Schools rated on pupils’ happinessJoanna Sugden
Schools will be rated on whether parents and pupils think teachers do enough to keep children happy, away from illegal drugs and in good sexual health.

Ofsted inspectors will use the perceptions - along with other indicators such as the truancy rate – in a school “health check” to measure pupil wellbeing.

The results will in part determine when a school should be inspected and published - with high scoring schools rewarded - in inspection reports.

The plans are intended to fulfil the legal requirement on all schools to look after pupil wellbeing but say responsibility for the happiness of students should rest mainly with parents.

To read more about happiness in schools - click here

How to get happy? Thinking positive is a good start
BY AMY ELLIS NUTT

Of the myriad things we wish for in life, from the perfect meal to a financial windfall, all are merely means to a single, intangible end called “happiness.”

Lately, it has been the most elusive of emotions. Beset with a failing economy, two protracted wars and roller-coaster gas prices, Americans are floundering. Like looking for silver linings in hand-me-down clothes, we are hard-pressed to find the bright side in depressing current events.

To read more about happiness and positive thinking - click here

I recently surveyed the people on one of my databases (those who have specifically expressed an interested in applying the principles of positive psychology within the workplace and I asked them, quite simply, what they considered to be the top three contributors to happiness at work.

Interestingly, their responses were remarkably consistent. Although they each used slightly different words and phrases, the core issues can be summarised under just five or so headings.

First, it was very apparent that employees (at all levels and across a range of different industries) see leadership as being important for happiness at work. Respondents to my survey repeatedly noted how important they thought it was for the organisation as a whole to have clear values and for all who work within the organisation to have respect for these values.

One respondent highlighted this by emphasising her desire that all employees, especially those in positions of authority and leadership, “walked the talk” and she provided a telling example suggesting that if an employer or organisation is ostensibly encouraging staff to seek a balance between work and life that it’s not necessarily consistent to send emails at 2am!

Leadership, therefore, seemed to involve everything from clarity of purpose, structure, consistency of behaviour, and even better and more positive induction programs.

Following on from this, but separate enough to warrant its own heading, was the theme of effective and clear communication, especially from management. Although this was indubitably considered an important variable by many, if not most of those who responded to the survey, it was also very clear that the theme of communication extended far beyond just the basics of assertiveness.

Related themes and suggestions touched upon the issue of employees not just being valued as important members of the team and of the organisation but also to being told, frequently and appropriately, that they’re valued.

In addition, when people talked about communication they also referred to a desire to have one’s opinions listened to and taken seriously. For example, one respondent referred to the importance of “listening to staff, really hearing what they say, even if it is not what the manager wants to hear”. This point seemed to me to go towards issues of trust and respect.

Moving along, one of the other dominant themes was that which touched on the importance of “being thanked and appreciated”. Many respondents referred to this in one way or other with specific comments, including a desire to more often see or hear about managers and colleagues openly congratulating and/or “sending emails around about wins or efforts by people” as well as the potential benefits that could be associated with “more frequently acknowledging the little achievements that everyone does each day”.

The fourth theme to emerge from the survey, and I should note these findings are not necessarily presented in order of importance, indirectly and sometimes very directly revealed the number of people who’re increasingly becoming aware of the importance of, and benefits associated, with identifying and more fully utilising the strengths of each and every employee.

Responses referred to the desire to have one’s “skills used more” and the desire to receive more “adequate training leading to the prospect of advancement within the organisation”.

This is entirely consistent with one of the most exciting areas of positive psychology in which problems and deficits are not ignored but – and this is an important but – strengths and qualities and attributes receive a far greater proportion of our attention.

There’s no doubt that the return on investment is far greater when individuals and organisations focus more on utilising strengths, as opposed to just fixing weaknesses.

And finally, there was general agreement that most workplaces would benefit from encouraging and fostering and reinforcing a “more fun and light atmosphere”, one in which there was more “regular use of humour”.

Every respondent, in one way or other, seemed to recognise the relationship between happiness at work and productivity; so this wasn’t a group of people who just wanted to “muck around”. In contrast, those who responded seemed very ambitious and hard working but they also seemed to inherently understand that when employees are having fun, they’re also more energised; when people are happy and enjoying themselves (at least some or most of the time) then they’re more productive and nicer to be around.

So that’s it… the results of my survey are, quite interestingly, remarkably consistent with the findings from science of positive psychology, and reassuringly they’re also very consistent with what we, here at The Happiness Institute, teach people to do each and every day.

Some people out there are already doing it, and that’s great; for others, there’s no reason you can’t aim towards doing more of these things and I can guarantee that if you do… you’ll reap the rewards.

To find out more about our “Happiness @ Work” programs - call 02 9221 3306 or email drhappy@thehappinessinstitute.com

Is now a good time to talk about happiness? With the world on the brink of financial collapse, and people fearing for their jobs, homes and savings, you would imagine politicians might have more pressing issues to worry about.

Even that eternal optimist David “let the sun shine” Cameron has adopted a more sombre tone to match the times.

But with so many political certainties being shredded, perhaps there has never been a better time to take a long, hard look at what we want from our leaders.

To read more about how an appropriate approach utilising positive psychology might be more important than ever during these difficult times - click here

There are numerous studies linking positive emotions to improved health outcomes (Steptoe & Wardle, 2005). Several researchers are speculating that the pathway might be the autonomic nervous system (ANS) (Thayer & Ruiz-Padial, 2006). The ANS is responsible for managing homeostasis in the body. It consists of two major parts – the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) which generally increases the activity of organs within the body (eg increases the heart rate) and the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) which has the opposite effects to the SNS (eg slows the heart rate ). A useful analogy is that the SNS acts like the accelerator on your car and the PNS like the brakes.

