Positive Psychology | Live Happy

Put Happiness on the Calendar

With so much time and research devoted to what it takes to be happy, it would seem that pursuing happiness should be easier than ever. After all, there are books, movies, podcasts, TED Talks and websites (even this magazine!) devoted to exploring the many roads to happiness. Despite that, not everyone is finding the happiness they desperately want. Planning makes perfect The good news is, the solution may all be a matter of planning. “Pursuing positivity is a delicate art,” Barbara Fredrickson, Ph.D., told attendees of the International Positive Psychology Association’s Fourth World Congress in June. Barbara, a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill professor, added that with the increasing popularity in positive psychology, more people are becoming interested in the benefits of happiness but are also judging themselves for not being as happy as they should be. The 'dark side' of happiness A 2011 study led by Iris Mauss, Ph.D., at the University of California, Berkeley, showed that people who “value happiness to the extreme” are more prone to loneliness. And more studies are emerging about the so-called dark side of happiness, in which people are putting so much pressure on themselves to be happy that they’re actually feeling pretty miserable about it. Studies show that trying to be happier can actually make people feel worse. “People are…so worried about how they feel that they are missing opportunities to feel good,” Barbara says. But a study she co-authored with Lahnna I. Catalino, Ph.D., of the University of California, San Francisco and Sara B. Algoe, Ph.D., of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found that perhaps the key lies in a subtle change. Make happiness a priority The study, “Prioritizing Positivity: An Effective Approach to Pursuing Happiness?”, was published in the December 2014 issue of the journal Emotion. Barbara and her colleagues found that people who make happiness a priority, and who build their lives around activities that are designed to increase their well-being, are much more satisfied than those who merely value happiness as an end goal. “Valuing happiness to an extreme oftentimes [views] happiness as a goal to be achieved, whereas in prioritizing positivity, the emotional goods are a byproduct of the behavior,” she says. Valuing vs. prioritizing The difference, Barbara says, is in our daily mindset and approach. The person who values happiness as an end goal is more likely to set unrealistic expectations about achieving happiness, research shows. That can include creating high-pressure thought processes such as “I ought to be doing better” or “I would probably be happier if.…” Her work shows that people who prioritize positivity may have more realistic and reachable visions of what happiness looks like for them. They constantly look for ways to nurture their positive emotions and structure free time around events and activities that make them happy and make major decisions—such as what job they choose or the home they buy—based on how that decision will influence their positive emotions. Prioritizing positivity is about following what’s good, and leaning in toward it. It’s about constantly making a choice to have a positive experience.” When happiness is seen as our ultimate goal, she says, we create too many ways to fall short. “It creates the idea that happiness is an achievement at which you’re potentially failing, versus seeing these micro-moments of each day as building blocks,” she explains. “When you think about happiness in terms of smaller building blocks, you get more chances to succeed and more chances to forgive yourself when you don’t.” Change your mind, change your life Barbara says the shift from valuing happiness to prioritizing it requires little more than changing our mindset. “That’s the lever that will jumpstart the emotional attitude,” she says. Too often, we learn what we should do, and then we fail to move that knowledge out of our heads and put it into action. Choosing a mindset that appreciates the little triumphs and moments of happiness as they occur can bring about dramatic and lasting changes. Give yourself a sense of control Barbara recommends we start looking at how our day-to-day actions line us up for happiness or failure. “You can regulate by planning, by setting up situations that are going to contribute to your happiness,” she says. “That gives you more of a sense of a control over your happiness instead of responding to the situations that are happening to you every day and then analyzing if those events or circumstances are making you happy. When you do that, you potentially have the grace to just experience that situation as it occurs.” Paula Felps is the Science Editor for Live Happy.

