FLOW is a state of total absorption in an activity where the individual is so focused that nothing else seems to matter. Time flies by and the activity becomes a joyful, even ecstatic, experience. Flow occurs most commonly when people are pursuing their passions, such as dance, music, arts and competition sports. However, students sometimes report…
As of recent, the psychological implications of gut health, and the role of the microbiome in emotional well being has received more media attention. As we learn more about the way a healthy gut environment influences mood, immunity, and inflammatory responses, we can expect advances in the way a host of ailments — including depression…
COULD our gut bacteria truly influence our state of happiness? It appears so. Researchers worldwide are now investigating the remarkably real relationship between the bacteria in our gut and how we think and feel. Gut bacterial make-up has been linked to depression, and probiotics, which change the population of gut bacteria, have been shown to alleviate depression…
Five years ago we posted “Jefferson’s Happiness”. Amid economic downturns around the world today, this is a great time to revisit the post and ask ourselves again: What is happiness? It seems that many Americans have been pursuing the Wall Street version of happiness with a vengeance, encouraged by the 2006 blockbuster “Pursuit of Happiness,” in which…
When I first started this project, I had more downers than believers. Most people don’t like to see something new, and happiness has never been chosen in the 45 years that this project has been run. My 8th grade class was assigned the task to find a problem in our community and take a step…
“The Constitution only gives people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself.” -Benjamin Franklin In order to understand happiness, one must understand what happiness actually is. The definition of happiness is, “feeling pleasure and enjoyment.” However, what is pleasure? What is enjoyment? Thomas Jefferson, an original Son of Liberty, once said,…
Guest Post from Jenn Eichner There is much debate over the effectiveness of anti-bullying campaigns currently active in many high schools. I have read research and opinion pieces which suggest that the campaigns may actually be counter-productive. There appears to be little discussion, however, on alternative measures and even less dialogue with students about their…
New research by Russell Clayton and colleagues, which is due out in the next issue of Human Resource Management, concludes there is a positive relationship between exercise and work life balance. Based on Clayton’s research, people who take the time to exercise feel more self-efficacy. In other words they are confident they can get things…
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The good news; happiness is starting to consistently make headlines. The bad news; not everyone is happy. More good news; there are a lot actions you can take to become happier. Happiness at Work From a recent New York Daily News article: Workplace morale heads down: 70% of Americans negative about their jobs, Gallup…
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Please welcome Suzanne Hazelton as one of our guest bloggers. She is also the author of Great Days at Work. Happiness. We can cultivate long term happiness by sowing regular seeds of positive emotions. But first let me digress into goal setting. When coaching clients it can be useful to understand “why” a particular goal…