Friday, August 7, 2009

Happiness Traits

Originally from Russia, Sonja Lyubomirsky (Lyubomirsky in Russian means love and peace) is Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Riverside. Lyubomirsky teaches courses in social psychology and positive psychology. Her research addresses questions like what makes people happy and how can people become happier still.

According to her, happy people have been noted to exhibit some thinking and behaviour patterns. The following is a sample of the observations.

1. They devote a great amount of time to their family and friends, nurturing and enjoying those relationships.

2. They are comfortable expressing gratitude for all they have.

3. They are often the first to offer a helping hand to co-workers and passersby.

4. They practice optimism when imagining their futures.

5. They savour life’s pleasures and try to live in the present moment.

6. They make physical exercise a weekly – and sometimes daily – habit.

7. They are deeply committed to a life-long goal and ambition.

She has also authored the book ‘The How of Happiness’ which contains happiness related information based on scientific research.

In this video Lyubomirsky discusses how learned traits influence happiness.


3 comments:

VSB said...

Wonderful!Phenomenal!Enlightening! Our brains indeed are waiting to be transformed - from misery to joy. It is a journey that every one of us should undertake, whether in the snow capped peaks of the himalayas or aboard a local train in Mumbai, afterall the final destination is the sum total of the objective of human life.

Mridula said...

Makes a lot of sense.

V S said...

VSB, agreed. We should identify what we are seeking.

Mridula, it wouldnt make sense to some. :o)