Positive Psychology

Positive Psychology Fans Gather for Conference

Positive psychology scholars, students and practitioners will review the field's latest research and science-based applications at the Fourth World Congress of the International Positive Psychology Association on June 25-28, in Florida. Biggest names in the field Martin Seligman, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania professor known as the father of positive psychology, and Tal Ben-Shahar, Ph.D., Harvard University happiness professor, will open the conference at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, Lake Buena Vista, with talks about the cutting edge in research and teaching. Other featured presenters among dozens invited include Rollin McCraty, Ph.D., research director at the HeartMath Institute in Boulder Creek, California, on heart-brain dynamics, and Barbara Fredrickson, Ph.D., University of North Carolina professor and author of Love 2.0, on "Positivity Resonates." A range of discussions Conference session topics range from eudaimonic well‐being to the effects and global reach of positive psychology. "You will be able to tap into the intellectual energy of a thriving global community," says congress chair Kim Cameron, Ph.D., a University of Michigan professor. The conference offers networking events such as special-interest group lunches and receptions, he says. You can click here to peruse the programor register online. The conference fee is $800 for professionals, $325 for students. Discounts are available for International Positive Psychology Association members. Live Happy in action If you come, look for Live Happy COO Deborah Heisz and Science Editor Paula Felps; they will be speaking on two separate panels. We will also have a Happiness Wall and a Live Happy Booth. See you there! Jim Gold is a veteran journalist who splits his time between Seattle and the Bay Area.

Positive Psychology

Does Reading Fiction Make Us Nicer?

For lovers of fiction, reading is often an escape. It’s a chance to get outside of our own heads and move into someone else’s personal experience. We don’t just follow Scarlett O’Hara as she takes down her drapes to create a new dress and the façade of wealth, we identify with her pride and feel her determination in the pits of our stomachs. We empathize with her character.The empathetic leapThat heightened emotional connection moves beyond the page and into our real lives, according to social scientists at the New School in New York City. People who read literary fiction before a test to identify emotions in other people’s faces did better than subjects who read non-fiction or popular fiction, the researchers stated in a study published in the scientific journal Science.David Comer Kidd, who did the research, said this was likely because people reading literary fiction had to fill in gaps about the emotional content of characters in the stories.Theory of MindFiction is an exercise in what psychologists call Theory of Mind. This is our ability to understand other people’s emotions and reasoning and realize that they are different from our own. When we read fiction we understand what the characters know, how they are feeling at various points in the story, and what about their experiences are causing them to feel that way.“When you tell people to pay attention to other people’s subjective experiences, they do better at identifying emotions in other people,” Kidd said. Fiction is a shortcut to getting people to pay attention.Putting yourself in someone else’s shoesEmpathy is another way to think about Theory of Mind, but instead of just identifying emotions in others, we also feel a little bit of that emotion or a related one.Although one might think we use Theory of Mind constantly in our daily interactions, Kidd said that many of our social experiences are basically scripted by manners and social norms. We don’t need to recruit our knowledge of other people’s emotions to buy a jug of milk at the store, for example, or respond to most professional email.But in some circumstances it’s very important to consider what other people are thinking and feeling, especially when making decisions about morality and our deep personal relationships.“Theory of Mind plays a big role when we’re trying to decide if an action is going to hurt someone else’s feelings or if we’re trying to figure out why someone has hurt our feelings,” Kidd said. “Was that person trying to be a jerk, or was something else going on with them?”Fiction increases emotional intelligenceLiterary fiction probably increases people’s capacity for understanding what other people are thinking because there are gaps both in the story’s narrative and in the characters' emotional lives compared to non-fiction or some popular fiction, which is more explicit in laying out characters emotional life. You have to work harder to fill in those gaps yourself.Story lines force us to be active in our empathyKidd and his colleagues are working to home in on the specific qualities of a story, play or film that forces us to use our Theory of Mind and boosts our empathetic capabilities.“It seems like what really matters is an active versus passive approach,” Kidd said.Other research has shown that people who read fiction feel more socially connected and have larger social support systems than those who don’t, challenging the idea of the lonely bookworm. Increased empathy may be a cognitive and emotional link between fiction and social interactions.Read more about the social importance of book clubs.But, Kidd cautions, this does not mean that people who don’t read literary fiction have little empathy or are interpersonally deficient. Rather, that reading fiction can nudge one’s empathetic capability to be more active.So the next time you find yourself in a tricky interpersonal situation, it might be worth thinking through the point of view of others as if they were characters in your favorite novel before deciding on a course of action.What would Elizabeth Bennet do?Meredith Knight is a freelance science writer based in Austin, Texas.

