Action for happiness

Are you happy? A new group in the UK, Action for Happiness, is on a mission to make sure the answer is ‘yes’. The organisation calls itself a ‘movement for positive social change’ and wants to ‘bring together people from all walks of life who want to play a part in creating a happier society for everyone.’

The group believes that there are 10 keys to happier living: giving, relating, exercising, appreciating, trying out, direction, resilience, emotion, acceptance and meaning. (The first letters of each of the words become ‘Great Dream’ when put together.) Action for Happiness has made a list of 50 actions that develop these skills, from finding three good things each day to volunteering your time, energy and skills. You can also take the Action for Happiness pledge – ‘I will try to create more happiness and less unhappiness in the world around me’ -or even set up a group in your area.

Action for Happiness was set up by Lord Richard Layard, professor of economics at LSE and author of ‘Happiness: Lessons from a new science’. He believes that now is the time for change. ‘For fifty years we've aimed relentlessly at higher incomes. But despite being much wealthier, we're no happier than we were five decades ago. At the same time we've seen an increase in wider social issues, including a worrying rise in anxiety and depression in young people. It's time for a positive change in what we mean by progress,’ the group says on its website, www.actionforhappiness.org. It adds that some societies are happier than others. For example, if Britain was as happy as Denmark, there would be 2.5 million fewer people who were not very happy and 5 million more who were very happy.

The initiative has been welcomed by mental health charities and psychologists in the UK. ‘The Action for Happiness initiative has come at the perfect time to encourage a focus on individual wellbeing when many people are understandably concerned about the financial pressures affecting us all,’ says Paul Farmer, chief executive of MIND, a mental health charity. ‘We welcome the initiative and hope it will spark further conversations about mental health and happiness, to reduce the stigma and discrimination that continue to surround mental distress, in turn promoting the emotional resilience of the population as a whole.’

According to the group, the main idea we need to remember is that we have a lot of power over our own happiness. Our happiness influences the people we know and 40 percent of the variation in our personal happiness is due to the choices we make and our daily activities. (Genes influence about 50 percent, but circumstances like income and environment only influence about 10 percent.) It is also a skill we can learn. Discoveries in neuroscience and psychology back this up. ‘Happiness fuels success, not the other way round,’ the group says. ‘When we're positive, our brains are more motivated, engaged, creative, energetic, resilient, and productive.’

So, what can we do today to increase our happiness? The group believes that social connections and support are vital. A good an excuse as any to catch up with an old friend...

By Bex

L'argent ne fait pas le bonheur. C'est ce qu'explique l'association britannique, Action for Happiness, qui propose d'autres voies pour connaître une existence heureuse.

Article publié en partenariat avec MyCow, tous les jours des articles et des exercices en anglais.