This neuroscientist assures us that happiness is learned. Read on to learn more!
A HAPPY MIND IS A HEALTHY MIND!!!
Before we talk about the keys to well-being, let’s remember who Dr. Richard J. Davidson is. He’s a doctor of personality, pathophysiology, and psychopathology
from Harvard University.
He’s been studying emotions for many years, mainly from a neurological standpoint.
One thing that characterizes him is that he studies cases on a lifetime basis,
not only resorting to interviews or experiments.
Based on his research and studies, Richard J. Davidson proposed the idea that,
thanks to brain neuroplasticity, it’s possible to learn happiness and compassion
in the same way that people learn a language or other information.
Based on this, he proposed the four keys to well-being.
Also, Richard J. Davidson is a good friend of the current Dalai Lama and a student of meditation. He meditates every day and believes that it’s a discipline that promotes neuroplasticity. Below, we explain Davidson’s keys to human well-being.
“The basis of a healthy brain is goodness, and you can train it.”
-Richard J. Davidson-
1. Resilience, one of the keys to well-being
In general terms, resilience is the ability to recover
from adversity and become stronger as a result.
For Davidson, this ability is closely linked to the Buddhist concept of “non-attachment”.
In other words, often, the real difficulty is resistance to change.
Resilience is one of the keys to well-being. Everyone is exposed to adversity.
Thus, if a person is able to accept bad times and flow with them, interpreting them as growth opportunities, it’ll be harder for them to get bogged down by their problems.
2. Positive outlook
A positive outlook isn’t synonymous with self-deception. In this case, we’re not talking about extreme optimism, which denies the existence of negative situations. Instead, we’re talking instead about the conscious choice you can make to give greater relevance to the positive aspects of each situation, however adverse it may be.
According to Richard J. Davidson, people who meditate experience brain circuit changes that transform their way of perceiving reality.
In a study Davidson conducted, he identified differences between the brains of those
who meditated and those who didn’t and concluded that his hypothesis was true.
He claims that meditating for half an hour a day for two weeks
is enough to experience the benefits of perspective changes.
In general, an abstract effort to develop a positive outlook usually has
very short-term effects and, therefore, wouldn’t greatly influence your mood. However, those who meditate enjoy more lasting effects, which impact their emotional state.
3. Full attention
Another study conducted by Richard J. Davidson showed that the average
person doesn’t pay attention to 47% of the things they do during the day.
One of the triggers for this disorientation is multitasking or divided attention work, which is when you perform several tasks at once without focusing on any one task in particular. In these cases, the mind starts to wander, going from one idea to another without any defined pattern.
Davidson found that those who work this way
are more likely to feel dissatisfied and unhappy.
That’s why he points out that one of the keys to well-being is full attention, which could be defined as mentally and physically focusing on the here and now. The ability to guide your mind into the here and now is a skill that you can also acquire through meditation.
In general, when you think a lot about the future, you can start to suffer from anxiety.
On the other hand, thinking about the past often leads to depression.
Thus, living in the present is less emotionally taxing.
4. Generosity
The last of the four keys to well-being,
according to Richard J. Davidson, is compassion or generosity.
According to this researcher, giving activates many areas of the brain that are related
to happiness and joy. In fact, generous people are almost always more at peace with themselves and tend to be calmer and more carefree.
For Davidson, generosity, as well as selfishness, has a boomerang effect.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that whoever gives receives equivalent compensation
but simply because the act of giving boosts physical and mental well-being.
In other words, the one who benefits most from giving is the one who gives. According to Richard J. Davidson, these keys to well-being coincide with many psychology theories, as well as Buddhism. Thus, you should consider the fact that these could be the aspects that can help improve your well-being.
BONUS TIP: Serendipitous Space: Finding Your Happy Places
Happy Places and Mental Health
Sometimes, we don’t want to do anything and simply need a break.