Positive Psychology

Character and Well-Being

Sir Anthony Seldon is often described as Britain’s best-known schoolmaster. He’s a pioneer in education, biographer to three prime ministers, an author or editor of more than two dozen books and a knight of the realm. He’s also witty in a disarmingly quirky way. Answering the phone he asks, “Is this Michelle Obama?” “Sir Seldon, I’m calling with Live Happy magazine,” I say. “Oh. Mrs. Obama is the only American I know. But please do call me Anthony,” he responds. His light-hearted tone quickly turns more serious when the topic turns to his hopes for the newly organized International Positive Education Network (IPEN), which he leads as president. A new way of looking at education “I think the world over, we are seeing schools and colleges which are squandering the potential for the development of young people—of their characters, their personalities, their humanness—because they are saying the only thing that matters is the passing of exams and tests, and this is at best a shame and at worst a disaster and travesty,” Anthony says from his office at Wellington College in Berkshire, where he serves as headmaster. “It’s also based on a complete failure to understand that it isn’t a case of either teaching for tests or teaching for personal growth and happiness; if you teach for happiness and growth and character, you’ll get better exam results because you’ll be developing their intrinsic motivations rather than extrinsic motivations. They’ll want to learn and flourish because of their own inner wishes rather than the fear of the teacher or of punishment. The development of character “So it couldn’t be more important that IPEN is active across the world because we have to fight this cruel ideology, which is subverting lives of young people, allegedly in their interest, but actually in the interest of governments, which are petrified of their countries doing badly [in terms of student test scores],” he says. “Aristotle made it very clear: Education is about the development of character and character strengths, as well as scholastic education.” IPEN’s goals are to support collaboration to promote positive education, change education practice and reform government policy. Check out IPEN's list of favorite books about character and positive education. An illustrious career Anthony, who holds a doctorate as well as the titles of fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and of the Royal Historical Society, has written biographies of prime ministers John Major, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. His latest book, Beyond Happiness: The Trap of Happiness and How to Find Deeper Meaning and Joy, published in March by Yellow Kite, aims to help readers achieve “inner transformation,” he says. “Many people get by, but they don’t live life that is nearly as profound, meaningful, engaged, satisfying, human or indeed spiritual as it could be. And the book is trying to show people how to do that, based on my own experience.” Anthony, who plans to leave Wellington next year after a decade as headmaster, remembers a parent asking him early in his tenure what he most wanted for students. “I want them to be happy,” he responded. He introduced happiness and well-being courses the same year. Since then, Wellington has become the most improved school in Britain. Its ranking among the roughly 3,000 schools in the nation has improved from 256th to 21st, based on scores on exams students take when they leave school at age 18. Getting with the program The program encompasses physical health, positive relationships, perspective (or building a “psychological immune system”), engagement in the things one does, living sustainably in the world, and finding meaning and purpose. Wellington also offers very popular courses for parents, with topics that have included managing anxiety, active and constructive responding, and “the magical state of engagement,” Anthony says. An education in happiness Instruction in happiness and well-being can benefit children of all ages, as well as adults, agrees James O’Shaughnessy, who heads the IPEN steering committee and is the founder of the not-for-profit Floreat Education, which aims to help children flourish through character development and academic achievement. James says positive education isn’t new, and it is being offered in various forms and places around the world. There’s no single best approach, but it is important to bring together and present the different voices and perspectives, which is where IPEN comes in. What will success look like for IPEN? “We joke that we won’t settle for anything less than world domination,” James says. Anthony’s hopes are no less lofty, and this time, he’s not joking. “If people at every school, college and home start living lives which are more holistic, harmonious and happy, then I think at that point, IPEN can close down because we’ve done our job.”

