How Happy Are You?

Did you know that you can train yourself to be a happier person and that it is possible to actually re-wire your brain to think happy thoughts naturally and automatically?

So says Dr Robert Holden who first came to the public’s attention in 1996 when he featured in the now famous BBC QED programme ‘How to be happy’.

According to Dr Holden, (also known as ‘the happiness psychologist’), we are responsible for the level of happiness and fulfilment that we enjoy on a day to day basis.

In the amazing QED study, which has now been watched by over 30 million viewers worldwide, three clinically depressed people participated in Dr Holden’s project.

Their brains were scientifically measured for left pre-frontal lobe activity, (an indicator of how much happiness they were experiencing) and within a relatively short space of time, they moved from being measured as ‘depressive’ to ‘extreme optimists’ - with the help of Dr Holden they had literally re-programmed their brains to think happier thoughts!

During the project, the participants were simply asked to do three things:

1. Take Physical Exercise
It has been proven that taking physical exercise can have a dramatic and very positive effect on depression. This is because it allows the body to use up adrenaline and other stress related chemicals in the bloodstream and also leads to the production of the body’s natural opiates, which means that the body feels naturally calm and relaxed after taking exercise.

2. Laugh for twenty minutes each day
As well as just lifting our spirits, laughter can actually improve our sense of well being, as it sends a signal to our brains to release endorphins, which naturally make the body feel great and increase our sense of happiness.

3. Force themselves to have positive thoughts
The participants were shown practical ways in which to remind themselves to think pleasurable, positive thoughts until this became a habitual and natural way of thinking – again, leading to the release of ‘happy chemicals’ in their bodies.

Sound too easy? To find out more check out Dr Holden’s website – full of interesting information, tips, inspirational quotes and stories - at www.happiness.co.uk

Now regarded as a pioneer in the field of positive psychology, Dr Holden currently heads ‘The Happiness Project’, and regularly presents seminars on the concept of ‘happiness’ and in particular, encourages individuals to take personal responsibility for their own thoughts and feelings.

As he says: “The pursuit of happiness must always fail because it is based on a lie – happiness is not outside you. Until you get this, you will never quite make it”