But people don’t just need mental breaks–sometimes we need physical breaks that are going to make us feel better. One option is finding happy places for simply refreshing your energy and motivation. Many people find that going for a walk-in nature can be one of the easiest ways to clear the mind and get new ideas. Others make their bedrooms their happy places, filling them with the aromas of candles and the sounds of their favorite music. Happy places don’t just have to be physical places, either: whenever I’m listening to my favorite song, I’m in my happy place. Some people enjoy solitude, wherever they can find it, and it turns out that solitude can be helpful sometimes, too. Wherever or however, you reach your happy place, it is important that you establish it and use it often–that way, you can connect it to positive memories and begin to condition yourself (in a way) to find happiness in that space. Richie Davidson – The Science of Meditation – Mind & Life Podcast (Mindandlife.Org)
Dr. Richard Davidson: Exercise Our Minds for Happiness.
Richard J. Davidson, one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People, is the
William James and Vilas Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry, Director of the Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior and the Laboratory for Affective Neuroscience, and Founder and Chair of the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds, at the Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison. He received his Ph.D. from Harvard University in Psychology and has been at Wisconsin since 1984. He has published more than 275 articles, many chapters and reviews and edited 13 books. He has been a member of the Mind and Life Institute’s Board of Directors since 1991. He is also the author of The Emotional Life of Your Brain.
In this episode of Office Hours: Happy, Healthy Minds – YouTube
Dr. Davidson discusses his research and how we can exercise our minds –
and change our brains – through meditation to be happier and more compassionate.
We found that just two weeks of [meditation] training actually produces reliable differences in the brain that were clearly measurable using our MRI procedures.
And we found that participants actually engaged in more altruistic and
compassionate behavior as a consequence of the two weeks of training.
Richard J. Davidson’s research works | University of Wisconsin–Madison, Wisconsin (UW) and other places (researchgate.net)
The Healthy Minds Framework | Center for Healthy Minds (centerhealthyminds.org)
Have you ever slept 7+ hours but still felt EXHAUSTED?
Me too. While sleeping is physical rest, you actually need 7 types of rest to avoid burnout (According to Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith). So, stay at your best with these 7 types of rest:
1. Physical Rest:
Lack of sleep and overtraining deplete your body’s energy. Get two types of physical rest, passive and active: Passive • Sleep 7+ hrs. nightly • Take power naps (as needed) Active • Stretch • Get a massage • Use an ergonomic chair + desk
2. Mental Rest Mental rest deficit is caused by overtaxing your thinking. • Write down
your to-dos • Reference checklists (packing, groceries, etc.) • Create a shutdown ritual to separate work and life • Take a break from problem-solving • Meditate
3. Social Rest Evaluate your relationships. • Spend more time with people who give you energy • Spend less time with people who steal your energy • If you’re an introvert, block out time to be alone
4. Spiritual Rest Be part of something bigger than yourself. • Volunteer • Work a job that feels purpose-driven • Participate in faith-based activities (if aligned to your belief system)
5. Sensory Rest The modern individual is overstimulated. • Take a break from social media • Turn off notifications (sounds and visual alerts) • Limit video meetings • Set a relaxing evening ambiance (soothing music, candles, etc.)
6. Emotional Rest Emotional rest deficit occurs when you feel like you can’t be authentic. Ex: An airline attendant who must always smile, despite rude passengers. • Spend time with people you can be authentic around • Try speaking with a therapist to release emotional labor
7. Creative Rest Appreciate beauty in any form, whether natural or human-created: Natural • Take in a sunrise or sunset • Go for a walk-in nature Human-created • Visit
a museum or art festival • Engage with inspiring music, books, documentaries, etc.
Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith recommends starting with your 1-2 biggest rest deficits
(And not trying to eat the whole elephant at once). Then, over time, create daily and weekly habits to get all seven. Take her Rest Quiz to figure out where to start:
https://restquiz.com/quiz/rest-quiz
Sacred Rest: Recover Your Life, Renew Your Energy, Restore Your Sanity – Kindle edition
by Dalton-Smith, Saundra. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.
“Create a shutdown ritual to separate work and life”, I thought that was also quietly
quitting or something, I thought I was supposed to only sleep and work. This is confusing.
Work is part of life. It’s not separate from it. By all means construct boundaries between leisure time & work but if you think when you are working you aren’t living, get a different job.
Seems like a decent number of these things labelled
as rest” are just different healthy activities you can do.
Two types of mental rest meditation:
1] Silent image visualization and also
2] Verbal positive word and thought reinforcement.