Article Archive
In Pursuit of Happiness
Issue: August 2008
By: Jerry Mosher, CFP®
I recently attended the annual Financial Planning Association's Regional Conference in San Francisco. One of the keynote speakers was Professor Tal Ben-Shahar, who teaches a class on "Happines" at Harvard. He says the class has grown in popularity to the point that it now surpasses the enrollment of the economics class.
I was amazed that a happiness class at Harvard would outdraw economics. I was even more intrigued by his report about the research that prompted the creation of the class, the reasons behind its ascent to popularity, and the practices he recommends to his students.
One astounding piece of research found that 45% of college students indicate they are depressed and 94% report they are overwhelmed. Findings indicate the stress is produced by too much to do and too much on our minds. Given these statistics, I can see why a student might be willing to accept an offer for a class on happiness.
Ben-Shahar thinks happiness is the best currency we have today. He believes the self-help books of earlier years got the movement started, but they over promised and under delivered. Uniting the rigor of academic research with the accessibility of the self-help movement has led to the body of work called positive psychology and the focus on happiness, he said.
Ben-Shahar offered several practices that would both support and impact our level of happiness. The first is to give ourselves the permission to be human. As a biological entity, we have emotions that are triggered and this is normal. As a culture, we tend to think we should be managing or controlling any display of emotion and this compounds the problem. His suggested plan of action is to notice the emotion, train ourselves to accept the experience, and then take some action to move forward. He refers to this as “active acceptance.”
Stress is another concern, and Ben-Shahar’s solutions are to simplify, reduce multi-tasking, and work toward being present with people rather than thinking about a thousand other things in the moment or being anxious about moving on to the next activity. He said research shows that periods of high concentration lead to more productive work and a happier mood. He also reminded us that stress is not necessarily bad for us and that limited doses can actually make us stronger. It’s the lack of recovery time or the constancy of stress that makes it a problem.
Exercise is also on his list, which we might have anticipated. He suggested that not exercising is like taking depressants and noted that, as human beings, we were made to hunt and gather, not to be a “push a button” generation.
Research has found that meditation practices such as yoga and tai chi reduce anxiety. Ben-Shahar reminded us that part of meditation is attention on our breathing. Deep breathing has been found to produce calm and a sense of wellbeing, so he suggested a simple practice of breathing deeply, engaging the stomach, three times in succession, several times a day. This could be done at a stop light, in a cab, at lunch, etc. I’m in my second week of doing this one!
The last thing I’ll share is the value of focusing on building a habit of appreciation and its connection to positive moods. I believe there is a body of work called “appreciative inquiry” that has researched the benefits of this action. Ben-Shahar made a compelling comment that “research shows we will begin to appreciate things when we are in danger of losing them.” So why do we wait? His practical solution for building the habit of appreciation was to note, each day, five things we are grateful for, including those that might seem ordinary. I now have a notebook on the side of my bed which I’ve completed most nights. I’m on the way to a habit!
Two closing comments helped mobilize me into action. One was a quote by Helen Keller: “Make the most of every sense as if you would lose it tomorrow. Glory in all the facets, pleasures, and beauty which the world reveals to you.” The second was from Peter Drucker, who was noted to have said after a consulting engagement, “Don’t tell me how great it was. Tell me what you’re doing differently.”
Here’s to your happiness!
Jerry Mosher, CFP® is a 30 year veteran of the financial planning industry and is president of Mosher & Ellis Financial Planning in Lafayette, California. He has been selected three times as one of the 150 best financial advisers for doctors by Medical Economics. Jerry may be reached at (925) 284-9470. Securities offered through AMERICAN INVESTORS COMPANY Member NASD/SIPC.
