New Ways to Use Signature Strengths Part 4 Strength #3 Open-Mindedness

/ kayemclaren / Leave a comment

For the full list: to get a pdf of new ways of using all 24 strengths please email me at kaye.mclaren@gmail.com or drop a request with your email address in the comments section.

Using strengths in new ways improves mood for three to six months, compared to a week or two for using strengths in ways you have before. This means more happiness and less depression for longer. So it’s worth doing.

You want to do something new for a week to get the full impact. So either choose one thing you can do every day for a week, or choose a variety of new things that allow you to do something new every day for a week. For example, you might do one thing for three days, and four things for one day each.

If you think of a new idea that could fit on one of these lists, please let me know in the comments.

3. Open-mindedness [judgment, critical thinking]: this strength involves using logic and rational thought to evaluate theories and thoughts, including considering evidence that goes against personal beliefs. It also involves being analytical when making decisions, and trying to avoid bias. This means being fair when weighing evidence, and considering facts from both sides of an argument. People who have this strength try to avoid jumping to conclusions when they don’t have all the facts. They are also able to change their views when facts or logic indicate they are wrong. Rather than looking only for information that supports their view, they also search for facts that could disprove their beliefs. Open-minded people tend to pause before making a decision and use that time to investigate the facts and apply logic. They base their views on evidence and logic more than the concensus or popular opinion. They use sound judgment, rather than being judgmental. This strength differs from curiosity, which is about exploring questions and finding out things. It also differs from perspective, which involves seeing the bigger picture. Judgment involves the strength of curiosity, which is about asking questions and seeking new knowledge. But it goes beyond that to make decisions about what is true or fair. It also involves perspective, which is about seeing the bigger picture, but goes beyond this to make decisions.

  1. Read a book or online article about logic.
  2. Read up about problem solving methods.
  3. Try reading Problem Solving 101: A Simple Book for Smart People by Ken Watanabe. Originally written for children, it has been eagerly embraced by adults. Reviewers comment that it is quick to read and helpful. The book covers a four-step method illustrated by interesting stories about problem solving.
  4. Or try reading Solving Life’s Problems: A 5-Step Guide to Enhanced Well-Being by psychology professors and problem solving gurus Arthur and Christine M Nezu and Thomas J D’Zurilla. The authors outline a five-step process they call ADAPT, based on Problem Solving Therapy. This covers Attitude, Defining the problem, coming up with Alternative solutions, Predicting consequences and developing a plan and Trying out the solution to see if it works.
  5. If you feel hopeless or recently attempted suicide, learning problem solving skills will mmake youmore than twice as likely to have fewer problems following therapy.i
  6. If you prefer watching and listening to reading, do the Udemy course called Master Class – Creative Problem Solving and Decision Making by Matthew Thomas. This course is for people who are really interested in problem solving and want to go into even more depth. It lasts five and a half hours and has 40 short videos covering thinking styles (including the SCAMPER team brainstorming method), as well as various approaches to problem solving and decision making.
  7. Watch a video about an unfamilar spirituality or philosophy with an open mind.
  8. Talk to someone who has a different way of life to yours and ask one or two open-minded questions about their life.
  9. Attend a lecture on a controversial topic and chat to audience members afterwards.
  10. If your library has a ‘Human Library’ of people from different walks of life, go there and pick someone with a life very different to your own to talk to.
  11. Watch a five minute interview with Dr Lisa Miller, researcher and author of The Awakening Mind, about the science of spirituality. Called Science Shows Spirituality helps ‘Awaken’ your Brain, Author says, it can be found on the ABC News YouTube channel.
  12. Think about a decision you made in the past that you’ve always been uncertain about, or feel unhappy about. Brainstorm and research some other ways you could have dealt with it.
  13. Ask either a person this decision affected, or a friend whose judgment you trust ,to tell you what they think about your decision. Try to listen without defending yourself or interrupting, then go away and think about it.
  14. If you feel suicidal, or are recovering from a suicide attempt, create a Suicide Prevention/Safety Plan of things you can do and people you can do to stay safe. Having a safety plan almost halved the risk of suicidal behavior according to an analysis of multiple studies.ii
  15. Do a course on a spirituality/religion that is new to you on the spiritualityandpractice.com website. It has a lot of good courses on spirituality, some in the format of 40 daily lessons delivered by email, others in the video lesson format. One is Practicing Spirituality with the World’s Religions and costs $40 and is on-demand. It includes teachings from Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Sufism, Judaism, Taoism, and Native American spirituality. The format is 40 lessons delivered via email. Each contains a short passage about the wisdom of one religion as well as a way to practice that thought as you go about your daily activities. Links take you to the reviews of the books that the passages come from. (It also has other courses on specific religions, including Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism and Buddhism, in the same format.) There are also free courses available.
  16. Think about why people end up believing and following the religions that they grow up with, or that are popular or common in their local area rather than religions from another area, and what this says about religion in general.
  17. Choose one of your habits or regular activities. Ask yourself why you do this, when and why you started, what benefits it has for you, what downsides, whether you want to continue doing it.
  18. Go to a cultural or multi-cultural event and tune in to your thoughts and feelings during it and after you leave it. Look for signs of implicit bias – discriminatory views you are not consciously aware of.
  19. If there are aspects of these events or cultures you don’t understand, do research by reading or talking to experts that helps you understand them better.
  20. Think about possible reasons you have failed to achieve a valued goal in the past. Can you see any patterns? Ask people who know you well what they think, take notes and try to resist the temptation to prove they are wrong!
  21. If you see a pattern, decide to change. Start working on a plan to do things differently in future, including thoughts, beliefs, values, actions, with times you are going to do specific things.
  22. Choose a decision you need to make. Make a list of pros for doing it one way, and cons for that way. Possibly assign points to each pro or con to show how important it is, from 1 being least important to 10 being most important.
  23. Volunteer to work with, coach, tutor or mentor individuals from ethnic, cultural or religious groups you are not familiar with. This could be in woodwork, sport, English, cooking or some other area you are skilled in.
  24. Challenge your confirmation bias by choosing a dearly held belief and looking for information and views that contradict this belief.
  25. If you have a challenging situation facing you, think about the best it could turn out and the worst. Then assess which view is most realistic by looking for factual and logical reasons to support it. Ask trusted advisors or the internet what they think.
  26. Pick a current event, then follow reporting on it on different media. Look for how different news outlets or social media platforms report it differently. Try to work out what the facts are about it using the best, most reliable sources of information you can.

