Does a happiness project actually give a happiness boost?

One key question about my happiness project is: does it work? I’m doing all these things, trying to follow all my resolutions, is it making any difference?

My answer is—absolutely. I absolutely feel happier today than I did a year ago.

But, I have to admit, I recently read about a study that showed that people who participate in psychotherapy, or in programs to lose weight or to stop smoking, often claim a lot of benefit—even though on average they improve only modestly. Apparently when people spend a lot of time, money, and energy on a program, they conclude that they’ve seen a lot of improvement. Memory is a tricky thing.

This may also be related to the "placebo effect"—that is, treatment sometimes works because people expect it will work.

After I read about that study, I thought, “Well, maybe I haven’t had as big a boost in happiness as I think I have.”

When I consider my three prongs of happiness--feeling good, feeling bad, and feeling right--I score higher, lower, and higher. So that seems to prove that I am happier, in some sort of scientific way.

But then I realized: even if I just think I’m happier, isn’t that enough to mean that I am happer? Even apart from the objective changes that make my life “better” whether or not they bring me happiness day to day—weight-training, tidier apartment, less nagging and yelling, etc.

Comments

[Helen]

Any chance you have a link to that study or even a reference?

[sha]

I think you've gotten to the crux of it all. I believe anybody is happier if they want to be, and are aware of trying to be.
"For there is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so" (Shakespeare - Hamlet).
Truer words never spoken.

[sharyn]

sorry - that post above was "sharyn" - I cut off my second syllable!

[Able Mart]

I'm happier for reading this blog. I took a tip from one of your earlier posts and bought some magazines I don't usually read so I know a little more about bead jewelry :)

[Jennifer]

It sounds like you truly are happier. It seems like the placebo effect wouldn't be too powerful there.

On a related note, I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on happiness vs. peace. I've noticed recently that many of the major religions seem to aim for internal peace moreso than happiness, and have been thinking about that quite a bit. Though the two overlap quite a bit, they are rather different, and I can't decide which one is better to pursue.

[Matthew]

An interesting question might be whether it matters that this is a HAPPINESS project, rather than some other project that you could have spent just as much time, energy, and concentration on...(is the self-conscious pursuit of happiness more successful than the pursuit of something else that leads to happiness?)

[Ben Casnocha]

Yes, if you think you're happier, you probably are.

See: http://ben.casnocha.com/2006/05/the_joy_of_delu.html

[Andrew Ward]

Gretchen - I read today's update with interest. Certainly happiness is all about whether you feel happy - and whether that's in some way influenced by the fact that you're trying to feel happy is irrelevant.

However, what I think you're missing here is the fact that your memory of your happiness levels a year ago may be faulty. I've heard that our memory for pain levels is very poor (hence women have multiple children!), and maybe our memory for happiness levels is also poor.

To be more scientific you could have recorded your happiness (maybe using the three prongs you mention) on a scale of 1-10 every day for a month at the beginning of the project, and then again every day for a month now.

That would give you a pretty good picture of how happy you felt a year ago, versus how happy you feel now - without any danger that you're forgetting how happy/sad you were a year ago.

[Doc_Hassen]

I expect that you are objectively no happier than you were a year ago. However, it is your perception that counts above all. Believe yourself happy and you are!

For me, the principal benefit of your project is as a reminder that one can CHOOSE to be happy.

[kstyle]

This is one of those "complicated but simple dilemas". You are happier, yes. That is the simple answer and true for you. Then there are the myriad of complicating factors which have been mentionned above. But then after reading all of those I still come back to the simple truth which is that you are happier. Maybe that is enough. k

[Marc Moss]

Interesting that you make this post today, when the British online newspaper the Independent has posted a story about the happiest man in the world. You are working at developing happiness, which, according to the happiest man in the world, is a skill which needs to be developed and honed.

Read the article here: http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/article2171679.ece

[Alex Fayle]

One of Malcolm Gladwell's books (can't remember which one) talks about a study that showed how if you force yourself to smile, you will physically improve your mood (chemicals, hormones, etc).

While (unsuccessfully) surfing for this info, I came across a whole bunch of great articles. Here's one I really liked from the Stress Institute (tinyurled for this comment). For the whole list Google: physical smile produces happiness

http://tinyurl.com/2q4w97

[Jude]

I do have an objective measure of my happiness. I took the tests at the Authentic Happiness website when it first started. At that time, I was in the middle of a major clinical depression. I ended up being among the 5% least happy of everyone measured by the test at that time. Another measurement would be the Beck Depression Inventory. In the old days, my highest score on that would have been a 17. When I was suicidally depressed, it was more like a 7. Last year, after years of redesigning my life, I scored a 32. I never thought that would be possible. Happiness can be measured.

[Tim Taylor]

I love the idea of focusing on something and the universe will return it exponentially. It works with happiness without question.

I find it works tremendous with gratitude. When I'm grateful for something it invariably expands in my life.

[Jessi]

"For me, the principal benefit of your project is as a reminder that one can CHOOSE to be happy."

I couldn't agree more! And not just choosing once, but deciding repeatedly to be happy. I think that's at least as important as strategizing HOW to be happy.

[Laura]

I resonate with the idea of making a personal choice to be happy, pursue positive activities and live consciously.
By choosing to be happy, I think you take control over the negative patterns, habits and addictive emotions that can rule your life.

Perhaps there is an element of 'placebo' wherein you feel you have made huge progress when in fact it is only moderate. But as you said- if you think and feel you are happier then you are!