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Corey Harnish shares his idea of what kindness is, and how you can practise it every day to improve your life and the lives of others. Let’s start this journey with a little self-talk. Do you want to be happy? Yes, right? Do you want others to be happy? Probably yes too, right? Do others want you to be happy? A little hesitation on that one, huh? Maybe even a 'no'? Well, it’s not true! Just like you want others to be happy, they want the same for you. After you read this article, you’ll hopefully be motivated to create a small shift to bring more kindness into your life, and the lives of others. Kindness: it's already within you Over the last 20 years, researchers have been studying what has been termed 'positive psychology,' an analysis of how uplifting emotions like gratitude, love, joy, and inspiration affect our well-being and literally improve our lives. What’s incredible is these emotions are already within us; it’s just a matter of whether or not we take intentional action to express them. One of the easiest ways to do this is through performing kind acts. Kindness is contagious © Freepik So, what is kindness, anyway? Kindness, put simply, is a positive action that leaves someone in a better situation than before. It doesn’t have to be as extravagant as paying for someone’s surgery or spending hours and hours volunteering. Literally, it can be anything. A smile. Holding the door open for another person. Bringing food to someone. Paying for the person in line behind you. Connecting with a stranger. Saying ‘I love you’ to someone close. RELATED: Random acts of kindness: 22 ideas to spread happiness! Even treating yourself to a night out, getting a pedicure, or a massage are all acts of kindness. Yes, that’s right, you can, and should, be kind to yourself, too! So often we hold back from being kind because we don’t know what to do or we don’t think our actions will make an impact, but they do. The research proves this. What’s important is to just take action, no matter how small. To get you started on practicing kindness, take a look at some awesome ideas from Kindness.org and the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation. Give and receive: practice kindness and you'll benefit too Wow! Kindness is easier than I thought, but what’s the benefit to me? I’m glad you asked. Kindness not only benefits others, but it also improves your life as much or more! The science shows that some of the benefits of kindness are: Improved immune system functioning Decreased stress levels Feelings of meaning and purpose A sense of connectedness RELATED: the power of kindness Super cool, right? Check out these awesome cases of kindness in practice: The Good Cards The Good Cards is a modern-day version of the Pay it Forward movement that uses technology for good. With a mobile app and a physical Good Card, users are able to do good deeds, share their positive stories, and inspire others to join in the action all while being able to track the ripple effect of kindness that happens around the world in a fun and meaningful way. Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Nowadays in schools, a shift in our standardized education has started to incorporate more curricula that addresses emotional intelligence, mindfulness, and positive psychology. By doing this, we are creating micro-habits of kindness with our youth; empowering them to not only be the leaders of tomorrow but to be the ‘Kindness Leaders of tomorrow.’ Rotary International: In over 35,000 communities around the world, Rotary has created a space for neighbours to come together and help their communities flourish. Whether it’s raising funds for a local not-for-profit, doing an environmental cleanup, or engaging students in service learning, Rotary is empowering people globally to be a force for good. OK, I’m ready to put kindness into action! You’re all set. Now you can see how powerful kindness actually is and how simple it is to do. Once you start, you’ll create a ripple effect that’ll inspire people all around you to spread kindness too. Remember with The Good Cards you’ll be able to track that impact as it inspires kindness around the world. Don’t be shy, share with us, what’s one kind act you plan to do today? ● This article from Corey Harnish was originally posted on Linkedin Written by Corey Harnish The poster child of community. Corey is a great listener and huge believer in humanity. Currently the CEO of Better World International a 501c3 tech nonprofit, Corey is leading The Good Cards development; an innovative online-gaming platform and app that engages people worldwide in doing good deeds for happiness and global sustainability. Corey is an AmeriCorps VISTA Alumni, an Honorary Rotarian of Rotary International, as well as a volunteer of Defy Ventures, providing business coaching to EITs (entrepreneurs-in-training), and an active personal life coach. Corey empowers individuals and communities and help them to flourish through personal development coaching and community service involvement. An aspiring Social Justice activist with a passion for community/sustainable development, service learning, juvenile justice rehabilitation, and brain-based coaching.

So many negative news items were presented in October, but, in fact, the month was a great one for tales of positivity and human endeavour. Ed Gould shares his top ten positive news stories from the month. 1. New Research Improves Chances of Predicting and Preventing Ebola Outbreaks A scientific breakthrough establishing a link between deforestation events and Ebola outbreaks in Central and West Africa could help to predict future Ebola outbreaks or prevent outbreaks from occurring. The new research was published in Nature.com's Scientific Reports online journal in October. Over the course of the study, remote sensing techniques were utilised to assess 27 Ebola outbreak sites, and it was established that outbreaks were strongly linked to forest losses within the past two years. The research offers hope that areas at risk can be identified earlier, improving medical readiness, while other outbreaks can be prevented. 2. Scientists Complete the 'Atlas of Life' to Assist With Animal Conservation Efforts Early in the month, scientists from the University of Oxford and Tel Aviv University published their research on the global distribution of more than 10,000 reptile species. This data can be added to existing data on amphibians, birds and mammals, to create an 'Atlas of Life', which will help with animal conservation efforts globally. Indeed, the information has already helped the team to identify new hotspots where conservation action is needed, and the research could be crucial in helping to protect snakes, lizards and turtles, in particular. The scale of things: reptile tracking to help conservation 3. Breakthrough: On-Demand Organs For Transplants Are One Step Closer A new technique, pioneered by the US biotech firm Miromatrix, could represent a significant breakthrough in the creation of replacement organs used for human transplants. The process involves dissolving cells in a pig organ and then re-infusing the remaining protein scaffold with cells from the new one. So far, the firm has been successful in creating whole livers from pig cells, and the researchers have already started the process of attempting to create organs from human cells. This offers fresh hope that we could soon be able to create organs for life-saving transplant procedures on demand. 4. Gratitude Wall Goes On Tour in the UK After Research Shows It Can Boost Happiness A new 'gratitude wall' is going on tour in the United Kingdom, inspired by research carried out at Coventry University. The research found that writing a gratitude diary can significantly boost happiness and positivity, while at the same time reducing anxiety and levels of depression. Passers-by are urged to write something they are grateful for on the wall, which began its tour on 16th October at the Herbert Art Gallery in Coventry. The research was carried out as part of the university's HOPE programmes, which use evidence-based activities, like mindfulness and gratitude diaries, to support happiness and well-being. 5. New Zealand's Government Announces Plans to Plant 100 Million Trees Per Year The new coalition government in New Zealand, led by prime minister Jacinda Ardern, has announced a series of ambitious environmental initiatives intended to reduce the country's net greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050 and generate 100 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2035. Among the specific schemes outlined by the new government are a commitment to plant 100 million trees every year and to transition the government's vehicle fleet to green vehicles within the next decade. Green gains: New Zealand will plant 100 million trees a year 6. NFL Star Chris Long Agrees to Donate His Entire Salary to Education Charities Professional sports stars sometimes get a bad rep for being over-paid and selfish, but in more positive news, NFL star Chris Long, who plays for the Philadelphia Eagles, has agreed to donate his entire salary for the current season to education charities, which he hopes will improve the life chances of children. Long, who has a base salary of $1 million, will be playing the entire season without collecting income, choosing instead to donate it all to charities in the three cities he has played football – Philadelphia, St. Louis and Boston. 