iTownsend E et al (2001) The Efficacy of Problem-Solving Treatments after Deliberate Self-Harm: Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials with Respect to Depression, Hopelessness and Improvement in Problems, Psychological Medicine, 31(6): 979-988.

iiNuij C et al (2021) Safety Planning-Type Interventions for Suicide Prevention: Meta-Analysis, The British Journal of Psychiatry, 219(2): 419-426

New Ways to Use Signature Strengths part 3 Strength #2 Curiosity

/ kayemclaren / 1 Comment

Using strengths in new ways improves mood for three to six months, compared to a week or two for using strengths in ways you have before. This means more happiness and less depression for longer. So it’s worth doing.

You want to do something new for a week to get the full impact. So either choose one thing you can do every day for a week, or choose a variety of new things that allow you to do something new every day for a week. For example, you might do one thing for three days, and four things for one day each.

If you think of a new idea that could fit on one of these lists, please let me know in the comments.

Strength #2 Curiosity

2. Curiosity [interest, novelty-seeking, openness to experience]: this strength involves trying new things and searching for new knowledge. The new things could be activities, challenging opportunities or other experiences. The new experiences could involve meeting people, travel, or learning new skills. Learning could involve a quest to answer a specific question, or just the desire to know new things in general. Curious people are interested in the new and unknown. They are also interested in asking questions and building their knowledge. Studies show that curiosity is linked to life satisfaction, happiness, better health, living longer and getting on well with others.

  1. List of new ways to use this strength
  1. Take a bus or drive or walk to a park you haven’t been to before.
  2. Go to a new museum or art gallery or new exhibit at a museum/gallery you’ve been to before.
  3. Say to yourself “I wonder if I can do this – it will be interesting to find out” when faced with a challenge or new project. Try to focus more on curiosity than fear of failure.
  4. Sign up for a class on a new topic that you find interesting.
  5. Walk to work a different way.
  6. When you meet someone new, wonder what they could tell you that you’ve never heard before – ask them questions about their life to see what experiences they’ve had that are different or interesting.
  7. Buy a tent or a van and stay at places you’ve never been to before. See what’s there that you had no idea about.
  8. Go to a restaurant or cafe you haven’t been to before.
  9. Try a new food, possibly from a different culture.
  10. Explore a new area or neighborhood on foot.
  11. Wonder about the people who live in each house.
  12. Look for new information on a topic you are interested in but know nothing about.
  13. Attend a talk or event from a different culture from the one(s) you grew up with.
  14. Think about what is different about this culture and look for values, rituals and activities you might like to add to your own life.
  15. Pick a country you’d like to visit and find out about places to visit, activities, local customs and transport.
  16. Ask someone who is enthusiastic about a topic you’re interested in for new information and ideas and how you can learn more.
  17. Go onto Reddit and type one or two letters in the search box, starting with A, then Aa, then Ab etc. See what topics come up and which ones you feel excited about or interested in.
  18. Check out the groups for these topics and join the ones that interest you.
  19. Attend or set up a discussion group, salon or tertulia to talk about things the people there are passionate about. Invite people you find interesting, even if their interests are different from yours.
  20. Make a meal you’ve never made before from a different culture, using ingredients you’re not familiar with, such as palm sugar, seaweed, jellyfish or shrimp paste.
  21. If you live near a library that holds a ‘Human Library’ of different types of people, go along and talk to someone you wouldn’t normally interact with.
  22. Volunteer at a food bank or charity store, and talk to the people who come in and find out about their lives.
  23. Try and find out something you don’t know about your own culture.
  24. Compile a list of things you want to know about your favorite topic, then try to answer them, using online resources, libraries, experts and people you know who are also interested in that topic.
  25. Research a historical era that interests or intrigues you.
  26. Visit a town, district, state or country you haven’t been to before. Explore it by foot or e-scooter, and really look at houses, trees, gardens, statues and artworks.
  27. See if you can strike up a conversation with someone there who can tell you a bit more about the place, especially someone who has lived there a long time.
  28. Make a list of your top three interests and look for groups, conferences, shows, fairs or meetings that you could attend about one of them.
  29. Ask a friend who has a completely different interest to you to talk about it. Listen and ask questions about anything you don’t understand or find interesting.
  30. Try to learn a new skill, even if you’re not terribly interested in it, such as paper making, candle making, playing an instrument or crochet.
  31. Listen to a podcast on a topic that interests you, or even a random topic you’re not particularly drawn to.

New Ways to Use Signature Strengths – Part 2

/ kayemclaren / Leave a comment

Strength #1 – Creativity

For the full list: to get a pdf of new ways of using all 24 strengths please email me at kaye.mclaren@gmail.com or drop a request with your email address in the comments section.

Using strengths in new ways improves mood for three to six months, compared to a week or two for using strengths in ways you have before. This means more happiness and less depression for longer. So it’s worth doing.

You want to do something new for a week to get the full impact. So either choose one thing you can do every day for a week, or choose a variety of new things that allow you to do something new every day for a week. For example, you might do one thing for three days, and four things for one day each.

If you think of a new idea that could fit on one of these lists, please let me know in the comments.

1. Wisdom and Knowledge

1. Creativity [originality, ingenuity]: creativity is often thought of as being artistic and creating art works or scientific and coming up with new technology. But the reality of creativity is far more intangible. It is in fact the process of coming up with new ideas. It may result in something tangible – like a script, appliance, portrait or project plan – but it starts as an invisible process in the brain. Creativity can also result in less tangible products like a new theory or a solution to a problem. It is a strength that can be used to deal with setbacks, adversities and obstacles in life. The products of creativity are not only original, but can be useful. They can help that person or other people, or bring something positive into their lives, as art does. Studies show that creativity can result in better problem solving, more self-confidence, self-knowledge, hope and well-being, along with less depression and anxiety.

