Guided meditation being done through the use of online apps.
Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for POPSUGAR
A scholar of digital religion and Buddhism argues that not all Western Buddhism practice is inauthentic. Here’s a way to know what’s real.
Trust in other people and in public institutions is one key predictor of happiness.
Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Finland was recently ranked, for the fifth year in a row, as the world’s happiest country. Trust in others in society plays a large role in what makes people there – and elsewhere – happy.
Caring for a newborn can be joyous.
Johner Images via Getty Images
This important benefit does more than just help parents in terms of dollars and cents.
GuoZhongHua/Shutterstock
Fixing the climate crisis can be a source of pleasure and not just pain.
Nuclear fusion is what generates the energy of the sun: scientists are getting closer to controlling a sustained fusion reaction on Earth.
Marko Aliaksandr/Shutterstock
Plus, the social pressure some people feel to be happy in the world’s happiest countries. Listen to The Conversation Weekly.
Rafael Ben-Ari / Alamy Stock Photo
People are obsessed with finding happiness. But what if
Shutterstock
They say to improve your mood you should fake a smile and roll with the crowd. But research suggests the more pressure you feel to be happy, the worse you’ll end up feeling.
When midlife begins can vary from person to person.
Flashpop/Digitalvision via Getty Images
Age is no longer the only definition of midlife. An expert in aging explains why.
The Oxford English Dictionary tries to include all words in English (particularly British and American English) from 1200 onwards.
dollar gill | unsplash
Could bringing back words with positive meanings make us happier?
Being better at math increases income but also ties satisfaction more closely to money.
Jonathan Kitchen/Digital Vision via Getty Images
Compared to people who aren’t as good at math, people who are better at math are more happy when they have high incomes and less happy when they have lower incomes.
Research shows that people who have flow as a regular part of their lives are happier and less likely to focus on themselves.
Yulkapopkova/E+ via Getty Images
Research shows that people with more flow in their lives had a higher sense of well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. Scientists are beginning to explore what happens in the brain during flow.
Shutterstock
As the year ends, New Zealand has done well in important global measures of success. But closer to home, the numbers often told a different story.
Black Salmon
Some people might struggle a little harder to enhance their wellbeing than others.
Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion, holding a jewel between his folded hands.
Debbie Hemenway/Moment via Getty images
On World Kindness Day, a scholar of Buddhist studies explains its idea of compassion and the diverse ways to think about and express kindness.
Shutterstock
The change point at which the happiness of most Australians no longer strongly depends on income has almost doubled from A$43,000 to A$74,000.
Gabrielle Henderson/Unsplash
There is more than one way to pursue happiness and to cope with the inevitable low times in life.
Caroline Blumberg / EPA-EFE
Would £184 million make you any happier?
Looking for light.
David East/Unsplash
People inevitably became less contented during the pandemic, but it’s part of a longer trend.
Black Salmon/Shutterstock
Tipping the scales away from work may not be the wisest way to recalibrate your work-life balance.
Positive thinking.
(Shutterstock)
Ignoring negative emotions by trying to be positive all the time — called toxic positivity — can have consequences for mental health. Experiencing negative emotions is inevitable and essential.