7. The First 3D-Printed Bridge Opens For Cyclists in the Netherlands A new bridge, constructed with the use of 3D printing technology, has opened in the town of Gemert, in the Netherlands. The bridge, which is constructed from 800 layers of 3D-printed concrete, is the first of its kind anywhere in the world and can safely bear loads of up to two tonnes. The technology is particularly exciting for the construction industry because printers distribute materials only where they are needed. This results in less waste, fewer scarce resources being used up, and greater sustainability. 8. China and France Announce Joint Effort to Study Weather and Climate Change October also saw China and France unveil joint plans to improve our understanding of the weather and climate change by launching a satellite to study wind and ocean wave patterns. The project, officially known as the China-France Oceanography Satellite (CFOSAT), is the result of collaboration between the two nations' space agencies. The project represents positive news for climate change because it brings together two of the leaders of the Paris Climate Accord. In addition to helping scientists to improve their climate models, the satellite will also have a more immediate purpose in helping to forecast storms and cyclones, allowing for earlier detection. The new wave: using the ocean to track climate change 9. Virtual Reality is Shown to Reduce Phantom Pain Experienced By Paraplegics A new study published in Neurology shows that virtual reality can create a bodily illusion which can reduce phantom body pain in paraplegics. The phenomenon of phantom pain means that paraplegics often experience the sensation of pain in their legs, even though they have no feeling in them, and this pain is resistant to drug therapies. Participants in the study experienced a virtual reality illusion of their legs being tapped when in reality they were being tapped on the back. In positive news, they not only felt a sense of touch in their legs but also found phantom pain was reduced. It's hoped the research could form the basis for future therapy in this area. 10. New Research: Charitable Giving Gives Us Greater Life Satisfaction Finally, a new report, published by the Women's Philanthropy Institute in October, shows the positive impact that charitable giving can have on happiness. In fact, the Women Give 2017 Report's key findings was that giving to charitable organisations is directly related to higher overall life satisfaction. Charitable giving was shown to improve a household's life satisfaction regardless of marital status, with single men, single women and married couples all experiencing a boost in satisfaction. Moreover, the more a household gives as a percentage of their income, the higher the household's life satisfaction is likely to be. ● Main photo: colourbox.com Written by Ed Gould Ed Gould is a UK-based journalist and freelance writer. He is a practitioner of Reiki.

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.

When we think of meditation, we often think of sitting still in the lotus position. However, meditation can involve moving your body too, and 5Rhythms dance is a great way of incorporating movement into meditation. Many people tend to shy away from dance classes, afraid of not being able to keep up with the pace of a choreography, or because they are body- or self-conscious. Luckily, this isn't the case for 5Rhythms dance. This movement meditation invites everyone – no matter their size, age, complexion, gender or flexibility – to lose themselves in the world of dance 5Rhythms dance and its health benefits Gabrielle Roth, the founder of 5Rhythms, describes the dance as a “soul journey”, but apart from this, there are many benefits dancing provides to our health. According to The New England Journal of Medicine, dancing frequently doesn’t only increase memory, but it's the greatest risk reduction activity against dementia as we get older. In fact, during late adulthood, the hippocampus (the part of the brain that controls memory) naturally shrinks, and in some cases can lead to dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. However, the cerebral cortex and hippocampus rewire themselves the more you use it, resulting in greater cognitive reserves. RELATED: Cognitive impairment – 5 key ways to reduce the risk as you age Mobility is crucial to cognitive processes and, according to the study, dancing merges several functions at once –kinesthetic, rational, musical, and emotional function – further increasing your neural connectivity. It's emphasized that choreography is not actually necessary but that it’s the split-second decisions on movement that count. Even if dancing with a partner is not really necessary in 5Rhythms, having so-called 'dance-versations' with someone else reduces stress built up during the day, The Journal of Applied Gerontology confirms. And whether you decide to take a partner or go solo, swaying on the dance floor boosts your mood overall. Studies have also shown that there's an improvement in balance and energy increase in people who include low-impact workouts (aerobics and dance) into their lives. 5Rhythms dance can have great health benefits 5Rhythms: what exactly is it? 5Rhythms started as a dynamic movement practice in the 1970s and still brings people together in the spirit of connection, collaboration and artistic expression. Elements from indigenous, world tradition, shamanistic and Eastern philosophy along with Gestalt Therapy were merged by Roth – also a classical ballet dancer and dance teacher – to create a practice with the idea that everything is energy and moves in waves, patterns and rhythm. “While a seemingly simple process, the 5Rhythms practice facilitates deep and unending explorations, moving the dancer beyond self-imposed limitations and isolation into new depths of creativity and connection.” 5Rhythms.com Everyone goes on their own journey, exploring their body but sharing the collective experience of the ‘wave’ or five stages of dancing that mimic different aspects of life: Flow Unraveling by moving, the first rhythm you encounter is Flow. As the name suggests it refers to being fluid in our bodies, or allowing it to be and attending to its needs by being receptive. Aspect of life: birth, fear, being, body. Staccato Characterized by abrupt and stronger movements. Staccato establishes a connection by repetition. The dancers sculpt their movements and create form and self-expression. Aspect of life: childhood, anger, loving, heart. Chaos Headfirst into the beat and the unknown. Chaos is the dissolution of the structure the dancer has created so far, into a rawer version of themselves. There is a higher tempo accompanied by more complex movements. Untamable, until full release of the body. Aspect of life: puberty, sadness, knowing, mind. Lyrical Once Chaos has been processed by the body and mind, it creates space for freedom. Lyrical sets the tone for a lighter and playful dance with simpler repetitions and patterns yet aiming for the dancer to feel grounded, creative and empowered. Aspect of life: maturity, joy, seeing, soul. Stillness The vibrancy of the dance floor slowly falls into silence. Stillness is the end of the journey in five Rhythms and where all of the other stages converge. It's characterized by slow motions eventually arriving to meditation. Aspect of life: death, compassion, healing, spirit. Why movement meditation might work for you Even though arriving to stillness is one of the aims of 5Rhythms, the experience is good for those who struggle with the idea of sitting still directly and meditating. The reality is that there are different types of meditation that work for different types of people. 5Rhythms features five stages that mimic different aspects of life Dr. Herbert Benson, director emeritus of the Benson-Henry Institute, says that a combination of two things result in effective meditation: repetition of a word, a sound or a movement, and the ability to turn off everyday thoughts. The body then naturally triggers the relaxation response. “Good endings mean taking responsibility for the whole journey, distilling wisdom from our experience so that we may begin our next wave.” 5Rhythms.com Likewise, Dr. Melinda Ring, director of Northwestern Medicine’s Osher Center for Integrative Medicine says many activities work as long as the practitioner has the intention of being present and focusing on the body-mind connection. After a long journey through 5 Rhythms in which you’ve integrated and tapped into your body, sweat, breath and intuition, you're ready to ride the next wave in or out of the dance floor! ● References: (2010, July 30) Use It or Lose It: Dancing Makes You Smarter, Longer. Richard Powers https://socialdance.stanford.edu/syllabi/smarter.htm (2018, February 5) Why Exercise Boosts Mood and Energy https://www.everydayhealth.com/fitness/workouts/boost-your-energy-level-with-exercise.aspx (2017, September 17) How to Meditate when you can’t sit still, Chicago Tribune http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/health/sc-fam-how-to-meditate-1017-story.html (2014, November 20) The Many Health Benefits of Dancing by Berkeley Wellness http://www.berkeleywellness.com/fitness/active-lifestyle/article/many-health-benefits-dancing (2003, June 19) Leisure Activities and the Risk of Dementia in the Elderly http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa022252 Main image: Colourbox.com Written by Guest Author We're happy to publish articles by guest authors that will broaden the perspective and bring new insights. If you are interested in publishing an article here on happiness.com, please contact us.

