Should we concern ourselves with our (students ) happiness?

Transcription

1 Should we concern ourselves with our (students ) happiness? Dr Tony Fernando a.fernando@auckland.ac.nz Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences University of Auckland

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3 What makes you happy? Feeling secure, content, loved Best you can be Cuddling while watching mindless reality TV show All Blacks winning Money! Money! Money! Smoky, flavourful Char Kuey Tiaw Nice family lunch Bach solo cello suites When students excel Patients improve Giving food to the homeless and being appreciated back

4 CIRCUITRIES FOR HAPPINESS 1) Calm- GABA, serotonin, opiates 2) Excitement/ Drive- dopamine, cortisol 3) Contentment and Connection- oxytocin, serotonin

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11 SLEEP STUDY OF NZ SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS (N=1388) Sleep Difficulties 517 (37.2%) Depression 267 (19.2%) Anxiety 231 (16.6%) Alcohol Problem 63 (4.5%) Drugs 28 (2%) Delayed Sleep Phase 69 (5%) Sleep walkers/ talkers 48 (3.5%)

12 MEDICAL AND NURSING STUDENTS (N= 745) DEPRESSION 12.8% ANXIETY 12.8% (Females, Nursing) ALCOHOL 14% (Maori, PI) DRUGS 8.2% SUICIDAL THOUGHTS 6.4%

13 POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY Journey Definition Key people Martin Seligman, Barbara Frederickson, Sonja Lyubomirksy, Ed Diener Richard Davidson

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15 What motivates us? Why are you in your profession? Why did you marry? Or not marry? Why are you in this conference? Why Queenstown? We do things because we just want to be happy (avoid pain/ suffering)

16 TRAPS IN OUR SEARCH FOR HAPPINESS Focus on fragile external conditions (appearance, status, possessions) Expectations*** Habituation and Pleasure Treadmill Money- how much do we need to be happy? Emotions***

17 EMOTIONS/ FEELING STATES Facts: 1. Extremely powerful Marriage, homicide, never ending wars 2. In constant flux Can be relatively even, very reactive or totally dysregulated/ chaotic

18 EMOTIONS/ FEELINGS STATES Positive Emotions Fleeting Not sticky; easily forgotten Negative Emotions Very powerful stick like tar; negativity bias Being negative, a bit%# is not fun for us AND makes everyone else feel bad

19 POSITIVITY RATIO (B. FREDERICKSON) Positive emotional states Negative emotional states State of flourishing 3:1(2.9013:1)

20 POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY INTERVENTIONS Gratitude Kindness and Compassion Mindfulness, living in the moment Religion and Spirituality Dealing with negative thinking

21 Better coping strategies Flow experiences Committing to goals Physical exercise Optimism Identifying and applying strengths

22 there s too many choices!

23 CULTIVATION OF POSITIVE MIND STATES Gratitude Mindfulness Kindness and Compassion Self compassion

24 GRATITUDE Turbo charger of happiness scores Easiest, most do-able Most popular

25 GRATITUDE EXERCISES 1) Gratitude diary at night for 6-8 weeks; 3-5 things; once a week versus nightly 2) Real-time gratitude diary 3) Gratitude letters 4) Writing versus Thinking Antidote to: habituation, negative emotions, rivalry

26 MINDFULNESS Mindfulness Continuous awareness of the present moment, accepting and without judgment Development of mind s eye Not HIJACKED by negative thoughts/ emotions/ judgments Emotional fitness Enhanced through practice of Mindfulness Meditation- formal and informal 2 components of the practice: Attention Emotional Regulation

27 MINDFULNESS MEDITATION Psychological Benefits Physical Benefits Cellular Benefits

28 MINDFULNESS MEDITATION Can be applied in most activities- eating, walking from carpark to office, washing the dishes, folding clothes Practice, practice, practice Not different from trying to be physically fit Antidote: Expectations, negative emotions, habituation Foundation for Kindness, Compassion and Connection

29 MINDFULNESS MEDITATION Iphone App: Mindfulness Mentalworkout Free online meditation guide: calm.auckland.ac.nz Auckland U: Auckland Hospital Support Building, Thursday evenings 5:30 PM, room 80, Level 12 facebook page: Auckland University Meditation Group Many groups around Auckland

30 KINDNESS, COMPASSION, CONNECTION Evolved capacity

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32 KINDNESS, COMPASSION AND CONNECTION Desire to connect Desire to be accepted Desire to alleviate other s suffering

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34 KINDNESS, COMPASSION AND CONNECTION Important and Expected But it s hard...

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36 KINDNESS, COMPASSION AND CONNECTION From most religious traditions: Golden rule if you want to be happy, practice compassion true happiness consists in making others happy

37 KINDNESS, COMPASSION AND CONNECTION How can you develop genuine kindness? See everyone else ( even other creatures) as similar to you Truly understand the other person from other perspectives So should we be all doormats? Mental Exercises to increase compassion: calm.auckland.ac.nz (guided meditations)

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39 Warning about next slide!!!! Explicit, bloody photographs

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41 SELF COMPASSION

42 EDUCATIONAL FOCUS? Apart from cognitive development How much are we encouraging circuitries for gratitude? calm? connection? kindness and compassion? self compassion? Or perfectionism? Ruthless competitiveness? Achievement at all costs?

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44 WHEN PURSUING HAPPINESS BACKFIRES (FORD AND MAUSS) - Setting high standards for happiness - Constant search for happiness - Constant monitoring of happiness levels - Prescription: - Focus on the practices that promote positive emotions - Non attachment to the outcome (manage your expectation!)

45 BOTTOM LINE You can be smart in your search for happiness. Understand the mechanisms of happiness in the brain. Be careful of traps. Invest your resources in proven stocks. gratitude living in the present moment (mindfulness) compassion self compassion

46 SELF DEVELOPMENT READINGS/ RESOURCES Compassionate Mind- Paul Gilbert How of Happiness- Sonja Lyubomirsky Positivity- Barbara Frederickson Happiness- Matthieu Ricard Peace is Every Step- Thich Nhat Hanh The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work- John Gottman website on Positive Psychology self-compassion.org