To read more from Positive Psychology News Daily - click here

THE global economy appears to be teetering on the brink of collapse and the “D” word is being freely bandied about. The very idea of an economic depression has most people recoiling in horror.

The symbolic power of the word is entrenched in the images we have been fed: grey photos of forlorn and destitute people from the 1930s.

Histories of that era inevitably concentrate on the worst aspects of the disaster. But just how miserable was it really?

To read more from this opinion piece about the relationship between prosperity, the economy and happiness…click here

In Positive Psychology Coaching, “other people matter” has always been a catch-cry since Chris Peterson emphasised the importance of building positive relationships some years ago. Well, at Tufts University a ‘Free Hugs’ campaign underscores importance of social connectedness. To read more - click here

A few Augusts ago, University of Illinois psychologist Edward Diener presented the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association with an impolitic message for its time. Mr. Diener — whose scholarly study of “subjective well-being” (that’s happiness, to you and me) is so well-known in the field that he’s sometimes called Dr. Happy — unveiled research suggesting that unbridled joy is not without its costs.

Although an upbeat outlook is generally correlated with longevity, social acceptance and above-average success, Mr. Diener’s studies also showed that the link between attitude and achievement is hardly a straight-line progression — that beyond a certain point, happiness becomes a detriment. College students who score super-high in happiness seldom have the GPAs to match; the very perkiest adults are usually out-earned by their more even-keel colleagues; and a company filled with nothing but smiling faces runs the risk of playing second fiddle to one staffed with less-upbeat folks.

To read more about Deiner’s approach to positive psychology in the Wall Street Journal - click here

Happiness… it’s something we all want but it’s a state of mind we don’t always get to enjoy. It wasn’t that long ago psychologists were far more focussed on what made their patients depressed, rather than what made them happy. But, in a relatively new and evolving field of research, Positive Psychology is changing all that. Maryanne Demasi reports on the science of happiness.

Check out this ABC program on positive psychology and happiness - click here

By David J. Pollay

Let me check something out with you. Pretend for a moment that your friend, child, spouse, employee, or your boss said to you: “I would like to learn from you. It would mean a lot to me if you would help me.” How would you feel? My bet is that you would feel great: We all like to believe that we have something to offer the people we care about.

People want to help us when we are humble enough to ask for help.

We demonstrate our curiosity when we seek assistance. We telegraph to the world that we are on a search for new ways to do, see, and experience things. Psychologist Todd Kashdan of George Mason University wrote a chapter about the character strength of curiosity in Martin Seligman and Christopher Peterson’s book Character Strengths and Virtues. In it Kashdan reviewed research that showed when people demonstrate curiosity, they learn more, are more engaged at work, and perform better academically. Curiosity leads to better performance. So, this week, let’s ask for help. Here’s our plan:

(1) Think of two important areas in your life in which you could use some ideas, help, or input.

(2) Write down a few questions you could ask people about these two critical areas.

(3) Then identify three people you could approach to ask your questions. Choose a friend, a family member, and a colleague.

(4) Finally, ask your questions. But first tell them why you appreciate them (i.e., their perspective, ideas, expertise, or their knowledge of you), and ask them if they would be willing to share their thoughts with you about something important to you. When they say “yes” – and they always will – then pose your questions to them.

(5) Listen with humility. Write down their answers. And thank them for their insights and their time.

To read the full article at Positive Psychology News Daily - click here

Australian men are happiest when they are having sex or surfing the net, but women prefer to get their endorphins racing by having meals with friends and petting their pooches, according to the 2008 Australian Happiness Index.

Rest, relaxation and entertainment topped the list for both men and women in the index, with quality time with your partner also making the top four for each sex.

But that’s where the similarities end.

To read more about gender differences and happiness - click here

I’m not entirely sure about the validity of this study but the findings are, nevertheless, interesting for those of us interested in happiness and positive psychology…

New Index Reveals What Brings Men, Women Happiness
Posted on: Wednesday, 1 October 2008, 14:00 CDT

According to the new “Happiness Index” study conducted in Australia, both sexes agree on one thing - relaxation brings them the most happiness.

Overall, 8,500 Australians aged 18-64 years were polled on which activities made them the happiest.

In both men and women, 63 percent of overall respondents chose relaxation as the activity that made them the happiest.

Over half of men said happiness involved online activities such as checking up on social networking sites and playing video games, compared with only 39 percent of women.

Meanwhile, fifty-five percent of women chose having meals and spending time together as a family, compared to 45 percent of men.

Women are also more likely than men to have been made happy by their pets.

“Australians are made happy on a week-to-week basis, not by possessions and achievements, but by entertaining experiences and by meaningful interactions with others,” said Karen Phillips, managing director of The Leading Edge, the business consultancy that conducted the survey over a week in August.

“This index gives insight into the way we tick, with the results being useful to Australian businesses who want to better communicate with their customers,” she added.

Forty-eight percent of men said being intimate with another person brought them happiness, compared to 40 percent of women. Also, 38 percent of men said drinking with friends brought them joy, compared to only 28 percent of women.

But Phillips said the survey also debunked several gender stereotypes, finding that shopping for new clothes and shoes made only 30 percent of women happy and that more men and women with children cited sex and romance as making them happy than singles.

“It’s important to not make assumptions but to do your research when utilizing happiness drivers to improve your brand’s performance,” she added.