Old age can last half a century, says physician Louise Aronson, so it needs a better definition — and more praise. By Jenara Nerenberg on behalf of Greater Good Science Center. What do you think of when you think of “old age?” Maybe you think of it as your time of decline — something to be avoided at all costs. Many of us imagine the few short years just before our death, rather than the long stretch of time often available to explore new interests and relationships and activities. Author and physician Louise Aronson wants to change that. In her new book, Elderhood, she argues that old age or “elderhood” is a much richer, more nuanced experience than most people understand, and that treating it like an illness or pathology is the wrong approach. She believes people need to embrace elderhood as another normal phase of life — just like childhood and adulthood — with its own challenges and rewards. By reclaiming the narrative around older age, she hopes to not only support elders, but to impact family life, health, research, policy, and society as a whole. In our interview, we discuss this and more, including how to shift our attitudes around aging and what happiness looks like in elderhood. Jenara Nerenberg: How do you define elderhood? What does the term mean to you? Louise Aronson: I define elderhood as one of the three main phases of life — what comes after childhood and adulthood. It captures the years that begin between ages 60-70 and continue until a person’s death. And if a person lives until the age of 100, then that means elderhood lasts almost half a century. Human civilizations from the ancient Greeks and Romans to the early Chinese and Egyptians have been defining old age beginning between 60-70. Because people don’t like hearing that it starts so young, they’ve pushed that to the extreme, whereby people think of “old” as a debilitating phase that only lasts the very few short years right before death. RELATED: Planning a healthy retirement: stress relief tips for seniors JN: So what is the narrative shift or change in public conversation that you’d like to see happen regarding aging and elderhood? LA: Part of why I wanted to introduce the term elderhood to a wider audience — I did not make it up — was so that we would begin thinking about elderhood the way we think about childhood and adulthood. “Old age” absent the term elderhood is the subject of a lot of prejudice and bias, so we end up with phrases like “silver tsunami” and “no one wants to be old” or “aging is life’s great disaster.” By reframing it as this long phase of life with multiple sub-phases — just like childhood and adulthood — we take a broader approach and we can look at it as a society and community, and not just as individuals. So, right now having “old” be devalued, with everyone being meant to face it on their own, we hear questions like “can we cure aging?” Why are we treating something that is normal and natural and that has always existed as pathology? Louise Aronson and her book Elderhood (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2019) Now, are there things that come with aging that we would feel much better without? Sure. But we don’t tend to pathologize other entire phases of life. Take adolescence. We recognize that there are behaviors that adolescents are more likely to do that are not good for them or society, but we don’t necessarily say we should get rid of adolescents the way that people often talk about older people. “Let’s go house them somewhere separately, let’s not think about them, let’s build a world for children and adults and then blame older people when that world doesn’t match with their needs or interests.” JN: What compelled you to write the book now? LA: There’s more and more out there about age, and there’s so much good stuff; but I felt like the most well-intentioned material was still insulting old age and old people by saying, “Old is only how you feel, 70 is the new 50, 100 is the new 70.” All these things are saying that being old is never in and of itself a good thing or a desirable thing and by extension people who are old are never good people or desirable people. I didn’t like that. “Now, are there things that come with aging that we would feel much better without? Sure. But we don’t tend to pathologize other entire phases of life.” I also didn’t see anything that pulled together all the different ways in which we’re addressing aging — culturally, medically, socially, historically. We tend to think we’re doing all these novel, innovative things with aging, and although some of the specifics differ, human thoughts and approaches about old age are pretty much the same as what we have in evidence from 2,000 to 5,000 years ago. The attempt to understand and adapt to aging is a very human task and such history shows how important these questions are and how existential they are. JN: What changes would you like to see within academia and medicine to reflect the needs of elder people? LA: In medicine, we tend to say that such and such population — children, women, people of color, old people — is somehow different from “the norm,” defining the “norm” as middle-aged white guys, because that’s who was doing medicine. Medical research has begun to acknowledge that children aren’t just variations of adults, and women aren’t just variations of men, and people of color aren’t just variations of white people. We need to recognize that being old is as different from being an adult as an adult is from being a child. We change throughout our lives. For example, with vaccine schedules, we have different schedules for adults and children because of different biology and behaviors. Well, biology and behaviors also change from age 75 onward. Even in diseases that primarily affect older people, the research at best will be on the younger range of older people. So, we say that older people are different, and yet we apply results from people different than them to them. Then we blame bad outcomes on old age rather than on what it was — a scientific setup that was destined to fail or hurt people because it didn’t study the target population adequately. JN: Do you think there’s a different conception of happiness that emerges during elderhood? LA: That’s such a good question. Most people are shocked to learn that happiness and life satisfaction go way up just before 60 and continuing into the 80s. So people who are older are much happier than adults in midlife, on average. On average people get happier, and part of that has to do with a real comfort with self and confidence in one’s priorities so that people are more focused on spending time in ways they value and on spending time with people that they value. So their life becomes positive and self-reinforcing. Another thing that was just reported this year is that older people generally rate their health pretty good. They look around at other people and generally conclude that, yes, their health is better than they thought it would be. So some of this is about having perspective, which takes decades, and also a comfort with who you are and where you are. “Most people are shocked to learnt that happiness and life satisfaction go way up just before 60 and continuing into the 80s.” And when you think about things like meditation and mindfulness and retreats and such, these are the things that elders are best at naturally. So it’s really interesting that we have this untapped population group that are doing the exact things that so many adults are hungry for and yet adults still disparage the very group that is living the things they wish for themselves. JN: How can younger generations be more supportive in helping to shift the elderhood narrative? LA: I think it has to be bidirectional because we have so much to learn from each other. There are increasing reports of old people giving relationship, career, and love advice to younger people and then younger people giving advice on tech and things like that. Everybody has their strengths, and I think the best relationships are the ones that work in both directions. RELATED: What teens gain when they contribute to social groups More and more older people are working, exercising, doing all these things