Mindfulness: The Key to Happiness

19.1.2017

Some researchers and commentators today believe that happiness is not just something we should strive for individually but that governments have a responsibility to help create the conditions for our overall levels of happiness and well-being. Others disagree. But whichever side of that argument you take, it’s clear that for many of us the pursuit of happiness is allied to our pursuit of economic advancement.

 

Recent research suggests that this is not necessarily the case.

 

What prevents people from being happy?

Research by the London School of Economics has shown that although wealth accumulation has doubled in the past 50 years, levels of happiness have not. So if money doesn’t lead to happiness, what does?

 

The study, led by Lord Layard, found that social, mental and physical health problems were at the heart of people’s unhappiness. Previous research has shown that 40% of health problems in the UK are mental health issues, with only a third of those people in treatment. The fact that 1 in 4 British people experience common mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety, suggests that this is an issue that has a significantly detrimental effect on our national levels of happiness and well-being – as well as on our own.

 

Failed relationships are also cited in the study as a great source of unhappiness. With a fifth of UK couples close to break-up, the stress and trauma of a relationship failure is very real for many of us.

How can mindfulness help?

Mindfulness training helps us to come into a different relationship with the patterns of thinking and feeling that generate anxiety low mood and which sit behind much mental ill-health.

 

With mindfulness training, we learn to ‘witness’ our thoughts and feelings from the perspective of a kindly observer. This allows us to see them as just thoughts, just feelings - and not as who we are. By learning to quieten, still, or let go of unrealistic and distressing thoughts and feelings, we can live a happier life and combat mental health issues - such as anxiety and depression.

 

Mindfulness training helps us develop resilience. There are many aspects of our lives that we can’t control, meditation helps us deal with the negative emotions associated with unfortunate life events, such as break-ups - so that we can carry on more resourcefully.

What can be done to improve levels of happiness?

The Mindful Nation Report 2015 not only suggested that politicians and policy makers practice mindfulness but suggested that opportunities for mindfulness training should be given to people in our main societal systems: health, education, the workplace and people detained in the criminal justice system.

 

Embarking on a mindfulness course is a great way to discover a better way of thinking. By promoting personal happiness and improving mental health, mindfulness gives you tools you need to lead the life you want.

 

To explore how mindfulness could help you discover your life purpose, contact michael@mindfulnessworks.com or call (+44) 01223 750660.