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Provisional list of topics covered

By Steve Draper,   Department of Psychology,   University of Glasgow.

This page is under construction. Seriously: I'm putting together the toipcs and reading off-line. This was a first stab, now out of date.

"Give yourself permission to be human": accept your emotions, negative as well as positive


Unconditional acceptance
Dealing with stress

Simplify your life: quantity undermines quality

Happiness lies at the intersection between pleasure and meaning.

  • Steger on Pleasure vs. meaning of life for happiness:
    Steger,M.F., Kashdan,T.B., Oishi,S. (2008) "Being good by doing good: Daily eudaimonic activity and well-being" Journal of Research in Personality vol.42 no.1 pp.22-42

    Exercise (Remember the mind-body connection)

  • Exercise and depression. Bobyak 2000 Callaghan, P. (2004). Exercise: a neglected intervention in mental health care? Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing vol.11 pp.476-483

    Brown, K. W. & Ryan, R. M. (2003). The Benefits of Being Present: Mindfulness and Its Role in Psychological Well-Being. /Journal of Personality and Social Psychology/, 84 (4), 822-848. http://www.psych.rochester.edu/SDT/documents/2003_BrownRyan.pdf

    Hamilton, N., Kitzman, H. & Guyotte, S. (2006). Enhancing Health and Emotion: Mindfulness as a Missing Link Between Cognitive Therapy and Positive Psychology. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy, 20, 123-134.

    Crum, A. J. & Langer, E. J. (2007). Mindset Matters: Exercise and the Placebo Effect. Psychological Science 2007 Feb vol.18 no.2 pp.165-71

    Express gratitude, whenever possible

    Emmons, R. A., & McCullough, M. E. (2003). Counting blessings versus burdens: An experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life. Journal of Personality & Social Psychology 88, 377-389. http://www.psy.miami.edu/faculty/mmccullough/gratitude/Emmons_McCullough_2003_JPSP.pdf

    Bower, J. E., Low, C. A., Moskowitz, J. T., Sepah, S. & Epel, E. (2007). Benefit Finding and Physical Health: Positive Psychological Changes and Enhanced Allostasis. Social and Personality Psychology Compass 223-244.

    Keep in mind that happiness is mostly dependent on our state of mind, not on our status or the state of our bank account.

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