Positive Psychology

The Power of Passion

I can't live If living is without you I can't live I can't give anymore —"Without You" I remember the first time I heard these lyrics, sung by Mariah Carey—a cover of adesperately emotional ballad that equates intense longing with an ideal form of romantic passion. From Billboard music charts to blockbuster films, popular culture perpetuates this notion that true love is an uncontrollable feeling of being “swept away.” Though this kind of unbridled passion has an enormous appeal, both in popular culture and in life, “it can be harmful to our well-being and relationships,” says Robert (Bob) Vallerand, Ph.D., past president of the Canadian Psychological Association and the International Positive Psychology Association. In his new book, The Psychology of Passion,the social psychologist reports an all-consuming or "obsessive passion" is associated with not trusting one's partner. Those who are obsessively passionate toward their lovers are insecure and preoccupied with protecting their egos rather than being attuned to their partners, he says. They tend to be defensive, controlling and have to win all the time. Not exactly the stuff of Prince Charming. Obsessive passion is as detrimental to a relationship as having no passion at all. In fact, women in relationships with obsessively passionate men reported feeling less satisfied sexually and overall, Bob says, despite what popular culture would have you think. Of course, in the throes of early romance we may feel distracted and focus on our partners at the exclusion of everything else. We might while away time daydreaming at our desks instead of drafting those important memos, or mentally replaying every word from our most recent conversations. And we feel butterflies in our stomachs just thinking of our partners. What would life be without these exhilarating experiences? It's healthy to savor these moments. However, problems arise when we are stuck at this stage and don't develop. Our relationship stagnates and often falls apart, research finds. Cultivating a healthy passion Relationships with a "healthy," or what Bob calls a "harmonious passion," are those in which we are in control of our emotions. We retain our identity, maintain balance, experience greater intimacy, and handle conflict better—all of which leads to a more mature relationship, according to Bob’s research. Fortunately, we can learn to cultivate harmonious passion. Instead of losing yourself in a new relationship, maintain the friends and interests you had before the relationship began. It’s tempting to dive into a new love and forget about everything else in your life, but certainly not healthy for your sense of identity. And when the intensity of an early love dissipates (or disappears), you’ll need the rest of your life to fall back on! In order to maintain your identity, reflect upon your unique strengths and interests, Bob says. Find something you both enjoy and share it with your partner. Research shows that engaging in exciting activities together increases attraction. And of course, you should try to avoid serious competition, which may be destructive to the relationship, Bob says. The point is to have fun together, not to win. So, if you’re a chess wizard or your partner is a competitive swimmer, you might want to avoid those activities. This is about connecting, not winning! Finally, find time to share something good that you experience with your partner every day. This is another simple way to build a healthy passion, Bob says. And when it comes to those dramatic love songs, perhaps you can look to them for entertainment, not emulation. Suzann Pileggi Pawelski is a freelance writer specializing in the science of happiness and its effects on relationships and health. She and her husband James Pawelski will present their "Romance and Research" workshop at the 3rd Congress: Spaces of Thought and Action in Psychology in Graz, Austria, as well as at IPPA's 4th World Congressin Orlando, Florida.

Positive Psychology

Want to Feel Happier?

Boosting your happiness is hard work. If you’re not careful, you can fall back into that negativity slump. Sharpening happiness skills takes practice, as does anything you want to do well. Happify.com is committed to spotting you on your wellbeing workout, and their support is backed by science.The latest research from positive psychology is delivered to you on their app and website (my.happify.com). Once you start your happiness track, each day you can participate in fun and easy-to-follow activities, like taking Savor Quest or relaxing for a few minutes in a Serenity Scene. Read inspiring stories, encourage others in the Happify community and explore different tracks to stay on course to living the good life.