  1. Think of one of your problems and come up with as many possible solutions as you can, no matter how crazy they seem.
  2. Brainstorm ideas for a script, whether for a play, comedy skit, short video, TV pilot or film. It may help to look at true crime stories, especially unsolved ones where you can ask yourself ‘what happened?’ Or read about stories of courage, resilience or social change. Or stories of weird occurrences. Ask about interesting characters from your family and choose one to research.
  3. If you come up with one, look at books and online articles on script writing, re-watch your fave films and watch videos on script writing, then have a go at writing it, even if only an outline.
  4. Draw a picture with paints, felt pens, gel pens, colored pencils.
  5. If you feel suicidal, or are recovering from a suicide attempt, create a Suicide Prevention/Safety Plan of things you can do and people you can do to stay safe. Having a safety plan almost halved the risk of suicidal behavior according to an analysis of multiple studies.i
  6. Think about an idea for a new board game or video game. Sketch it out on a big board or story board, then start cutting up paper and finding or making art to put on it.
  7. Look up a writing prompt and write a few paragraphs based on it.
  8. Try writing an assignment, essay or email in a different style from your normal writing style.
  9. Make a pot from clay or papier mache.
  10. Make earrings, a brooch or insect out of modelling clay.
  11. Play Charades or Pictionary with friends.
  12. Sew, knit, embroider or crochet something.
  13. Make a simple screen and learn how to screen print.
  14. Ask friends and family if they have a challenge in their life right now that they’re feeling stuck with and would like ideas about. Sit quietly and come up with as many potential solutions as you can.
  15. Look at a common tool or gadget and see if you can redesign it to be better. Maybe ask online what tool or gadget people are dissatisfied with or wish someone would develop.
  16. Make a sculpture out of everyday objects like teartabs, bamboo skewers, vegetables or a plastic bottle. You could get ideas from the YouTube video called From Trash to Treasure: Turning Everyday Objects into Art on the Ariane Zurcher – On the Other Hand channel.
  17. Design an online course on a topic that interests you using Powerpoint or Canva.
  18. Design a board or video game.
  19. Think about a common challenge people you know are facing, such as online scams, losing weight, finding a job or partner. Research and brainstorm ways to deal with them, then write a list of practical tips.
  20. Write a haiku about something you’re passionate about.
  21. Look for ways to make routine activities and chores more fun by turning them into games. For example, turn grocery shopping into a treasure hunt by giving family or roommates lists of things to find and seeing how quickly they can finish their list. You could get ideas from the book Simple Fun for Busy People: 333 Ways to Enjoy Your Loved Ones More in the Time You Have by Gary Crane.
  22. Go along to a meeting of a local amateur drama group and offer to help with set design, props or costumes.
  23. Look at a practical problem in your home and brainstorm ingenious ways to solve it.
  24. Look at simple and cheap decor ideas online and in books and magazines. Choose a theme, then change one room around so it looks fresh – move furniture, buy stuff at thrift stores, paint or decorate walls, furniture or ornaments. Rearrange furniture to open up more floor space, make new curtains and cushion covers. If you don’t feel inspired, try the simple decor theme of white walls with colorful cushions, rugs, throws, prints/pictures/posters, ornaments, vases, light shades and plastic flowers.
  25. Make a moss garden or sand saucer – a dish filled with moss or sand and decorated with shells, flowers, stones, tiny figures, twigs, bits of mirror or broken dishes.
  26. Design a garden, even if you have limited or unpromising space. Make a succulent garden in a bowl if there is not actual garden.
  27. Design a tiny house.
  28. Take a class in something creative like making bead jewellery, life drawing, photography, sculpting, flower arranging, paper folding, stained glass, designing video games, crocheting amigurumi, pottery or painting. Or watch videos online.
  29. Look for a book on a creative person who really interests you, such as Picasso, Colette, James Baldwin, Georgia O’Keefe, Taika Waititi or Maya Angelou. Write down any ideas their story sparks in you about what creative things you could do in your life.
  30. Make a poem out of a piece of prose online or in a book or magazine, just by re-arranging the lines, without changing, adding or omitting any words.
  31. Look at a way of doing things at work and brainstorm to find a way of doing it that is more efficient and streamlined.
  32. Think of a new (to you) dish to make with leftover food.
  33. Design a greeting card and make it, possibly using found objects such as pressed flowers and leaves, a simple potato print, fabric scraps, buttons and beads, enamel dots, sequins, or beachy bits.
  34. Try to invent a new recipe. Maybe ask friends to tell you one random ingredient each then see what you can make with that.
  35. Use stencils to make a poster with a funny or snappy saying or favorite mantra, then decorate with gel, felt pens, watercolor pens, colored pencils.
  36. Make a short video for social media talking about an area of interest/expertise, high lighting things that are surprising.
  37. Try making candles from paraffin wax, soy wax or gel wax. Try making a candle with a wet sand mold, or pouring wax into a milk carton with a long candle surrounded by ice cubes, or making a gel candle with a seascape in it made from sand and beachy bits.
  38. Try an activity from a book by art therapist Leah Guzman called Essential Art Therapy Exercises: Effective Techniques to Manage Anxiety, Depression and PTSD. This book contains instructions for 75 artistic activities aimed at helping readers understand their feelings and thoughts more and develop more control over their emotions. They include drawing, painting, sculpting, photograpy, digital, art with found items, writing, and other media. No experience or skill is needed to do them and there are tips and lists of supplies. It costs less than $20. Try to do an activity each day for a week, one that you haven’t tried before.
  39. Look at any wood, nails, screws, pieces of plastic, wire or metal that you have lying around and try to come up with something practical and useful to make with them.
  40. Try to compose a piece of music for an instrument you play.
  41. Try a guided activity from the course Art Activities for Depression, Anxiety and Grief Part 1 with Dr Dawn-Elise Snipes on the Doc Snipes channel on YouTube. It is effectively a session with an art therapist, providing over an hour of practical instruction on exercises including collage, sculpture with playdough or papier mache, puppets, a gratitude tree, a wind chime, stained glass, a flag and a crest or logo.
  42. Come up with a theme for a party, invite your friends and make a costume.
  43. Take an art therapy course to increase your zest and vitality. Certified and experienced art therapist Anike Kehinde offers a course on Udemy called Art Therapy Course (Beginners to Advanced)for $85 (although it does go on special for $10.99 from time to time.) The course takes a total of seven hours and includes a free workbook. It starts with an introduction to art therapy, then guides the student to set up a safe space to make art. Anike then guides students through a range of artistic activities, including creating mandalas, collages, self portraits and abstract art.

iNuij C et al (2021) Safety Planning-Type Interventions for Suicide Prevention: Meta-Analysis, The British Journal of Psychiatry, 219(2): 419-426.