we consider “normal activities.” Part of that is cultural change and reminds me of when my mother was in school and they played basketball. They weren’t allowed to go past half court because their “frail” female bodies would be “adversely affected” and they’d have trouble “bearing children.” We have these prejudices, so we really need to push against them. I’d like to see young people thinking about what they can learn, what they can give, and what they’ll want to do [when they are older]. How do they want to be treated? Do they want to be warehoused and ignored or do they want to be engaged? Because chances are they’ll want to do the same things they do now. They’ll want to be engaged, have sex, go out to dinner, and hear who they’re talking to. So how do you build a world that is set up for all of us throughout our lives, from childhood to adulthood and elderhood? That’s an exciting challenge that has so much exciting potential for innovation — not just in science and medicine but in tech, art, culture, and society. Whatever anybody is doing, this is the growing segment of the population and they are eager to partner with younger people to make the world better for aging. ● Main image: shutterstock/vectorfusionart Written by Greater Good Science Center This article originally appeared on Greater Good, the online magazine of the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley. Happiness.com is honoured to republish it with the kind permission of the Greater Good Science Center. greatergood.berkeley.edu

Hast du auch gerade ein paar gute Nachrichten nötig? Ed Gould teilt seine Top Ten Zusammenfassung vom Juni. Unter anderem geht es um Kanadas Plastikverbot, den Rückgang von Wilderei an afrikanischen Elefanten und die Geheimnisse des Glücks, die durch eine neue Umfrage enthüllt wurden. Der Artikel erschien im Original im englischen happiness Magazin Im Juni gab es viele Wohlfühlnachrichten. Diese können ein wenig Glück in eine derzeit ansonsten eher unruhige Welt bringen. Ließ weiter und erfahre mehr über diese positiven Neuigkeiten, über die du in den Mainstream-Medien möglicherweise nichts gehört hast. 1. Große Fortschritte im Papierrecycling Laut The Week wurde an der Rutgers University in den USA eine clevere neue Technik zum "Entdrucken" von Papier entwickelt. Dort ist es Wissenschaftlern gelungen, schwarze, blaue, rote und grüne Tinte von gedruckten Seiten zu entfernen, sodass bereits gedruckte Dokumente gelöscht und anschließend wiederverwendet werden können. Dieser Prozess kann bis zu fünf Mal wiederholt werden. Da dies vor Ort erfolgen kann, entfallen die Kosten und der Energieverbrauch für den Transport von Büropapier zu Papierrecyclingfabriken. 2. Umfrage zeigt auf, was uns glücklich macht Eine in der Zeitschrift Metro veröffentlichte Studie gibt Hinweise auf die Schlüssel zum Glück. Die Umfrage wurde von dem privaten Krankenversicherer Bupa in Auftrag gegeben. Wenn es darum geht, was uns glücklich macht, sind der Umfrage zufolge eine liebevolle Beziehung und die Nähe zur Familie das wichtigste. Unter die Top Ten der Dinge, die glücklich machen, kamen außerdem mindestens 8 Stunden Schlaf, regelmäßige Bewegung, ein Haustier zu besitzen, Zeit in der Natur zu verbringen und schließlich – vielleicht entscheidend – häufiges Lachen. Für die Studie wurden 2.000 in Großbritannien lebende Erwachsene im Alter von 55 Jahren gefragt, was ihrer Meinung nach der Schlüssel für ein langes und glückliches leben wäre. Auf die Frage, in welchem Alter die Befragten die Geheimnisse zum Glück erkannt hätten, wurde am interessanterweise am häufigsten mit 49 Jahren geantwortet. Verwandtes Thema: Warum Glück eine Reise und kein Ziel ist Für einen Lacher gut: Lachen erfüllt uns mit Glück 3. System zum Entfernen von Mikroplastik entwickelt Viele Menschen werden sich immer bewusster darüber, welche Mengen an winziger Plastikpartikel im Meer und an unseren Küsten zu finden sind. Es gibt jedoch gute Neuigkeiten für die Meeresumwelt. Ein hawaiianisches Team hat einen riesigen Staubsauger entwickelt, mit dem Mikroplastik von Stränden abgesaugt werden kann. Laut Bloomberg wurde das System bereits verwendet, um Bestandteile alter Zahnbürsten, Flaschen und Fischernetzen zu sammeln und so die Menge an menschlichem Abfall zu reduzieren, die in den Ozean gelangt. 4. Natürliche Bakterien können Allergikern helfen Laut Gentechnik- und Biotechnologie-News setzen Wissenschaftler Darmbakterien ein, um die Auswirkungen bestimmter Lebensmittelallergien zu bekämpfen. Forscher des Boston Children’s Hospital leiteten die Studie, die erstmals in der angesehenen Fachzeitschrift Nature veröffentlicht wurde. Es ist zu hoffen, dass aus ihren Erkenntnissen eine neue Behandlung für Allergiker entwickelt werden kann, die die derzeitige Methode der oralen Immuntherapie verbessern wird. 5. Wilderei an afrikanischen Elefanten geht zurück Dank erfolgreicher Anti-Wilderei-Initiativen in weiten Teilen Zentral- und Südafrikas ist die Zahl der Elefanten, die dort Elfenbeinjägern zum Opfer fallen, in den letzten sechs Jahren um bis zu 50 Prozent gesunken. Tatsächlich berichtete CBS, dass in einem Reservat in Mosambik während eines Zeitraums von zwölf Monaten kein einziger Elefant an Wilderer verloren gegangen sei. Dies ist vor allem bemerkenswert angesichts der Anzahl der Tiere, die früher gejagt wurden. Fachleute behaupten, dass der eigentliche Grund für diesen Erfolg die Senkung der weltweiten Nachfrage nach Elfenbein sei. Diese Entwicklung beeinflusse das Handeln der Wilderer in erster Linie. Braucht gute Nachrichten: Wilderei bedroht Elefanten 6. Stars unterstützen Wohltätigkeitsorganisation für Achtsamkeit Eine britische Wohltätigkeitsorganisation hat sich der Förderung von Achtsamkeit an Schulen und Hochschulen verschrieben. Jetzt gab sie bekannt, dass sie einige große Namen als neue Förderer gewinnen konnte. Am Ende der World Wellbeing Week teilte das Mindfulness in Schools Projekt mit, Jerome Flynn, Star von Game of Thrones, und die Umweltaktivistin Caroline Lucas MP als Repräsentanten für ihre Kampagnenarbeit gewonnen zu haben. 7. Verbot für Einwegplastik übertrifft alle Erwartungen Eine der Top Gute-Laune-Nachrichten im Juni kam aus Kanada. Weltweit wurde berichtet, dass die kanadische Regierung ein Verbot aller Arten von Einwegkunststoffen anstreben. Beeindruckend ist, dass sie sich ein Ziel gesetzt hat, das selbst einige Aktivisten für zu ehrgeizig halten. Sobald die erforderlichen Gesetze verabschiedet sind, könnte das vollständige Verbot bereits 2021 in Kraft treten und damit den Standard für andere Länder festlegen. Das können wir nur hoffen! 8. Vermeintlich ausgestorbene Tiere wiederentdeckt The Independent berichtete, dass ein in den Regenwäldern von Honduras arbeitendes Naturschutzteam eine Reihe von Tierarten wiederentdeckt hat, die als ausgestorben galten. Insekten, Reptilien und sogar Säugetiere – in diesem Fall eine Fledermausart - wurden in einem abgelegenen Abschnitt des Mosquitia Dschungels dokumentiert. Das Team beschrieb ihre Entdeckung als "schockierend". Derzeit werden weitere Arbeiten durchgeführt, um herauszufinden, was möglicherweise noch in der Gegend zu finden ist. 9. Können Tomaten im Kampf gegen Diabetes helfen? Laut The London Economic, haben französische Forscher die potenziellen Vorteile von Tomatenhaut und ihre Wirkung auf Entzündungen untersucht. Dr. Jean-Francois Landrier erklärte an der Universität Marseille, dass Lycopin – ein Wirkstoff in der Haut von Tomaten - dazu beitragen kann, die Entzündungsreaktion zu dämpfen, die durch einen toxischen Aufbau von Glukose verursacht wird. Diese Akkumulation findet statt, wenn nicht genügend Insulin im Körper vorhanden ist. Die Haut hilft: Können Tomaten bei Diabetes helfen? 10. Hybridflugzeuge stehen kurz davor, kommerziell eingesetzt zu werden Als Hybridautos entwickelt wurden, um den Verbrauch fossiler Brennstoffe zu senken, gab es einige Zweifler. Aber mittlerweile ist dies eine alltägliche Technologie. In der Flugzeugtechnik wird immer mehr Interesse an Hybridtechnologien bekundet, welche auch für kommerziellen Flugverkehr eingesetzt werden können. Laut Aviation Today hat eine speziell entwickelte Hybrid Cessna die Branche begeistert, nachdem sie im Juni ihren Erstflug angetreten hatte. Der Flug, der in Kalifornien stattfand, wird als großer Schritt in der Luftfahrtgeschichte angesehen. Während des beeindruckenden ersten Testfluges setzte das Sechs-Sitzer-Flugzeug sowohl seinen Elektromotor als auch seinen konventionellen Motor erfolgreich ein! ● Geschrieben von Ed Gould Ed Gould ist Journalist aus Großbritannien. Er praktiziert gerne Reiki.