Positive Psychology

8 Happiness Gurus You Need to Know About

“Happiness gurus” are seemingly everywhere these days, popping up in TED Talks, yoga retreats, and in magazines and websites proclaiming to hold the keys to a happier, more peaceful life. It’s easy to forget that this figure of the sage or visionary has been around in one form or another since the beginnings of civilization. Here are eight great exemplars from history. Siddhartha Guatama Born in Northern India in the 5th century BCE, Siddhartha Guatama (aka Buddha), would have recognized the term "guru,” an ancient Sanskrit word meaning “teacher.” Teaching happiness was his business. By embracing the "four noble truths" and setting out along the noble eight-fold path to wisdom, men and women, he assured, could indeed achieve happiness. Contemporary scientists and positive psychologists often refer to Buddhist techniques of mindfulness and meditation as a highly effective means to happiness. With as many as 500 million followers in the world today, this is one guru whose message has stood the test of time. Epicurus This Greek wise man established one of the world’s first communes, popularly known as “the garden,” in ancient Athens toward the end of the 4th century BCE. A philosopher by training, he considered himself a “doctor of the soul,” who aimed to cure his disciples of the sickness of unhappiness. Epicurus counseled the cultivation of pleasure, but of the simple kind. What human beings needed to be happy, if their souls were healthy, according to Epicurus, was surprisingly little. Jesus This carpenter of Nazareth sometimes gets a bad rap as the “man of sorrows.” But his message to his disciples was clearly one of joy. “Rejoice and be glad,” Jesus commanded as part of his Gospel (ancient Greek for good news). He also counseled charity, hope, and forgiveness, which correlate well, modern researchers affirm, with happiness, as does faith itself. St. Francis of Assisi The time of the Middle Ages in Europe was rife with wandering mystics, ascetics and saints. Contrary to later stereotypes, not everyone lived darkly in a “dark ages.” Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone (beatified as St. Francis in 1228, two years after his death) is a case in point. St. Francis left his prosperous merchant family to live and preach among the poor in Central Italy. He took the Christian command to “rejoice” seriously, noting that “It is not right for the servant of God to show sadness and a dismal face.” He spread joy through the cultivation of love for all of God’s creatures—famously, even preaching to the animals. Israel ben Eliezer (Baal Shem Tov) Jesus may be the most widely known Jewish guru, but the Rabbi Israel ben Eliezer—known as the Baal Shem Tov, the “master of the good name”—is beloved to this day by many Jews. The founder of the Hasidic movement, he was a healer, mystic and teacher who hailed from 18th-century Poland, and taught God’s presence in all things. Since life and the world were God’s gifts, we should embrace them optimistically, he counseled. There was no better way to do that, he urged, than by finding happiness. Jeremy Bentham The modern positive psychologist Jonathan Haidt has speculated in print whether Jeremy Bentham was autistic. He certainly wasn’t a charismatic man; he had few friends, never married, and described himself as a “hermit.” Yet however socially ill-at-ease, this reformer and legal theorist of 18th-century Britain generated a huge following of those, like himself, who aimed to maximize “the greatest happiness for the greatest number” (Bentham’s phrase) through legislation and statecraft. His concept of "Utilitarianism" continues to motivate (or haunt) leading happiness researchers today, such as the British economist Lord Richard Layard who describes himself as a Benthamite, proving that you don’t have to make friends to influence people. Karl Marx Karl Marx is admittedly an unlikely happiness guru. When asked, in a parlor game, to give his own definition of the word, he responded militantly: “Happiness: to fight.” Nor did his theories prove in the end very effective at fostering human happiness. Arguably they did just the opposite, at tremendous human cost. Former communist countries, social scientists report, display dismal levels of self-reported happiness. And yet, for all that, Marx’s avowed goal was to usher in “real happiness,” and hundreds of millions followed him in the effort. It is a useful reminder that not all happiness gurus get it right. Merwan Sheriar Irani (“Meher Baba”) By the 1960s, the counterculture in the U.S. and England had fully embraced Eastern religions and customs as the peaceful, mindful antidote to the ills of Western Society. India was the primary font of happiness gurus, sending scores of swamis and yogis out into the world (and bringing even more seekers to India to seek the answers). The Beatles and the Beach Boys fell under the spell of the transcendental meditation of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, while Pete Townsend and the Who were drawn, like many others, to the teachings of Meher Baba, who made numerous trips to Europe and the United States in the 1950s and 1960s. Despite taking (and keeping) a vow of silence for the last 40 years of his life, Meher Baba touched many with his signature message, “Don’t worry, Be Happy.” Sometimes, that’s all a guru needs to say…. Darrin McMahon is a professor of history at Dartmouth College. He is the author of Happiness: A History, and Divine Fury: A History of Genius.