New Ways to Use Signature/ Character Strengths – Part 1: My List of 714 Ideas

/ kayemclaren / Leave a comment

Introduction – why I wrote this list

For the full list: to get a pdf of new ways of using all 24 strengths please email me at kaye.mclaren@gmail.com or drop a request with your email address in the comments section.

I’ve been wanting a list like this for 20 years. I was first introduced to the concept of Signature Strengths when I did the Authentic Happiness Coaching course in 2004/5 with Martin Seligman through the University of Pennsylvania. I used Signature Strengths with every coaching client I had in the next 20 years. And every time I did, I felt frustrated that I didn’t have a list of new ways to use strengths, as this has the most impact on mood.

Recently I got a new client and once again planned to get her to do the VIA Signature Strengths questionnaire online. And yet again realized I still didn’t have the list I want of new ways to use those strengths. So I decided to write one myself. I’m quite lazy so I put off doing this for 20 years, hoping someone else would do it! I know I will use this list a lot and I hope others find it useful too. If you would like a pdf of the whole list please drop your email address in a comment or email me at kaye.mclaren@gmail.com with the header ‘send me the strengths list’.

Why using signature/ character strengths in new ways matters

Why do we want to use our character strengths in new ways? In a nutshell, it’s because doing so leads to longer-lasting impacts on mood, both happiness and depression.

While using top-ranked strengths more has been shown to increase happiness immediately,i as well as increasing life satisfaction, subjective well-being, progress with goals, work satisfaction and meaning in life, the results don’t last much more than a week.ii iii iv

For a lasting increase in happiness, strengths need to be used in new and different ways. Repeated studies have found that using one of your top five strengths in a different way from usual every day for a week is enough to increase good feelings for up to six months.v Using lower-ranked strengths also works, with as much impact on happiness as using one of your top five strengths. This mood boost can start immediately and still be apparent three months later.vi

The same applies to depression. The results of using your strengths in the same old way don’t last. Focusing on strengths for a week reduced depression afterwards but not for longer.vii Two other studies found that using top strengths more often reduced depression.viii One interesting study found that using a lower-ranked strength has the same impact on depression as using one of the top five immediately after a week of doing it, but not for longer.ix

But again using top strengths in new and different ways reduced depression for one to six months.x Four out of the five studies I found on using strengths in new ways reported that this resulted in less depression for this longer time period.xi

So if we want using strengths to have a lasting positive impact on mood, we want to use them in ways we usually don’t. But it can be hard to think of new ways to think strengths. That’s why a list like this is useful. You can look through the 20 plus ideas for each of the 24 character strengths for things you don’t usually do, and try one of these.

You want to do something new for a week to get the full impact. So either choose one thing you can do every day for a week, or choose a variety of new things that allow you to do something new every day for a week. For example, you might do one thing for three days, and four things for one day each.

If you think of a new idea that could fit on one of these lists, please let me know in the comments.

Full list of 24 signature/character strengths

1. Wisdom and knowledge

  1. Curiosity [interest, novelty-seeking, openness to experience] (31 ideas)
  2. Creativity [originality, ingenuity] (43 ideas)
  3. Open-mindedness [judgment, critical thinking] (26 ideas)
  4. Love of Learning (29 ideas)
  5. Perspective [wisdom] (29 ideas)

2. Courage

  1. Bravery [valor] (28 ideas)
  2. Persistence [perseverance, industriousness] (36 ideas)
  3. Integrity [authenticity, honesty] (29 ideas)
  4. Vitality [zest, enthusiasm, vigor, energy] (33 ideas)

3. Humanity

  1. Love (25 ideas)
  2. Kindness [generosity, nurturance, care, compassion, altruistic love] (31 ideas)
  3. Social Intelligence (39 ideas)

4. Justice

  1. Fairness, Equity and Justice (28 ideas)
  2. Leadership (23 ideas)
  3. Citizenship [social responsibility, loyalty, teamwork] (23 ideas)

    5. Temperance (protecting against excess)
  4. Forgiveness and Mercy (33 ideas)
  5. Humility / Modesty (21 ideas)
  6. Prudence (24 ideas)
  7. Self-Regulation[self-control] (32 ideas)

    6. Transcendence
  8. Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence [awe, wonder, elevation] (33 ideas)
  9. Gratitude (26 ideas)
  10. Hope [optimism, future-mindedness, future orientation] (35 ideas)
  11. Humor [playfulness] (28 ideas)
  12. Spirituality [religiousness, faith, purpose] (27 ideas)

iSeligman M E P et al (2005) Positive Psychology Progress: Empirical Validation of Interventions, American Psychologist: 60(5): 410-421.

iiLinley P A et al (2010) Using Signature Strengths in Pursuit of Goals: Effects on Goal Progress, Need Satisfaction and Well-Being, and Implications for Coaching Psychologists, International Coaching Psychology Review, 5(1); Littman-Ovadia H and Steger M (2010) Character Strengths and Well-Being among Volunteers and Employees: Toward an Integrative Model, The Journal of Positive Psychology, 5(6): 419-430; Mitchell J et al (2009) A Randomised Controlled Trial of a Self-Guided Internet Intervention Promoting Well-Being, Computers in Human Behavior, 25(3): 749-760; Proctor C et al (2011) Strengths Use as a Predictor of Well-Being and Health-Related Quality of Life, Journal of Happiness Studies, 12(1): 153-169.

iiiSchutte N S and Malouff J M (2019) The Impact of Signature Character Strengths Interventions: A Meta-Analysis, Journal of Happiness Studies, 20: 1179-1196.

ivQuinlan D, Swain N and Vella-Brodrick D (2012) Character Strengths Interventions: Building on What We Know for Improved Outcomes, Journal of Happiness Studies, 13(6).