What is gratitude meditation and how do you practise it? Sonia Vadlamani answers these questions plus explains five great benefits it brings. Plus, discover three great gratitude meditation YouTube videos to get you started. Do you want to reap more from your life – whether in the form of happiness, enriched relationships, enhanced sense of well-being or increased efficiency? Do you wish to amplify your existence and make life more meaningful, instead of feeling like you barely exist amidst the chaos of daily life? Gratitude meditation can help you achieve these things, and it's also one of the simplest meditation types you can practise. What is gratitude? Derived from the Latin word gratus, gratitude is the ability to feel thankful and show appreciation for all things good in your life. Have you ever observed how you feel a spur-of-the-moment gratefulness when someone does something kind for you, or surprised you with a lovely gesture or gift? The emotion you felt was that of gratitude, and studies show that practising thankfulness every day can help change your life for the better. In fact, scientific studies have found that gratitude can be the ‘social glue’ that promotes positive outlook, strengthens relationships, and help us to become better, happier human beings. What is gratitude meditation exactly? Gratitude meditation, as indicated by the name, is a kind of meditation centered on feeling grateful. While there are many other styles of meditations out there, gratitude meditation is one of the easiest you can practice anywhere, even in the midst of a hectic work schedule. What's more, it's also one of the most rewarding styles of meditation. JOIN US! Discover more about meditation at happiness.com. Belong to a community that cares Gratitude meditation focuses on bearing in mind various things you're thankful for in life and letting that feeling of appreciation take a stronghold inside yourself. For example, it could be appreciating family members who are always there for you, friends who always cheer you up, or colleagues who share the workload with you so you don’t have to do overtime. Great to be grateful: gratitude meditation has many benefits Additionally, you don't always have to meditate on a noticeable act – gratitude meditation also enables you to take pleasure in the simple things in life you're grateful for like the ability to see, hear, taste and walk, or something as intangible as the important lesson you learnt from a difficult phase you were going through at some point in your life. The origins of gratitude meditation Research suggests that the foundations of gratitude were inspired from religion. Mindfulness and meditation expert Jack Kornfield is quoted as saying: “Buddhist monks begin their day with chants of gratitude for their blessed lives. Meanwhile, Martin Luther described gratitude as the “basic Christian attitude”. Indeed, millions of Christians celebrate Thanksgiving every year to count their blessings and express their appreciation for all they have. “Gratitude meditation also enables you to take pleasure in the simple things in life, like the ability to see, hear, taste and walk.” Meanwhile, Hinduism advocates that “one with an attitude of gratitude is closest to achieving Moksh, or freedom from karmic life-cycles,”, states Uma Mysorekar, M.D. Do you have to be religious to practice gratitude? Of course not. Experts agree that gratitude is not limited to religious pursuits – you can be thankful for the gifts of life without being religious. Benefits of gratitude meditation There are many advantages to incorporating a gratitude meditation practice into your life. Here are five of the most important: 1. Greater sense of happiness Studies have shown that practising gratitude can consistently and effectively make you happier. Counting your blessings can make you feel more optimistic and help you develop and maintain a positive attitude throughout the day. Indeed, a study revealed that gratitude could be the most-needed positive intervention that can prevent depressive thoughts and help individuals lead a happier, content life. 2. Improved mental health Could you ever have guessed that gratitude meditation can also rewire your brain to be better equipped to deal with adversity or difficult phases of life? Practising gratitude meditation sensitizes the brain towards helpful acts and appreciable things in life, thus enabling us to break free from the endless loop of worries, rumination, fears and insecurities. 3. Stronger personal relationships Practising gratitude meditation has even been show to protect marriage and strengthen friendships. Expressing your thanks for friends, colleagues and spouse can make them feel appreciated and valued, reinforcing your bond with them and preventing miscommunication or conflict. 4. Better physical health Feeling grateful for good things in your life can make a difference in your outlook towards life, enabling you to feel better, live to the fullest and even sleep better. Indeed, grateful people are more likely to experience heightened state of mind, eat healthily, exercise more often and live longer. 5. Increased social circle Ever noticed how some people make friends effortlessly and instantly? Grateful individuals can trust more easily, express their appreciation in more straightforward fashion, and make friends with strangers with better ease. A 2014 study from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Australia was the first to show that for thanking a new acquaintance for their help meant they were more likely to seek an ongoing social relationship with you. “Saying thank you provides a valuable signal that you're someone with whom a high quality relationship could be formed,” said UNSW psychologist Dr Lisa Williams, who co-conducted the research. Gratitude meditation: how to do it Great news: kickstarting a gratitude meditation routine is simple! All you need is a quiet corner and minimal time (10-20 minutes on average, depending on the technique you choose). “Gratitude meditation is one of the easiest you can practice anywhere, even in the midst of a hectic work schedule.” You could even start small, and simply be thankful for the basic amenities and privileges you have in life. Several experts (and even celebrities like Oprah) suggest that maintaining a gratitude journal to jot down all the things, actions, people etc you’re grateful for, can transform your outlook towards life tremendously. Here are three YouTube videos to inspire you to get your gratitude meditation routine up and running: The Mindful Movement: 10-Minute Morning Meditation for Gratitude This meditation can form a part of your morning ritual, preparing you to start the day on a more positive note. Ever feel trampled under the weight of senseless material pursuits, or dissatisfied by what you have achieved so far? Practising gratitude daily using this technique will open your eyes to the fact that what you have is enough, and that you are perfect. .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%; } Mary Kate: Gratitude Meditation To Shift Your Reality Using the powerful tool of Law of Attraction, this gratitude meditation technique shows you how to attract miracles in your life. Appreciating the smallest gestures and acts of kindness and being thankful for everything you have will help you manifest happiness and abundance every single day. .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%; } Dan Lok: 15-Minute Guided Gratitude Meditation for Abundance & Miracles Renowned business magnate and educator Dan Lok shows how to energize your day and attract abundance by being grateful for everything you have using a simple yet effective visualization technique. You begin by relaxing and asking yourself what and who all you're grateful for, and if there are things you're taking for granted. This meditation is very easy, and helps you develop more compassion, empathy and appreciation for everything good. .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%; } Round-up: gratitude meditation In conclusion, the benefits of gratitude meditation are many. Gratitude is not only a humble acknowledgment of how blessed our life is, but also a doorway for attracting abundance, happiness and prosperity our way. What's more, incorporating gratitude into our daily lives is very easy and hardly requires any additional effort. Are you getting started today? ● Main image: shutterstock/ WAYHOME Studio Liked this? Then check out Top 5 benefits of gratitude practice 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 ■ learn with free online classes in our happiness Academy Mental health | Compassion | Empathy Written by Sonia Vadlamani Fitness and healthy food blogger, food photographer and stylist, travel-addict. Sonia loves to write and has resolved to dedicate her life to revealing how easy and important it is to be happier, stronger and fitter each day. Follow her daily pursuits at FitFoodieDiary or on Instagram.

