When an email popped up in Jo Newstead’s inbox promising a course that could make her happier, she was – to put it mildly – sceptical. “But then I thought, what have I got to lose?” she says.
In her early 60s, she’d recently lost a close friend, and had stopped working. “I was at a crossroads, with a lot to deal with – but I wasn’t at all sure a course could help.”
She went along to the first session, she says, with her arms folded, pretty certain she wouldn’t be back. So what made her end up cancelling parties so she could get to the classes – and why is she now a stalwart of the ongoing monthly get-togethers with her other happiness graduates?
In a nutshell, she says, the course helped her understand how to view life through a positive rather than a negative lens. It gave her strategies to cope when things seemed to be going into a downward spiral, as well as a supportive environment and the space to talk things through. “It sounds trite and airy-fairy, but it was anything but – it was really useful, and very genuine,” she says.
Newstead isn’t alone in finding the course – entitled Exploring What Matters, endorsed by the Dalai Lama and run by the UK charity Action for Happiness – helpful. New research released on Tuesday has found its approach has a real impact, reducing anxiety and depression by up to 20%, and raising life satisfaction by about 15%. That’s more than the psychological boost you get from finding a new job or a new life partner.
And that makes it highly significant, explains economist Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, professor at Saïd Business School in Oxford and director of the Oxford University Wellbeing Research Centre, who conducted the study. “We know a lot about what drives wellbeing, and we know a lot about mental health issues in our society and the fact that they’re on the increase, despite improving economic conditions,” he says.
“But what hasn’t been properly looked at until now is what can make a difference – what can move the dial on life satisfaction in a meaningful and sustained way.”
Like Newstead, he wasn’t sure how much difference a short course of eight sessions could make when he started his randomised control trial involving 146 people. “But the results were really impressive – the course delivers significant improvements in wellbeing and reductions in mental health symptoms,” he says. “It’s clear that this intervention has huge potential and really does work.”
So how does the course work? Another of its graduates is Rebecca Newey, 47, who lives near Aldershot.
She was feeling angry, suffering mood swings and snapping at her husband and two sons, aged 12 and 10, when she signed up for the happiness course two years ago after hearing about it from another mother at the school gate. “The sessions start with being mindful: you stop what you’re doing and notice how you’re breathing. And then there’s a structured discussion about how to feel happier: so you’re with a bunch of people who are all aspiring to be happier, and there’s power in that.”
One of the most important things she learned, says Newey, was how to react to an event. “You choose how to respond to something, and your gut reaction isn’t always the best way to react. You learn to take a moment to breathe, and to make a decision about what to do next.”
That knowledge continues to make a difference in her life. “The other day my car had a flat tyre. Two years ago I’d have moaned and thought it was the end of the world: instead, I started to count my blessings. The previous day I’d been on a motorway, so it was good it hadn’t happened then; and it happened when my husband was around, so it wasn’t leaving me in the lurch unable to pick up the children.”
So is finding happiness, in essence, a lot easier than we’ve been led to believe? Mark Williamson, director of Action for Happiness, says maybe it is – though there’s a caveat.
“We don’t want to suggest you can simply choose whether to be happy,” he says. “Many people are in difficult circumstances, and feeling happy isn’t easy or straightforward. But what we do know is that we have the ability to make a difference to how we feel – there are tools that can help, and there’s an awareness that can change things.”
The Action for Happiness website lists 10 “keys” to a happier life, ranging from connecting with other people and giving time and money to causes you care about, to being open to new experiences and doing regular exercise.
So far about 6,000 people have taken part in the happiness course at 250 locations, and after the research is released on Tuesday, its availability looks set to rise. Participants are invited to give a voluntary donation, because the ambition is to be inclusive, says Williamson.
“We didn’t want it to be just about happy and privileged people being a bit happier. We want everyone, including those on low incomes and from all backgrounds, to benefit.”
The charity also offers an app and an online calendar, both with simple tips to make life easier.
None of what you learn is rocket science, says Newstead, but it is life-changing all the same. “I still have bad days – everyone does,” she says. “But now I think about something from the course, for example I remember three positive things in my life. And that really can make the situation better.”
How to be happy
Every day, make a list of three things you’re grateful for. You’ll be more resilient and mentally healthier within 12 weeks, according to research for Action for Happiness.
Say something positive to at least three people you meet today.
Go out for a brisk walk.
Do a mindfulness or happiness meditation – there are plenty online.
Support a charity, cause or campaign you really care about.
Notice when you’re being hard on yourself or others, and opt to be kind instead.
Plan a fun or exciting activity you can look forward to.
Re-frame a worry: ask yourself, will this matter a year from now? Could it be an opportunity, rather than a difficulty?
Find the joy in music: listen, sing, play, dance.