vGander F et al (2013) Strength-Based Positive Interventions: Further Evidence for their Potential in Enhancing Well-Being and Alleviating Depression, Journal of Happiness Studies, 14(4): 1241-1259; Mongrain M and Anselmo-Matthews T (2012) Do Positive Psychology Exercises Work? A Replication of Seligman et al, Journal of Clinical Psychology, 68(4); Proyer R T et al (2014) Positive Psychology Interventions in People aged 50–79 Years: Long-Term Effects of Placebo-Controlled Online Interventions on Well-Being and Depression, Aging and Mental Health, 18(8): 997-1005: Proyer R T et al (2015) Strengths-Based Positive Psychology Interventions: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Online Trial on Long-Term Effects for a Signature Strengths vs a Lesser Strengths Intervention, Frontiers in Psychology, 6: 456; Seligman M E P et al (2005) Positive Psychology Progress: Empirical Validation of Interventions, American Psychologist: 60(5): 410-421.

viProyer R T et al (2015) Strengths-Based Positive Psychology Interventions: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Online Trial on Long-Term Effects for a Signature Strengths vs a Lesser Strengths Intervention, Frontiers in Psychology, 6: 456.

viiSeligman M E P et al (2005) Positive Psychology Progress: Empirical Validation of Interventions, American Psychologist: 60(5): 410-421.

viiiSeligman M E P et al (2005) Positive Psychology Progress: Empirical Validation of Interventions, American Psychologist: 60(5): 410-421.

ixProyer R T et al (2015) Strengths-Based Positive Psychology Interventions: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Online Trial on Long-Term Effects for a Signature Strengths vs a Lesser Strengths-Intervention, Frontiers in Psychology, 6: 456.

xGander F et al (2013) Strength-Based Positive Interventions: Further Evidence for their Potential in Enhancing Well-Being and Alleviating Depression, Journal of Happiness Studies, 14(4): 1241-1259; Proyer R T et al (2014) Positive Psychology Interventions in People aged 50–79 Years: Long-Term Effects of Placebo-Controlled Online Interventions on Well-Being and Depression, Aging and Mental Health, 18(8): 997-1005: Proyer R T et al (2015) Strengths-Based Positive Psychology Interventions: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Online Trial on Long-Term Effects for a Signature Strengths vs a Lesser Strengths-Intervention, Frontiers in Psychology, 6: 456; Seligman M E P et al (2005) Positive Psychology Progress: Empirical Validation of Interventions, American Psychologist: 60(5): 410-421.

xiMongrain M and Anselmo-Matthews T (2012) Do Positive Psychology Exercises Work? A Replication of Seligman et al, Journal of Clinical Psychology, 68(4).

My Map of the Hero’s Journey from Depression to Happiness is now for sale

/ kayemclaren / Leave a comment

So why a map? I came up with this idea because the book I’m writing about how to get from depression to happiness was getting very complex. It occurred to me that it would be really helpful to have a picture that illustrated what I was talking about at a glance. So the map was born.

It is based on a LOT of research, as well as my own experience. The territories that people move through are based on stages of change from the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) of healthy behavior change, which describes the process people go through in developing new habits in a range of areas – substance abuse, crime, eating, and depression among them.

This model is based on a HUGE amount of research. In addition, I have the 20 Travel Tips to guide heroes along the trail. These are based on a lot more studies, as well as my own personal experience of transforming depression into happiness.

The trail visuals are based on the infamous Oregon Trail of the late 1800s, a brutal, challenging journey undertaken by people in hope of a new and better life. I felt this was a good analogy for the challenging journey we face when we set out to change the thoughts, behaviors, relationships and habits that keep us depressed.

I wanted to illustrate a few ideas with this map:

  1. that becoming happy involves a journey, with multiple challenges. I think the more severely you are depressed or the longer you’ve suffered from depression, the more challenging that journey will be. It’s not about doing a few simple things, unless your depression is mild and recent. It involves a lot more, and takes a lot of courage and resolve.
  2. That brings me onto the next thing I wanted to highlight with the map. That those of us who undertake this journey are heroes. We are so accustomed to being seen and talked about negatively that this might be a surprising idea. But I see every one of us as heroes. We did not ask to have depression and we do our best every day to cope, despite the lethargy and low motivation that are symptoms of this illness.
  3. It is not about jumping straight into action. There are stages before this.
  4. There are strategies that work best at each stage of the journey.

One thing that may surprise you about this map is that you don’t see the usual self-help strategies for depression anywhere. Don’t worry – I haven’t left them out! They just form a separate part of my book. Called 65 Delicious Dishes to Defeat Depression and Hasten Happiness, they include all the major self-help techniques taken from a list of over 100 types of mood therapy. You’ll see references to choosing and using ‘dishes’ in the Travel Tips.

The dishes are the foods that give you sustenance on the journey, just as hobbits had elven bread and Oregon Trail travelers had hard tack. Along with some more appetizing foods when times were good! The central principle of choosing from the dishes is to pick what appeals to you, because people have different tastes. I’m working on a poster to illustrate the 65 Delicious Dishes, but that’s a while off.

So how do you use this map? There are a few ways:

  1. look at it and try to work out what Territory you are in – in other words, what Stage of Change you’re at. Are you just starting out, taking some practical steps, into full-on action or maintaining your changes?
  2. You can also see what challenges may be coming up, which helps you plan for them.
  3. Lastly, you can look at the Travel Tips in the Territory you’re currently in and see if any of them can help you on your journey.

If you want a copy of the map for yourself you can buy it at my online Redbubble store called KayesHappyShop.

Visit my Redbubble shop

The Magic of Savoring – do More and your Joys Increase!

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I’ve just finished the section on savoring for my book on transforming depression into happiness and I found out some facts that blew my mind. Turns out savoring is a lot like compounding interest. Just like you can use money to make money via interest, you can use savoring to grow the good things and joy in your life.

First of all, savoring increases joy. What is savoring? It’s noticing the good things in your life, especially while they’re happening. Looking forward to them and remembering also increase good feelings. But the real pay off comes from paying attention in the moment. Thinking about the positive aspects of what’s happening, tuning into your senses (taste, feelings in or on your body, smell, hearing, sight), showing your emotions by laughing, whooping or making other noises also help. Savoring also decreases negative feelings and depression.

