by HappyQuotient | May 9, 2019 | GGSC, Happiness, Health, Inspire, Wellness
Past research has shown that helping others has a wide variety of benefits: Being kind and helpful can make us happier, give us a sense of purpose and meaning, and even lower our blood pressure. People across cultures seem to experience greater well-being when they...
by HappyQuotient | May 8, 2019 | GGSC, Happiness, Health, Inspire, Wellness
Chris Murchison, vice president of staff development and culture at HopeLab, shares how gratitude can be incorporated into different aspects of work life. source https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/video/item/express_gratitude_at_work
by HappyQuotient | May 8, 2019 | GGSC, Happiness, Health, Inspire, Wellness
Chris Murchison, vice president of staff development and culture at HopeLab, shares how gratitude can be incorporated into different aspects of work life. source https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/video/item/express_gratitude_at_work
by HappyQuotient | May 7, 2019 | GGSC, Happiness, Health, Inspire, Wellness
What qualities do we look for in a prospective co-parent? Partner preferences usually involve some winning combination of physical attractiveness, status, and resources, at least according to evolutionary theory. But there’s another quality we might be overlooking in...
by HappyQuotient | May 6, 2019 | GGSC, Happiness, Health, Inspire, Wellness
Hi Christine, I know you have teenage daughters around the same age, so I’m hoping you have some insight about how to help kids deal with stress. My youngest daughter has always been confident, gregarious, and goal-oriented. But starting in her sophomore year in high...
by HappyQuotient | May 3, 2019 | GGSC, Happiness, Health, Inspire, Wellness
When we think of powerful people from history, we often think of negative examples—like Hitler, Mussolini, or Stalin. The idea that power is bad can be summed up by the saying, “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” But power also has a positive...
by HappyQuotient | May 2, 2019 | GGSC, Happiness, Health, Inspire, Wellness
Everyone’s worried about smartphones. Headlines like “Have smartphones destroyed a generation?” and “Smartphone addiction could be changing your brain” paint a bleak picture of our smartphone addiction and its long-term consequences. This isn’t a new lament—public...
by HappyQuotient | May 1, 2019 | GGSC, Happiness, Health, Inspire, Wellness
Mindfulness is all the rage these days, and for good reason. Focusing on the moment can improve our well-being, foster compassion, and help our relationships. What about going beyond the present moment? Yes, thinking about the future can trigger anxiety—but a growing...
by HappyQuotient | Apr 30, 2019 | GGSC, Happiness, Health, Inspire, Wellness
Our monthly Happiness Calendar is a day-by-day guide to well-being. It can help inject a bit of happiness into your everyday life with videos, articles, practices, podcasts, and other content from the Greater Good Science Center and beyond. This May, we’re celebrating...
by HappyQuotient | Apr 30, 2019 | GGSC, Happiness, Health, Inspire, Wellness
According to a new Gallup survey of over 2,000 college graduates, 80 percent believe it’s very or extremely important to have a sense of purpose in their work. Yet fewer than half of them actually succeed in having this experience. It’s not surprising that young...
by HappyQuotient | Apr 30, 2019 | GGSC, Happiness, Health, Inspire, Wellness
According to a new Gallup survey of over 2,000 college graduates, 80 percent believe it’s very or extremely important to have a sense of purpose in their work. Yet fewer than half of them actually succeed in having this experience. It’s not surprising that young...
by HappyQuotient | Apr 30, 2019 | GGSC, Happiness, Health, Inspire, Wellness
According to a new Gallup survey of over 2,000 college graduates, 80 percent believe it’s very or extremely important to have a sense of purpose in their work. Yet fewer than half of them actually succeed in having this experience. It’s not surprising that young...
by HappyQuotient | Apr 29, 2019 | GGSC, Happiness, Health, Inspire, Wellness
Imagine seeing a woman stop on the street to give a dollar to a homeless person. Would that inspire you to give yourself, or would you just walk on? Many of us would be moved to give, which might even inspire others to give, creating a cycle of generosity. That’s not...