Research suggests that awe can make you happier, healthier, more humble, and more connected to the people around you. Starting 15 years ago, scientists have been studying the complex and mysterious emotion called awe — one you might have felt if you’ve stood in front of the Taj Mahal, hiked among towering redwoods, or had your mind blown at a concert, play, or ballet. Inducing goosebumps and dropped jaws, awe experiences are remarkable in their own right. Moreover, a growing body of research suggests that experiencing awe may lead to a wide range of benefits, from happiness and health to perhaps more unexpected benefits such as generosity, humility, and critical thinking. In our busy lives, seeking awe may be low on our list of priorities. But we might be underestimating its power. “One simple prescription can have transformative effects: look for more daily experiences of awe,” writes the GGSC’s Dacher Keltner. The latest research suggests that taking the time to experience awe — whether through engaging with nature, enjoying great art or music, or even bingeing on breathtaking YouTube videos — may be a pathway to improving your life and relationships. 1. Awe may improve your mood and make you more satisfied with your life Need a mood boost or a stress slayer? Some studies suggest that experiencing awe may help. And you don’t have to take a trip to the Grand Canyon to get the job done. Just watching awe-inducing slideshows and videos can improve your mood and well-being, according to a few studies. Another study found that people who read a short, awe-evoking story about seeing Paris from the top of the Eiffel Tower reported greater life satisfaction in that moment than people who read a story about seeing a plain landscape from up high. World of wonder: the awe-inspiring Taj Mahal Of course, it’s tough to beat real-world experiences — so in a recent study, researchers took military veterans and youth from underserved communities whitewater rafting. They found that the more awe the participants experienced, the more improvement they saw in their well-being and symptoms of stress one week later. According to a different survey the researchers conducted, undergraduate students reported greater life satisfaction and well-being on days when they spent time in nature, which was attributable to the higher level of awe they felt on those days. This suggests that awe just might be a crucial ingredient in nature’s restorative powers. 2. Awe may be good for your health Experiencing awe over time could potentially have long-term health benefits, at least according to one study. People with a greater general tendency to experience awe — but not any of the other seven positive emotions studied — had lower levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), a marker of inflammation (too much inflammation can lead to a host of chronic diseases). “A growing body of research suggests that experiencing awe may lead to a wide range of benefits, from happiness and health to perhaps more unexpected benefits such as generosity, humility, and critical thinking.” A second part of the study found that participants who reported feeling more “awe, wonder, and amazement that day” had lower levels of IL-6; this was true even after accounting for people’s general tendency to experience awe and be open to new experiences. In other words, all of us — not just people who are prone to experiencing awe frequently — may be able to reap the health benefits of a particularly wondrous day. However, this study can’t tell us whether awe decreases inflammation or whether people with more inflammation are less likely to experience awe — a question for future research. 3. Awe may help you think more critically Some studies suggest that awe may be able to sharpen our brains. One study found that when people were induced to feel awe, they were less persuaded by weak arguments than people who did a neutral activity (imagining doing their laundry). In contrast, some other positive emotions — like anticipatory enthusiasm or amusement — made people more susceptible to weak arguments. Intriguingly, a recent theoretical paper argues that awe may help facilitate scientific learning and reasoning in children. For example, when a child sees an anvil and a feather drop at the same rate in a vacuum, this experience likely violates their intuitive understanding of how gravity works, evoking feelings of awe that lead them to develop a new theory about the relationships between weight, gravity, and motion. Peak condition: experiencing awe may have long-term health benefits Similarly, a recent study found that people who have a greater disposition to experience awe had a more accurate understanding of the nature of science and were more likely to reject creationism and other scientifically questionable explanations about the world. Importantly, these people didn’t have greater “faith” in science; they just understood better how science works. 4. Awe may decrease materialism A few studies suggest that experiencing awe may dampen feelings of materialism. The experiment with the Eiffel Tower story also found that, when given a hypothetical choice between a material good (such as a $50 backpack) or an experiential product (such as a $50 iTunes gift card), people who read the awe-inspiring story chose the experiential product more often than people in the other group did. In another study, participants who recalled an awe experience placed less value on money than did participants who recalled a happy or neutral experience, and viewing awe-inducing images reduced the effort people were willing to put into getting money (where effort was measured by tolerance for listening to an unpleasant sound). “The latest research suggests that taking the time to experience awe — whether through engaging with nature, enjoying great art or music, or even bingeing on breathtaking YouTube videos — may be a pathway to improving your life and relationships.” Why might awe decrease materialism? According to the researchers, the answer may lie in the self-transcendence that awe can inspire. “People in awe start to appreciate their sense of selfhood as less separate and more interrelated to the larger existence,” they write. “The experience of awe elevates people from their mundane concerns, which are bounded by daily experiences such as the desire for money.” Further evidence for this idea comes from a recent study, suggesting that awe can function as a buffer against negative emotion when you lose material possessions. After time spent marveling at the world around you, misplacing your new sunglasses might not feel so bad. 5. Awe makes you feel smaller and more humble One of the most profound effects of awe is how it can change our perception of ourselves relative to the larger world. In particular, multiple studies have shown that awe can make us feel small, diminished, or insignificant what researchers call the “small self” effect. In one particularly interesting study, researchers asked visitors to Yosemite National Park and Fisherman’s Wharf (a tourist area in San Francisco) about their feelings of awe and other emotions, as well as their sense of self. Tourists at Yosemite reported experiencing significantly more awe, represented their current self with smaller circles (when given a choice of sizes), and drew self-portraits that were nearly 33 per cent smaller than tourists at Fisherman’s Wharf. World of wonder: awe makes us appreciate our place in larger existence Besides making people feel physically smaller, awe may also make people more humble. One recent study found that people who are more naturally prone to experiencing awe felt more humility and were rated as more humble by their friends. Experimentally inducing participants to feel awe led them to acknowledge their strengths and weaknesses in a more balanced way and to better recognize how outside forces contributed to their successes. 