Positive Psychology

The Truth Behind 3 Happiness Myths

Myth: Achieving goalsleads to all-but-inevitablehappiness. Truth: Happinessshouldn’t hang onachievement—happinessshould encourageachievement. “If happiness and positivity are created first,then the chances of achieving desirable goalsare significantly enhanced,” says Tim Sharp,Ph.D., of The Happiness Institute in Australia.This allows us to experience the “wonders ofpositive emotions before, during and aftersuccess, rather than just after,” he says. Myth: Realized dreamsequate to happiness. Truth: Dreams serve asthe motivation to continuepursuing happiness. “You can use that experience [of pursuing yourdreams] as the building block for a new future,” saysLaura King, Ph.D., professor of psychological sciences at the University of Missouri Columbia andeditor of the Journal of Personality and SocialPsychology. “You acknowledge that that dream may not come true, but start thinking, ‘What skills did Igain from that experience that I can use in someother way?’ The great challenge is to move that joy to a new context….If you will invest in a new futurewith that same optimism, everything that happensinside that new life is much richer. It puts a differentcontext on your current experiences. And that lifethat you thought of as your second choice oftenturns out to be amazing.” Myth: I'll be happy if I marry the right person. Truth: True happiness isn’t determined bysociety; true happiness is personal. “Marrying the perfect person is not the answer to true happiness,” says Stacy Kaiser,a Live Happy columnist, best-selling author, psychotherapist and relationship expert. “Rather, the cliché that happiness comes from within is actually true: Happinesscomes from feeling emotionally, psychologically and spiritually satisfied andsupported in the life you’re living. It comes from feeling fulfilled, productive, caredfor, safe and secure, no matter if you’re single or you’re married.”

Positive Psychology

Discover Your Genius

In May 2012, Shawn was invited by the royal family in Abu Dhabi to give a talk. He was so excited about the opportunity to go dune-bashing in all-terrain vehicles and ride camels that when it came time for his lecture about how to change realities for women in the Middle East, he wasn't thinking straight.As he usually does, he kicked off the talk by partnering people up and having one person try to control his or her face to show no emotion for seven seconds. Then Shawn had the other person smile warmly and genuinelydirectly into the eyes of the first person. (Trust us, this is more difficult than it sounds.) It wasn't until midway through that he realized his mistake: Half the people in the room were wearing veils.Smiling through the veilIf Shawn had thought about this, he might not have tried the experiment. But, incredibly, the experiment still worked. The women in the audience said they could see the smiles in their partners' eyes. Even behind the veil, these unseen smiles were contagious.The point we want to make is that no matter what seemingly insurmountable barrier is in our lives, we can create a positive reality. In fact, sometimes the greatest opportunities to do this are the ones that are slightly hidden.Tap into the unconscious mindAccordingly to Yale psychologist Scott Kaufman, the unconscious portion of your brain works on problems using different processes than your conscious brain. And as Adam Galinskyfrom Columbia Business School explains, "Conscious thought is better at making linear, analytic decisions, but unconscious thought is especially effective at solving complex problems. Unconscious activation may provide inspirational sparks underlying the 'aha' moment that eventually leads to important discoveries."But the key to unlocking these unconscious processes is taking time to not think about your challenge or problem. In other words, to engage all our brains and achieve those "aha moments," sometimes we need to shut a portion of our brains off and stop working.That's because once you have fully embraced and built a positive reality, that reality becomes embedded deep in your unconscious brain processes. Thus the skills of positive intelligence can become second nature, allowing you to harness all your intelligence without consciously trying, or even being consciously aware of it.Use the unconscious to think differentlySo, what problems and obstacles are you trying to solve in your life? How are you going about solving them?Instead of beating your head against a wall or spending 80 hours a week thinking about these problems, just stop. Take a break for a week or two, and work on other parts of your life. Play a musical instrument, read a fiction book, look at old vacation photos--whatever it is, do something that will engage your brain and keep it from consciously thinking about your problems.Take a few moments from your daily stream of life and let your unconscious take over.You may also consider planning a mini-vacation each week. It doesn't have to be long--15 to 30 minutes will work as long as you're doing something out of the ordinary that allows your conscious brain to refocus and your unconscious brain to start being creative. Have fun with this: Go sit in a coffee shop to journal, go to an art museum, take a yoga class, go fishing. We're not encouraging you to retreat from your problems or turn a blind eye to them, but to instead let the creative part of your brain help you build much more powerful positive realities.Find a new solution to old problemsThe greater the complexity of your problem, the greater the need for a positive reality that transcends consciousness. Success on a massive scale requires a reality in which, even if our conscious minds can't see a solution, our unconscious minds know one is possible.Many brilliant people never feel this kind of inspiration that leads to life-changing discoveries or achievements because they never let their unconscious brains work. So, take a break from the ordinary and let your unconscious get to work--it could just lead to the answer you've been searching for.Shawn Achor, author ofThe Happiness Advantageand the newly releasedBefore Happiness, is one of the world's leading experts on human potential. Shawn is the winner of more than a dozen distinguished teaching awards at Harvard University, where he delivered lectures on positive psychology.Michelle Gielanis an expert on the science of positive communication and how to use it to fuel success. She works withFortune500 companies and schools to raise employee engagement, productivity and happiness at work. She formerly served as the anchor of two national newscasts at CBS News.Together, Shawn and Michelle createdGoodThink, a positive psychology consulting firm.

