The Science Of Well-Being

[!info] It was recommended by Hamza and somehow I took it Seriously it all started [[29 Oct, 22]] I guess and its still going today which is [[12 Feb, 23]]. I'm on 5th week.
I don't know what happened to hamza, haven't been following him since then. But it's June, 2025 and I'm doing Well Being for Teens.

Week 1

Oct 30, 22

My Authentic Happiness score after using psychological Instrument came about 2/5 which I predicted to be 4/5
Rewirement: Find you signature Strengths | [[My Core Values]]

Week 2

19 Nov, 22

[[Savouring]] Rewirement
Daily [[Gratitude]] journal Rewirement

Week 3

24 Jan, 23

Random acts of Kindness
Social connection

Week 4

05 Feb, 23

Exercise
Sleep ![[05 Feb, 23#Science of well being]] ![[07 Feb, 23#Science of well being]]

Week 5 - Stuff that really makes us happy

13 Feb, 23

Better Wanting

Good Job

Job that activates your [[My Core Values]] | [[Character Strengths]](VIA survey)
being in [[Flow]] (checkout book)
- ![[Pasted image 20230214094741.png]]

Good Grades

What to focus on? Grades are not good to focus on.
Having External Motivation like being paid is killing your Intrinsic motivation. DECI 1971.
A focus on grades can undermine a growth mindset.([[Mindset]] by Carol Dweck).
Get a good mindset

Kindness

Increase random acts of kindness
[[Wealth]] Science of smarter spending

[[Mind Wise]]

This book explores more of our mispredictions and introduces us to more research on the surprising mistakes humans so routinely make

Talk to people around you it will make you and them both happier.
sharing experiences with another person makes them better.

Time Affluence

[[Priming]]
Time over money will make you more happy.

Mind Control

Mind Wandering (study by Gilbert)
[[Default Mode Network]]
A wandering mind is an unhappy mind
[[Meditation]] over long period of time say 3 months can increase the amount of [[Grey Matter]] and strengthen brain muscles.

Two Major healthy practices

[[Exercise]]
[[Sleep]]

Week 6 - Putting strategies into practice

20 Feb, 23

How do we put good things we learned in practice?

Strategy 1

Situational support

Visibility and proximity of something really affects our behaviours.
Fix bad environment.
Promote your environment. Say gratitude journal on your desk at morning while you start your day. Or simple reminder note on taking meditation while grabbing some food from kitchen.
Shape your environment and be with people who do all this.

Strategy 2

goal setting

Goal specificity
Mental constrasting
![[Pasted image 20230220092123.png]]

What I really wish for next week, next few weeks or today? What do I really want in my life?
1. What is it that I want to do? search for your wish.
What would be the best outcome I would get after fulfilling that wish?
1. search for best outcome. And Imagine it.
Well, what stops me to fulfil the wish I want and experience the outcome I want?
1. What is my main inner obstacle? What is it really?
What would be an action or thought that would help me overcome the obstacle?
1. Create if obstacle than action/plan

Can also be used for feasibility checking.

Week 7 - Final Rewirement

27 Feb, 2023

[!info]
For reference, here is a quick breakdown of the rewirements:
Signature Strengths - using your top character strengths in new ways
Savoring - taking time to savor the things you enjoy
Gratitude - (List and/or Letter) - expressing gratitude for the people and things in your life
Kindness - increasing your acts of kindness
Social Connection - making connections with strangers and acquaintances along with scheduling time for the people in your life
Exercise - increasing your physical activity to at least 30 minutes a few times a week
Sleep - making sure you sleep at least 7 hours a night several times a week
Meditation - meditating for 5-10 minutes if you are a beginner or increasing your time in meditation if you already meditate regularly

Choose a rewirement from above
- Meditation
Track progress for 4 weeks
Assess yourself.

Plan: I will do it everyday, Just after waking up on floor after I make my bed.

For this writing assignment, you will practice a rewirement for 4 weeks before responding to the writing prompts outlined in the Peer Review assignment. The prompt in the Peer Review Assignment will ask you the following:

Which rewirement did you pick and why?
Did you socially commit to the rewirement?
Did you utilise situation support or goal setting strategies?
How many times you did you PLAN to do the rewirement and how many times did you ACTUALLY do it? How did you track your progress?
Did your happiness score change over time?
How was the overall experience for you?

[!tip] Make a plan! Think about how many times you will do your rewirement, when will you do it, where will you do it, who will you do it with? Having concrete answers to these questions will help you stick to your plan.

Next up

Seligman (2004). Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster.

Chapters 8-10 of this book outline character strengths and the benefits of applying them in your everyday life

people enjoy work more and think of work as a calling when they use ~4 signature strengths at work

Deci (1971). Effects of externally mediated rewards on intrinsic motivation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 18(1), 105-115.

This paper tells us that positive feedback aids intrinsic motivation, but monetary rewards detract from intrinsic motivation

The Science of Well-Being