by HappyQuotient | Apr 26, 2019 | GGSC, Happiness, Health, Inspire, Wellness
I love trees and am not immune to hugging them. It may not be rational, but when I’m near one of these quiet giants, I feel like they are kin—ancient grandparents, or at least benevolent witnesses of history and time. Everyone probably doesn’t feel the same way as I...
by HappyQuotient | Apr 25, 2019 | GGSC, Happiness, Health, Inspire, Wellness
In a hard-to-find windowless room deep inside a New York university, some difficult conversations are taking place. But this is not unusual, because this is a Difficult Conversations Laboratory. Though it does not physically resemble a dungeon, it probably should....
by HappyQuotient | Apr 25, 2019 | GGSC, Happiness, Health, Inspire, Wellness
In a hard-to-find windowless room deep inside a New York university, some difficult conversations are taking place. But this is not unusual, because this is a Difficult Conversations Laboratory. Though it does not physically resemble a dungeon, it probably should....
by HappyQuotient | Apr 24, 2019 | GGSC, Happiness, Health, Inspire, Wellness
The field of medicine is facing a dilemma when it comes to empathy. On one hand, research has found that receiving empathy from caregivers—feeling understood and accepted—is critical for patient satisfaction, a key aspect of hospital reimbursement. On the other hand,...
by HappyQuotient | Apr 23, 2019 | GGSC, Happiness, Health, Inspire, Wellness
Currently, our education system often focuses on a narrow sliver of children’s cognitive development with an emphasis on transmitting content knowledge, often to be memorized and repeated in the same form it was received. Lessons in math, science, and reading—and...
by HappyQuotient | Apr 23, 2019 | GGSC, Happiness, Health, Inspire, Wellness
Currently, our education system often focuses on a narrow sliver of children’s cognitive development with an emphasis on transmitting content knowledge, often to be memorized and repeated in the same form it was received. Lessons in math, science, and reading—and...
by HappyQuotient | Apr 22, 2019 | GGSC, Happiness, Health, Inspire, Wellness
This year, for the first time ever, there are more people over 60 in the U.S. than under 18. That milestone has brought with it little celebration. Indeed, there are abundant concerns that America will soon be awash in a gray wave, spelling increased health care costs...
by HappyQuotient | Apr 19, 2019 | GGSC, Happiness, Health, Inspire, Wellness
In recent years, a number of wilderness therapy programs have cropped up to help people who suffer from mental health challenges. These trips often involve physically and emotionally engaging experiences—like backpacking or rock-climbing in remote areas—combined with...
by HappyQuotient | Apr 18, 2019 | GGSC, Happiness, Health, Inspire, Wellness
Ooh, surprise! Those spontaneous sounds we make to express everything from elation (woohoo) to embarrassment (oops) say a lot more about what we’re feeling than previously understood, according to new UC Berkeley research. Proving that a sigh is not just a sigh,...
by HappyQuotient | Apr 17, 2019 | GGSC, Happiness, Health, Inspire, Wellness
Wikipedia is one of the hubs of Internet knowledge. The online encyclopedia receives more than 18 billion page views every month, which means that it exerts a huge influence on the way we think about our world and how we discuss every conceivable political and social...
by HappyQuotient | Apr 17, 2019 | GGSC, Happiness, Health, Inspire, Wellness
Wikipedia is one of the hubs of Internet knowledge. The online encyclopedia receives more than 18 billion page views every month, which means that it exerts a huge influence on the way we think about our world and how we discuss every conceivable political and social...
by HappyQuotient | Apr 16, 2019 | GGSC, Happiness, Health, Inspire, Wellness
My preschooler offered to share his apple slices with me as we were driving home from school yesterday. In that spontaneous moment of generosity, I smiled and felt heartened; maybe, I thought, he actually is internalizing our conversations about sharing and kindness....