Now here’s the first amazing fact. Even if you start out with a relatively low level of positive experiences in your life – due to ill health, caring for an elderly relative, working long hours, being poor or social isolation – you can be JUST AS HAPPY as someone with more good things in their lives if you savor the good you have. The people who are less happy are those who have fewer positive experiences and DON’T savor them.

I can relate to this because I have a chronic illness that means I’m stuck in bed for most of many days. But I’ve stayed happy despite it, and despite losing my house and career. Reading the research on savoring has helped me understand that part of how I’ve managed to do this is savoring. I made the decision to NOTICE every good thing – write a list of what I was looking forward to, pay attention while it was happening, then write it down after it happened. Plus I told other people about the positive experiences I had. (I also made a decision to deliberately try to have more positive experiences each day, even if it was something small like watching a funny YouTube video or reading a library book.)

Around this time I read an interview with Tom Hanks about his difficult childhood after his mother abandoned him. I was struck by something he said. It was “I learned to be happy with very little.” This became my mantra. I had very little – money, energy, friends nearby – but I was determined to be happy with it. Savoring was a big part of how I succeeded at that goal.

Now here’s the next freaky thing from the research. When I first read it I could hardly make sense of it, because it seemed so unlikely. University lecturer Dr Paul Jose and his students found that when people savor more, the good events in their life actually INCREASE! That’s right – simply being present and noticing the positive events and experiences means you get more of them.

I suspect the reason for this is the increase in good feelings that results from savoring. Happiness researcher Dr Barbara Fredrickson found that when people feel more positive emotions they become more open to new information and to taking action. So maybe a person who savors more becomes more able to notice the positive things in their life that they may have been overlooking. And maybe they become more willing to be active, which on its own increases positive feelings.

The increase in good feelings that came from savoring was found to partly explain why older people who did more savoring had better health two and a half years later. A number of long-term studies of thousands of people have found that those who have higher levels of positive emotions are less likely to become ill with things like cancer and heart disease, and less likely to die early than those with higher levels of negative emotions.

But here’s another interesting thing from the research. Adding savoring to something known to increase good feelings – like physical exercise or doing more activities – increases good feelings above and beyond the actual activity. Simply paying attention to what we’re doing makes us feel better. That’s important, because we spend a lot of time simply not paying attention to what we’re doing and so missing out on the positive buzz it could give us. One study of 5000 people found that 49% – just under half – of all the people they surveyed had wandering minds during a range of 22 activities.

Their minds wandered least during sex – not that surprising! And most during work and commuting to work. Also not surprising. But here’s something that did surprise me – no matter how enjoyable or dull the activity was, paying attention while doing it resulted in as much or more good feelings as thinking about something else. When the thoughts were pleasant, they led to about as much good feelings as the activity. But when they were unpleasant or even just neutral, they made people feel worse than when they simply paid attention to what they were doing. And here’s what really blew my mind. This was true even when the activity was one of the most tedious ones, like commuting to work.

So there you go. Simply paying attention to the thing you are doing is going to make you feel better. If it’s a pleasant activity, the pleasure should be greater. If you think about the positive aspects of it, even better. And doing this regularly can not only make you as happy as someone with lots of great experiences even if you have low levels of them – it can result in you have more positive experiences to savor. Which – if you savor those new experiences – can lead to even more good feelings, less depression, better health and more good experiences. This is what Dr Fredrickson calls “an upward positive spiral”. So savoring is a happiness practice to be highly recommended.

Supplements that reduce depression

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Supplements SAMe, 5-HTP, tryptophan and psychedelics can help depression

Evidence level: low to moderate

Reduces depression: SAMe, 5-HTP, tryptophan, psychedelics

How long it takes to work: differs across supplements, psychedelics from one day onwards, SAMe two to 12 weeks, NAC 12 to 24 weeks, 5-HTP seven to 56 days

A bit more information: scientists have investigated a number of naturally occurring substances for their antidepressant properties. This search seems to have been motivated in part by the side effects mainstream antidepressants bring with them. I review some of the most researched supplements below, and note which are most effective

SAMe: SAMe is a sulphur-containing compound that may affect regulation of neurotransmitters, among other bodily functions. It has been found to be low in people with Major Depressive Disorder.i SAMe had more impact on depression than a placebo in the majority of studies done to date (three out of five). A number of studies have found it is as effective as mainstream antidepressants, both tricyclics and SSRIs.ii But most studies found SAMe combined with a mainstream antidepressant didn’t have any impact than the med on its own.iii All of the reviews commented on the low quality of the research, meaning I get to say that thing researchers love to say – more research is needed!iv For those interested in trying it, the dose used is 200 to 3200mg and it takes two to 12 weeks to have an impact.v SAMe also appears more effective when injected into a vein or muscle rather than taken orally.vi Side effects are mild and transient, although no fewer people stop taking SAMe than mainstream meds.vii

NAC: N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is an antioxidant. It has mainly been studied when taken together with antidepressants. The impact on depression is small.viii It is well tolerated when taken orally in doses of 200 to 2400mg per day, with the main side effect being stomach upsets.ix But it has not shown the impact of other supplements like 5-HTP or the psychedelics. To put this in context, 5-HTP has shown three to five times the impact on depression that NAC has, and the psychedelics have shown two to three times the impact.

Inositol: inositol is a polymer of glucose that has been found to be low in people with depression.x The very few (seven up to 2014) studies that have been done on it find it has no significant impact on depression, although it is well tolerated.xi It is far out-performed by other supplements such as fish oil, Saint Johns Wort, vitamins and zinc, 5-HTP or the psychedelics (see below for more on the latter two).