Woman listening to music on her headphones.

Positive Psychology

What Is Your Healing Rhythm?

Whether your musical preference is Igor Stravinsky or Iggy Azalea, listening to your favorite artist might be doing more good than you realize. Presenters at the Music & Medicine Conference in Cincinnati on Sept. 19, 2014, said they’ve discovered that when it comes to tuning in, our personal music choices are much more powerful than most of us realize. Music involves every part of the brain Dr. Richard Fratianne, founder and director of the burn unit at Cleveland’s MetroHealth Medical Center, explained that music is effective for healing both physically and emotionally because it engages all three areas of the brain. Music captures the attention of the reptilian brain, which controls vital body functions; the limbic brain, which handles memories and emotions; and the neocortex, the center for language, imagination and consciousness. As its healing powers have become more widely understood, the medical world has implemented music therapy in clinical settings.Fratianne was one of the pioneers who used music to ease the suffering of burn patients and spearheaded research that demonstrated listening to music during painful treatments can reduce suffering and anxiety. Through the years, research has repeatedly shown that music has a powerful effect on everything from pulse and heart rates to the amount of cortisol being released in our bodies, butwhat surprised Fratianne most is realizing that no individual piece of music affects us all in the same way. This time, it’s personal While it has been widely believed that listening to gentle or “easy listening” music can help us relax, Fratianne also studied the effect of “patient preferred” music on his subjects. “We found that the reduction of pain and anxiety is most significant with patient-preferred music,” he says. Regardless of the type of music patients listened to, they had better outcomes when they chose the music themselves—even if that meant listening to such unlikely genres as rap and metal which are not generally considered to be tools for soothing the mind and promoting healing. Similar discoveries were made by Dr. Stephen Feagins, an internal medicine specialist at Mercy Anderson Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio. While researching ways to use music to promote recovery from sports injuries and concussions, he was surprised to learn it wasn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. “We went searching for the best kind of music to use, but it turns out it was a lot more complicated than we knew. Everyone’s different. Everybody has a certain rhythm that works for them.” Like Fratianne, Feagins’ research showed that the effectiveness of music in facilitating patient healing didn’t depend on the beat, the rhythm or the melody; it was the patient’s personal feelings about the music that mattered. “We found that in every injury except concussion, music helps with the healing process,” Feagins reported, “but with a concussion, the only music that makes it better is a familiar playlist.” The beat of your own drum Of course, you don’t have to be a patient on the mend to benefit from the beat; healers like Fratianne and Feagins believe that such findings have implications outside the clinical setting and that we can all learn from these findings. Listening to music you connect with, instead of tuning in to another’s preference, may help you solve problems, improve performance at work and boost your happiness. Feagins points to the fact that even though workout centers invariably have their own music pumping through the sound system, most people prefer to bring their own music to listen to as they exercise. “Everybody has a certain rhythm that works for them,” says Feagins, “there’s a type of music that calms you, that motivates you, that makes you happy. You just have to find what rhythm works for you.”

Put Happiness on the Calendar

Positive Psychology Fans Gather for Conference

Does Reading Fiction Make Us Nicer?

Character and Well-Being

The Power of Passion

Want to Feel Happier?

8 Happiness Gurus You Need to Know About

The Truth Behind 3 Happiness Myths

Discover Your Genius

What Is Your Healing Rhythm?

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