by HappyQuotient | Apr 15, 2019 | GGSC, Happiness, Health, Inspire, Wellness
Leslie and Josh came to therapy to talk about their son’s problems in school. But it soon became apparent that they had a different problem altogether—one common to working parents. Their daily routine included a dizzying array of activities and responsibilities that...
by HappyQuotient | Apr 15, 2019 | GGSC, Happiness, Health, Inspire, Wellness
Leslie and Josh came to therapy to talk about their son’s problems in school. But it soon became apparent that they had a different problem altogether—one common to working parents. Their daily routine included a dizzying array of activities and responsibilities that...
by HappyQuotient | Apr 12, 2019 | GGSC, Happiness, Health, Inspire, Wellness
When I was in my mid 20s I fell madly, deeply in love on a backpacking trip through Europe. We started a long-distance relationship between Vancouver, Canada, and Hamburg, Germany, and I didn’t question our strong and beautiful connection. Then, after a few months, I...
by HappyQuotient | Apr 11, 2019 | GGSC, Happiness, Health, Inspire, Wellness
The loss of a job, the pain of a breakup — it’s easy to get down on ourselves when things aren’t going well. Find out how our Happiness Guinea Pig tuned down the self-critic in her head. source...
by HappyQuotient | Apr 10, 2019 | GGSC, Happiness, Health, Inspire, Wellness
During the terrorist attacks on September 11th, I was a middle school student in a suburb outside Atlanta, Georgia. I recall my teacher breaking down and crying, and lots of students going home early, even though I stayed through the school day. What I remember most...
by HappyQuotient | Apr 9, 2019 | GGSC, Happiness, Health, Inspire, Wellness
Dear Christine, We are writing you about our son, who is in his second year of undergraduate study. He has found his niche in the Greek system, and it is something he is passionate about. He loves the people and the camaraderie. What is worrisome to us is that along...
by HappyQuotient | Apr 8, 2019 | GGSC, Happiness, Health, Inspire, Wellness
When you grow up in a home with an alcoholic, you learn very quickly how to stay invisible. I spent my younger years desperately avoiding my father. Fortunately, he worked a 9-5 job and he usually managed to make it to work. That meant safe stretches of the day when...
by HappyQuotient | Apr 8, 2019 | GGSC, Happiness, Health, Inspire, Wellness
When you grow up in a home with an alcoholic, you learn very quickly how to stay invisible. I spent my younger years desperately avoiding my father. Fortunately, he worked a 9-5 job and he usually managed to make it to work. That meant safe stretches of the day when...
by HappyQuotient | Apr 5, 2019 | GGSC, Happiness, Health, Inspire, Wellness
How to promote happiness? This is not an easy question to answer, of course, given how multidimensional a phenomenon happiness can be. Some researchers focus on small groups of people to figure out what makes the individual happier, while others investigate the bigger...
by HappyQuotient | Apr 4, 2019 | GGSC, Happiness, Health, Inspire, Wellness
A high-five from a stranger, a hummingbird on a busy city street. Poet Ross Gay shares his own happiness practice: savoring the everyday delights in life. source https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/podcasts/item/ross_gay
by HappyQuotient | Apr 4, 2019 | GGSC, Happiness, Health, Inspire, Wellness
A high-five from a stranger, a hummingbird on a busy city street. Poet Ross Gay shares his own happiness practice: savoring the everyday delights in life. source https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/podcasts/item/ross_gay
by HappyQuotient | Apr 3, 2019 | GGSC, Happiness, Health, Inspire, Wellness
This month, more than a dozen wealthy parents will appear in a Boston federal court, accused of using a criminal “side door” to get their kids into prestigious schools. Among those on the U.S. attorney’s star-studded list of indictments are Lori Loughlin, who...
by HappyQuotient | Apr 2, 2019 | GGSC, Happiness, Health, Inspire, Wellness
Imagine what it would be like to eat at your favorite restaurant every day. Going there would be exciting at first, but with time it would simply become part of your routine—and you might even get bored with it. Past research has found that we adapt surprisingly...