5-HTP: 5-htp is a serotonin precursor, that is, something that can be converted by the brain into the neurotransmitter serotonin. It is derived from tryptophan but has an advantage over tryptophan in that it can easily cross the blood-brain barrier.xii Like inositol, it has had very few studies carried out on it of good quality. To give you a sense of what that means, a review of research from 1966 to 2000 found 108 studies of 5-HTP and tryptophan, of which only ONE on 5-HTP was considered good enough to review! This study showed 5-HTP did better than a placebo against depression.xiii Luckily by 2020 there were 13 studies good enough to analyze. Their analysis showed that 5-htp had a very large impact on depression, much greater than mainstream antidepressants. It also found something very rare – in some studies 80 to 90% of the people who took it went into remission – that is, didn’t show up on tests as depressed any more.xiv The only other time I have seen this result is with one study of the Mediterranean diet. Psychiatrist Dr Tracey Marks says the downside of 5-HTP is that is has a very short half-life, which means you need to take it three to four times a day. The dosage used in the studies with the highest recovery rates from depression was 150 to 300mg per day (in total – NOT three to four doses of 150 to 300mg per day. You can take this much but the study that went this high showed quite low recovery rates, and the side effects would be even worse).xv It can also have some nasty side effects, including severe nausea and even vomiting.

Tryptophan: like 5-HTP, tryptophan is serotonin precursor. But it has a harder time crossing the blood-brain barrier than 5-HTP because it has to hitch a ride with an L-type amino acid transporter, and has a lot of competition for doing so. Once in the brain it is converted into 5-HTPxvi Again, very few studies of good quality have been carried out on it. One study in a 2002 review found it did better than a placebo in reducing depression.xvii But the very low numbers of people involved in trials means it is not possible to draw firm conclusions.xviii A 2013 review concluded tryptophan was at level 3 for evidence of effectiveness in depression, which means the quality of evidence is low.xix The most recent review in 2016 concluded that results were mixed, but there were no side effects.xx Overall, 5-HTP seems a better option than tryptophan.

Psychedelic drugs (psilocybin/LSD/ayahuasca): as with other drugs in this list, very few studies have been carried out on the psychedelics – a recent review could come up with only six. Overall, they found a positive impact.xxi An analysis of three studies found a large impact on depression and no serious side effects.xxii A larger analysis of eight studies found a large impact on depression from day one for five studies, which was sustained at six months for four studies. They noted transient increases in blood pressure, heart rate and other bodily functions but no large or lasting side effects.xxiii As for dosage, one study found that a high dose of psilocybin (22-30mg per 70kg of body weight) had more impact at both five to six weeks and six months after being taken than a low dose. It also found that having a mystical experience after taking it explained part of the impact on depression.xxiv So psychedelics work, although it would be good to have more studies. The big issues are getting strains that are pure, accurately measuring dosage, getting expert supervision for taking them and – the small matter of them being illegal drugs! But apart from that, no problems.

The best and the rest: based on the evidence, this list starts with the best – that is, the most effective – and goes through to the least effective.

  1. Biggest bang goes to 5-HTP although this is based on very few studies. It also resulted in remission – that is, a reduction of depression to non-clinical levels – in the majority of people who took it, something that is quite rare in the literature. There are issues with how often you have to take it and nasty side effects but on the plus side – it’s legal!
  2. Coming in second, but only just, are the psychedelics, which also showed a large impact on depression. Again this was for a small group of studies, smaller than 5-HTP. Clinically significant reductions in depression were seen in 80% of people who took psilocybin six months after they took it in one study. There are practical issues with getting pure samples, correct dosage and good supervision, not to mention being illegal drugs but as far as effectiveness goes, they’re pretty good.
  3. SAMe is as effective as standard antidepressants and more effective than placebo based in quite a few studies, giving it number three place in the list. It also works best when injected, giving it some practical issues compared to drugs that can be taken orally.
  4. Tryptophan is far outperformed by 5-HTP and the psychedelics and has some issues with getting across the blood-brain barrier that 6-HTP doesn’t. Likewise NAC is far less researched and less effective than the top two antidepressants in this list.
  5. Coming dead last is inositol, which appears to have no impact at all.

i Cuomo A, Crescenzi B B, Bolognesi S, Goracci A, Koukouna D, Rossi R and Fagiolini A (2020) S-Adenosylmethionine (SAMe) in Major Depressive Disorder (MDD): A Clinician-Oriented Systematic Review, Annals of General Psychiatry, 19(1); 1-7.

ii Galizia I, Oldani, L. Macritchie K, Amari E, Dougall D, Jones T N and Young A H (2016) S‐Adenosyl Methionine (SAMe) for Depression in Adults, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (10); Papakostas G I (2009) Evidence for S-Adenosyl-L-Methionine (SAM-e) for the Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder, The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 70: 18.

iii Cuomo A, Crescenzi B B, Bolognesi S, Goracci A, Koukouna D, Rossi R and Fagiolini A (2020) S-Adenosylmethionine (SAMe) in Major Depressive Disorder (MDD): A Clinician-Oriented Systematic Review, Annals of General Psychiatry, 19(1); 1-7; Papakostas G I (2009) Evidence for S-Adenosyl-L-Methionine (SAM-e) for the Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder, The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 70: 18

iv Ravindran A V and da Silva T L (2013) Complementary and Alternative Therapies as Add-On to Pharmacotherapy for Mood and Anxiety Disorders: A Systematic Review, Journal of Affective Disorders, 150(3): 707-719.

v Cuomo A, Crescenzi B B, Bolognesi S, Goracci A, Koukouna D, Rossi R and Fagiolini A (2020) S-Adenosylmethionine (SAMe) in Major Depressive Disorder (MDD): A Clinician-Oriented Systematic Review, Annals of General Psychiatry, 19(1); 1-7.

vi Galizia I, Oldani, L. Macritchie K, Amari E, Dougall D, Jones T N and Young A H (2016) S‐Adenosyl Methionine (SAMe) for Depression in Adults, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (10); Papakostas G I (2009) Evidence for S-Adenosyl-L-Methionine (SAM-e) for the Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder, The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 70: 18.