6. Awe can make you feel like you have more time Awe may also expand our perception of time. One study found that people induced to feel awe felt less impatient and agreed more strongly with statements suggesting that time is plentiful and expansive than people induced to feel happiness. The researchers speculate that by immersing us in the moment, awe may allow us to savor the here and now. “Awe-eliciting experiences might offer one effective way of alleviating the feeling of time starvation that plagues so many people in modern life,” the researchers write. With more time on their hands, people feeling awe reported a greater willingness to offer that time to others — to volunteer their time, but not their money, to help a charity — compared to people feeling happy. 7. Awe can make you more generous and cooperative In fact, multiple studies have found that experiencing awe may make people more kind and generous. For example, one study found that people with a greater tendency for awe were more generous in laboratory tasks like distributing raffle tickets between themselves and an unknown participant. And people who stood among awe-inspiring eucalyptus trees picked up more pens for an experimenter who had “accidentally” dropped them than people who stared up at a not-so-inspiring large building. “Why might awe decrease materialism? According to the researchers, the answer may lie in the self-transcendence that awe can inspire. 'People in awe start to appreciate their sense of selfhood as less separate and more interrelated to the larger existence.'” Together, these studies suggest that awe may prompt us to help others and to be more generous, perhaps because of the way it encourages us to focus less on ourselves and expands our perception of available time. 8. Awe can make you feel more connected to other people and humanity Awe has an amazing capacity to bring people together. Research suggests that awe helps us feel more connected to the people in our lives and to humanity as a whole. In one study, participants spent time near an awe-inducing Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton or in a regular hallway. When asked to describe themselves, the dinosaur viewers were more likely use universal descriptors (such as “a person” or “an inhabitant of the Earth”) rather than more specific descriptors (such as “tall,” “friendly,” or “a student”) than the other people, suggesting that awe increases our sense that we are part of a greater whole. Water works: wonder and awe connect you to humanity Another study found that people experiencing awe reported feeling more one with their community compared with people feeling neutral (an effect that may only hold for people with high self-esteem). Interestingly, another part of this study found evidence that culture may also influence awe’s effects, leading people from individualistic cultures to feel as if their social network has expanded (they feel closer to more people) and people from collectivistic cultures to feel closer to those already in their network. As a 15-year-old science, awe research is literally in its adolescence. This means that many of the findings discussed in this article are based on very few studies (and thus should be taken with a grain of salt). What researchers don’t know about awe far eclipses what they do know. For example, we don’t know much about how awe affects children throughout development, how awe is related to religious and spiritual experiences, and how awe can be used therapeutically. And researchers are just beginning to explore the neuroscience of awe. But with increasing interest among psychologists and the public in the topic, the future of this research looks bright — maybe even awesome. ● Written by Greater Good Science Center This article originally appeared on Greater Good, the online magazine of the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley. happiness.com is honoured to republish them with the kind permission of the Greater Good Science Center. greatergood.berkeley.edu

When we are stuck making a decision, inner turmoil or conflict often arises, leading to both mental and physical health issues. Psychologist Stanislava Puač Jovanović explains the reasons for inner turmoil and the five steps you should take to move past it. For most of my adolescence and adulthood, I felt conflicted about where to live. My mother is from one country, and my father was from another. When I was 14, they divorced. Suddenly, my family was scattered across Europe. So, my inner turmoil started. Where – or rather with whom – to live was a burning question during the period of my parent’s divorce. The same issue arose when I had to pick a high school, then college — and after graduation when I was supposed to get a job. In fact, battling inner turmoil didn’t truly leave my side until recently. And I do not exclude the option of it becoming current again at some point in the future! Inner turmoil is everyone’s known (and rather unpleasant) companion. It does not matter if you are picking a shirt or a spouse. Internal conflicts are usually inseparable from the decision-making process. Therefore, we have little choice but to accept their presence. We can, however, understand inner turmoils and learn how to resolve the chaos they tend to cause. In this article, I'll explain: What inner turmoil is and what adversities may come with it What causes inner turmoil How to move past it First, let us get to know inner turmoil and why it might be the wrong place for you to stay for too long. What is inner turmoil and why is it bad? Inner turmoil is not, strictly speaking, a phrase that psychologists would use. However, it describes the experience very well. The term that is used in academic psychology is inner or internal conflict. Internal conflict is one of the prime notions of psychoanalysis. Sigmund Freud described conflicts as a consequence of the coexistence of two or more incompatible elements in a person’s psyche. These elements can be your needs, wants, beliefs, expectations, actions — conscious or unconscious. Simply put, two forces are clashing inside of you. Inner turmoil can cause mental and physical health problems It could be that there are two (or more) options that seem alluring. This is the “easiest” of the conflicts. For example, you could be courted by two people who both attract you. However, by virtue of the situation, when you pick one, you lose the other. Adding to the ordeal is a common effect — the option you dismissed will start looking more appealing. Double-avoidance conflict is a more difficult one because you must choose between two unfavourable options. For example, you might need to decide if you want to be unemployed and broke or accept a job you hate. Approach-avoidance conflict is something you experience when one option has qualities that both attract and repel you. Moving to a city that you do not like but that offers a better professional outlook is a good example. Or dating someone who you are physically attracted to but whose personality you are unsure of. The problem with this sort of inner turmoil is that the more you approach the option, the more the anxiety grows. On the other hand, the more you move away from it, the more you start to desire it. Why can inner turmoil be bad for you? As I said before – inner turmoils are