by HappyQuotient | Apr 1, 2019 | GGSC, Happiness, Health, Inspire, Wellness
Our monthly Happiness Calendar is a day-by-day guide to well-being. It can help inject a bit of happiness into your everyday life with videos, articles, practices, podcasts, and other content from the Greater Good Science Center and beyond. This April, we’re...
by HappyQuotient | Apr 1, 2019 | GGSC, Happiness, Health, Inspire, Wellness
As psychologist Chris Willard often says, our phones can be our greatest enemy or greatest friend. While they can save us time and energy, educate and entertain us, and keep us safe in emergencies, they can also distract us from the things we need in life to stay...
by HappyQuotient | Mar 29, 2019 | GGSC, Happiness, Health, Inspire, Wellness
Near the beginning of her new book, Biased, researcher Jennifer Eberhardt tells a story about traveling with her then five-year-old son on an airplane. When he points out another black passenger on their plane and wonders aloud if the man might rob someone, it stops...
by HappyQuotient | Mar 28, 2019 | GGSC, Happiness, Health, Inspire, Wellness
Are you still mad at someone who hurt you in the past? That can eat away at your health and well-being. Our Happiness Guinea Pig tries a new approach to giving up a grudge. source https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/podcasts/item/bhi_bhiman
by HappyQuotient | Mar 27, 2019 | GGSC, Happiness, Health, Inspire, Wellness
Dear Christine, My mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s two years ago, just before I got pregnant with my second daughter. I was fortunate to have a stellar short-term therapist available through a pregnancy program at work to help me come to grips with my mom’s...
by HappyQuotient | Mar 26, 2019 | GGSC, Happiness, Health, Inspire, Wellness
This past weekend, my preschooler’s neighborhood buddies didn’t want to play frisbee with him. Despite his insistence, they left him to go play with his soccer ball—and, unsurprisingly, he was fuming. Although my son didn’t stay mad for long, kids, like adults,...
by HappyQuotient | Mar 25, 2019 | GGSC, Happiness, Health, Inspire, Wellness
Lately, teachers seem to be getting a bad rap. We’ve seen a year-long wave of teacher strikes provoked by deep budget cuts, punctuated by a nationally publicized comment from the president’s son about “loser teachers.” In the face of such hostility, what can teachers...
by HappyQuotient | Mar 22, 2019 | GGSC, Happiness, Health, Inspire, Wellness
When our three-year-old daughter started preschool, the director of the center gave us some feedback: “Your daughter is sensitive,” she said. “She’s going to have a hard time in life.” As young parents, my husband and I were bewildered. The administrator’s words felt...
by HappyQuotient | Mar 22, 2019 | GGSC, Happiness, Health, Inspire, Wellness
When our three-year-old daughter started preschool, the director of the center gave us some feedback: “Your daughter is sensitive,” she said. “She’s going to have a hard time in life.” As young parents, my husband and I were bewildered. The administrator’s words felt...
by HappyQuotient | Mar 21, 2019 | GGSC, Happiness, Health, Inspire, Wellness
What kinds of objects, images, and words surround your home or office? Our Happiness Guinea Pig surveys her apartment for items that spark connection and kindness. source https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/podcasts/item/avery_trufelman
by HappyQuotient | Mar 20, 2019 | GGSC, Happiness, Health, Inspire, Wellness
According to the 2019 World Happiness Report, negative feelings are rising around the world—and the United States is particularly hard-hit with an “epidemic of addictions.” Tellingly, the report also shows a widening happiness gap, with some people reporting much more...
by HappyQuotient | Mar 19, 2019 | GGSC, Happiness, Health, Inspire, Wellness
To many people, prejudice seems to be rising in American society. In 2009, around a quarter of Americans identified racism as a “big problem.” By 2015, that number had doubled. Since then, we’ve seen a measurable jump in reported hate crimes. Today, six in ten...
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