing no stress at all and 60 an extreme and even dangerous amount of stress. What do you think about your result? Did it match your expectations? Share your thoughts with us in the happiness Forum. What causes stress? Stress generally refers to two things: the psychological perception of pressure (real and imagined/ anticipated), and the body's response to it. Avoiding an accident on the way to work will cause stress as well as social tension, or the fear of being held responsible for a bad result at work. This all triggers the release of stress hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones increase heartbeat and the circulation of blood to support quick action, fast breathing, focused attention, and more. But this lifesaving bodily response is only meant to solve short-term, acute problems. What is chronic stress? While occasional stress can be motivating and energizing – even life-saving – chronic stress is harmful, not only to our mental but also to our physical health. The signs of prolonged stress include headaches, insomnia or problems falling asleep, a racing heartbeat, stomach aches, muscle tension, and concentration difficulties, among others. Chronic stress can emerge in the absence of severe incidents by ruminating about anticipated problems, changes and challenges. Any situation you perceive as threatening, or which requires you to adjust to a change, can set the stress response off. This is not necessarily the best way to deal with ongoing difficulties such as unrealistic demands at work or hierarchical problems in a company. When the stress response gets continuously triggered, the mind and body stay in the state of high alert, which, over time, will cause wear and tear, as we fail to enter the important state of rest and recovery. Indeed, Segen's Medical Dictionary defines chronic stress as: “A state of prolonged tension from internal or external stressors [causes of stress], which may cause various physical manifestations – e.g., asthma, back pain, arrhythmias, fatigue, headaches, hypertension, irritable bowel syndrome, ulcers – and suppress the immune system.” Similarly, Wikipedia states: “While the immediate effects of stress [hormones] are beneficial in a particular short-term situation, long-term exposure to stress creates a [constant] high level of these hormones. This may lead to high blood pressure (and subsequently heart disease), damage to muscle tissue, inhibition of growth, suppression of the immune system, and damage to mental health.” How can we manage our stress levels? Here we need to distinguish between inner and outer factors. Stress management is not made to endure unacceptable and toxic work environments but to keep us healthy and encourage improvements within ourselves at the workplace in a calm and productive way. The first and most important step is the realization that we are actually stressed. Only the acceptance of the fact that stress is there allows us to do something about it. Though stress is often inevitable, you can help control your body's response to it. Exercise, meditation, invoking the relaxation response, and mindfulness are great stress busters. By actively managing our stress we change from passively sitting in the passenger seat of our stress reaction into actively choosing our response to the situation. Accepting that there is stress also doesn't mean that we have to endure it but that we see it for what it is. We are then able to analyze the situation and choose how we work within ourselves and in regard to the organization we work for. We have more clarity, are able to really listen to and understand other points of view, and find satisfying solutions that consider all parties involved. We can navigate difficult situations more skillfully and become aware of mechanisms at the workplace that cause unnecessary amounts of work and can, therefore, address them calmly. Stress management resources Explore these articles from happiness.com and wider afield to discover practical tips that can help you manage your stress effectively. Mindfulness at work: 6 productive tips 11 science-backed ways to feel stress-free, fast MBSR - Meditation based stress reduction - Free 8-week online course The amazing effects of MBSR: backed up by science Building resilience: 5 strategies for thriving Why Stress Is Both Good and Bad – Psychology Today The three types of stress – Psychology Today Sources Work-related stress, anxiety or depression statistics in Great Britain, 2019 – Health and safety executive [13.05.2020] Stress – Harvard Health [12.05.2020] How stress affects your health – American Psychological Association [12.05.2020] Stress: Psychology and Biology – Encyclopaedia Britannica [12.05.2020] Defining Stress – Explore IM: UCLA Collaborative Centers for Integrative Medicine [12.05.2020] Stress – Psychology Today [12.05.2020] Images: Alexander Schimmeck, Simon Abrams, Marvin Meyer on Unsplash Written by Tine Steiss Tine is an artist, meditator, media engineer, activist and MBSR teacher. If she's not reading or writing she's working on turning her city garden into an edible paradise. Find out more about Tine on herrberta.art.