not something we can avoid. They are a part of our lives. However, staying in one for too long can be bad for you. Why? When you are not at peace with yourself and do not understand your preferences, you will probably have a hard time getting along with others. Inner conflicts and ambivalent desires transfer to your close relationships. “Moving past inner turmoil means making a move. Whether it is a psychological change or an enacted decision, something has to happen.” Inner turmoil in which you are not clear about your role and identity, as a theoretical paper demonstrated, can make you underperform in negotiations in business. Any other sort of negotiations, it may be added, can be affected by your inability to decide which position and role you are taking. When in internal conflict, you might find yourself unable to move forward. Research confirmed that when you are ambivalent, regardless of how much power in a situation you may have, you will probably remain inert and avoid action. Furthermore, inner turmoil may lead to a range of emotional and physical disturbances. Irritable bowel syndrome, for example, has been found to be associated with internal conflicts. In particular, you may be at risk of the syndrome if you feel uneasy about being emotionally open and expressing your feelings. What causes inner turmoil? Remember my example from the beginning of the article? As I was born and spent most of my life in my father’s homeland, I felt more at home there. On the other hand, it was wiser to move to my mother’s homeland as it has incomparably better living standards. Not to mention wanting to be with my little sister, who was four at that point. Understandably so, a long list of problems and issues (logistical and emotional) intertwined with the whole situation. In short, it was a hot mess. And, my inner turmoil was equally as intense. What caused it was too many elements of the situation that did not align with each other. Conflicting needs, beliefs, actions and expectations cause internal turmoil. According to the classic psychoanalytic theory, our Ego has to serve three masters. It has to find a way to reconcile the external world’s demands, instinctual needs and desires (Id), and the ethical and moral principles we acquired growing up (Super-Ego). Needless to say, there is rarely harmony between these masters. Inner turmoil: our ego has to serve three masters shutterstock/Pixel4Images So, inner turmoil arises. You simultaneously want and do not want something. Your longings might clash with your principles. You know that one option is rational, but your heart desires another. Many elements interweave, and you end up in a state of internal chaos. It is an entirely natural position, a part of being a human. You could, for example, be in an utterly unhappy marriage. However, you were raised to consider a divorce something outright wrong. Your need to feel psychologically well and your ethical beliefs oppose each other. You might long to do something creative in life and be an artist, but you feel pressured to meet your family’s hopes and find an office job. Your true desires and wish to please your loved ones’ expectations clash. Or, you have needs that do not match social norms in your culture, like sexual orientation. The authentic You is not in line with society’s standards, and an inner turmoil is born. “Once you have committed to leaving the state of turmoil, help yourself decide what you want and what you will do.” You might find yourself falling for your friend or a coworker. You yearn to make a move, but it poses a risk of losing them and destroying the existing relationship. Your feelings conflict with your desire to maintain the safety of what you have now. You may be torn between your roles of an individual, child, parent, friend, professional, spouse, and the desires and expectations that come with those roles. How to move past inner turmoil If you're wondering how I resolved the conflict of where to live — I had to make a choice. I was compelled to do so when external circumstances called for it (the divorce, the schooling). But, the time came when I did not have to make a choice — I could merely succumb to inertia and avoid making any commitment. And I did for a while. Nonetheless, I could not keep dodging a decision forever. Moving past inner turmoil means making a move. Whether it is a psychological change or an enacted decision, something has to happen. Otherwise, you remain stuck within the whirlpool of conflicting needs and perspectives. Here's what you can do to start dealing with internal conflict: 1. Understand the turmoil Clinical practice shows that you need to explore the symptoms of the conflict — how is it manifested and in what situations do you notice it? What emotions and beliefs are keeping it alive? What rigidities in your mind are preventing you from leaving the conflict behind you? How do you usually try to cope with it? Knowing your most profound traits and desires (even the dark ones) is a must of authentic living and a prerequisite for resolving any inner conflict. 2. Make a decision As I've explained, one of the adversities of inner turmoils is a tendency for inertness they may throw you into. Give yourself enough time to contemplate — but do not procrastinate. Bring yourself to make a move. Fear of change, dread of making a wrong choice, feeling lost in life, or undefined anxiety are perfectly understandable reactions. However, putting a decision off is a sort of self-sabotage. So, promise yourself you are going to move ahead — and do so. Making a choice is essential to escape inner conflict shutterstock/ESB Professional 3. Facilitate the choice Once you have committed to leaving the state of turmoil, help yourself decide what you want and what you will do. Talk to friends, a psychotherapist or a coach, make pros and cons lists — whatever works. 4. Stop feeding the conflict When you have deciphered what has caused your inner turmoil and what you want to do about it, stop adding to the anxiety it causes. For example, if you want to get a divorce, stop evoking the thoughts of how “wrong” it is to do so that your parents or culture imposed on you. 5. Believe in yourself We often feel hindered by self-doubt. You might want to apply for your dream job but are reluctant because you doubt you are good enough. Give yourself plenty of self-love and practise self-compassion. You can do it. Even if you make a wrong choice, you are capable of mending the damage. Takeaway: inner turmoil can also be seen as a hint Internal conflicts are anything but a pleasant experience. A quote from Søren Kierkegaard’s ‘Either/Or’ illustrates the anguishing nature of human lives: “Hang yourself, you will regret it; do not hang yourself, and you will also regret that; hang yourself or do not hang yourself, you will regret both; whether you hang yourself or do not hang yourself, you will regret both.” Now, Kierkegaard was a philosopher, hence the hanging. Yet, if you translate the idea to any other choice, the message is clear. Whatever we chose and do, we will probably end regretting it and up believing that the other option was better. However, it does not mean that we are doomed to despair about missed opportunities and errors we made. Instead, approach your inner turmoil as a hint. Something is going on inside of you, and you need to figure it out. Embrace internal conflicts as a call from your unconscious mind to explore your soul. Use it as a beacon. Let it guide you towards knowing yourself — and making decisions that follow your authentic nature and needs. • Main image: shutterstock/ArtFamily happiness.com | The fine art of being: learn, practise, share Are you a happiness.com member? Sign up for free to enjoy: ■ our happiness magazine with practical life tips ■ sharing and supporting others in our happiness forum ■ developing with free online classes in our Academy Authenticity | Self-help | Coaching | Kindness Written by Stanislava Puač Jovanović Stanislava Puač Jovanović has a master’s degree in psychology and works as a freelance writer and researcher in this area. Her primary focus is on questions relating to mental health, stress-management, self-development and well-being.