vii Low adverse events, no diff in drop out rates Cuomo A, Crescenzi B B, Bolognesi S, Goracci A, Koukouna D, Rossi R and Fagiolini A (2020) S-Adenosylmethionine (SAMe) in Major Depressive Disorder (MDD): A Clinician-Oriented Systematic Review, Annals of General Psychiatry, 19(1); 1-7 ;Galizia I, Oldani, L. Macritchie K, Amari E, Dougall D, Jones T N and Young A H (2016) S‐Adenosyl Methionine (SAMe) for Depression in Adults, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (10);

viii Fernandes B S, Dean O M, Dodd S, Malhi G S and Berk M (2016) N-Acetylcysteine in Depressive Symptoms and Functionality: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 77(4): e457-66; Kishi T, Miyake, N, Okuya M, Sakuma K and Iwata N (2020) N-Acetylcysteine as an Adjunctive Treatment for Bipolar Depression and Major Depressive Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Double-Blind, Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trials, Psychopharmacology, 1-7; Zheng W, Zhang Q E, Cai D B, Yang X H, Qiu Y, Ungvari G S and Xiang Y T (2018) N‐Acetylcysteine for Major Mental Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials, Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 137(5): 391-400.

ix Ooi S L, Green R and Pak S C (2018) N-Acetylcysteine for the Treatment of Psychiatric Disorders: A Review of Current Evidence, BioMed Research International, 2018.

x Levine J, Barak Y, Gonzalves M, Szor H, Elizur A, Kofman O and Belmaker R H (1995) Double-Blind, Controlled Trial of Inositol Treatment of Depression, American Journal of Psychiatry, 152(5): 792-793.

xi Mukai T, Kishi T, Matsuda Y and Iwata N (2014) A Meta‐Analysis of Inositol for Depression and Anxiety Disorders, Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental, 29(1): 55-63; Taylor M J, Wilder H, Bhagwagar Z and Geddes J (2004) Inositol for Depressive Disorders, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (1).

xii Javelle F, Lampit A, Bloch W, Häussermann P, Johnson S L and Zimmer P (2020) Effects of 5-Hydroxytryptophan on Distinct Types of Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, Nutrition Reviews, 78(1): 77-88.

xiii Shaw K, Turner J and Del Mar C (2002) Are Tryptophan and 5-Hydroxytryptophan Effective Treatments for Depression? A Meta-Analysis, Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 36(4): 488-491.

xiv Javelle F, Lampit A, Bloch W, Häussermann P, Johnson S L and Zimmer P (2020) Effects of 5-Hydroxytryptophan on Distinct Types of Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, Nutrition Reviews, 78(1): 77-88.

xv Javelle F, Lampit A, Bloch W, Häussermann P, Johnson S L and Zimmer P (2020) Effects of 5-Hydroxytryptophan on Distinct Types of Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, Nutrition Reviews, 78(1): 77-88.

xvi Javelle F, Lampit A, Bloch W, Häussermann P, Johnson S L and Zimmer P (2020) Effects of 5-Hydroxytryptophan on Distinct Types of Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, Nutrition Reviews, 78(1): 77-88.

xvii Shaw K, Turner J and Del Mar C (2002) Are Tryptophan and 5-Hydroxytryptophan Effective Treatments for Depression? A Meta-Analysis, Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 36(4): 488-491.

xviii Shaw K, Turner J and Del Mar C (2002) Are Tryptophan and 5-Hydroxytryptophan Effective Treatments for Depression? A Meta-Analysis, Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 36(4): 488-491.

xix Ravindran A V and da Silva T L (2013) Complementary and Alternative Therapies as Add-On to Pharmacotherapy for Mood and Anxiety Disorders: A Systematic Review, Journal of Affective Disorders, 150(3): 707-719.

xx Sarris J, Murphy J, Mischoulon D, Papakostas G I, Fava M, Berk M and Ng C H (2016) Adjunctive Nutraceuticals for Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses, American Journal of Psychiatry, 173(6): 575-587.

xxi Dos Santos R G, Osório F L, Crippa J A S, Riba J, Zuardi A W and Hallak J E (2016) Antidepressive, Anxiolytic and Antiaddictive Effects of Ayahuasca, Psilocybin and Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD): A Systematic Review of Clinical Trials Published in the Last 25 Years, Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology, 6(3): 193-213.

xxii Goldberg S B, Pace B T, Nicholas C R, Raison C L and Hutson P R (2020) The Experimental Effects of Psilocybin on Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression: A Meta-Analysis, Psychiatry Research, 284: 112749.

xxiii Romeo B, Karila L, Martelli C and Benyamina A (2020) Efficacy of Psychedelic Treatments on Depressive Symptoms: A Meta-Analysis, Journal of Psychopharmacology, 0269881120919957.

xxiv Griffiths R R, Johnson M W, Carducci M A, Umbricht A, Richards W A, Richards B D and Klinedinst M A (2016) Psilocybin Produces Substantial and Sustained Decreases in Depression and Anxiety in Patients with Life-Threatening Cancer: A Randomized Double-Blind Trial, Journal of Psychopharmacology, 30(12): 1181-1197.

Getting in a good mood with fruit and vegetables

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Want to know which food has the biggest impact on your mood? You could be forgiven for saying ‘fish’. We hear a lot about how the omega 3 fatty acids in oily fish are good for depression. and that’s not false – they are.i

But we really hit pay dirt with fruit and vegetables – for both depression and happiness. Studies show that eating more fruit and vegetables is associated with greater happiness across a wide age-group, from teens to men in their nineties.ii But association doesn’t equal cause. It could be that people who feel happy eat a healthier diet (although research hasn’t found this to be the case so far).iii

The more important finding is that eating more fruit and vegetables is followed by greater psychological well-being over time. Not just happiness, but a long list of other positive outcomes increase, including optimism, self-efficacy, quality of life, vitality, flourishing, curiosity, creativity, mental well-being, life satisfaction, engagement, purpose, meaning in life and motivation.iv Which is what we want!

And the good feelings go up the more you eat. Each extra serving increases well-being by a significant amount. But to make a meaningful change in positive emotions a total of seven to eight servings per day are required.v

The impact isn’t small – one study found the change in life satisfaction for changing diet was equal to that of someone who is unemployed finding work, which has a major impact on mental health.vi The impact on well-being of eating fruit and veg is greater than exercise.vii If only chocolate had the same effect, I hear you cry. Good news! One study found that a cocoa supplement increased calm and contentedness compared to no supplement.viii But I think we all knew that already.

Do these foods also pack a big punch for depression? The answer is pretty clear. Eating more fruit and vegetables takes depression down. Along with fiber, this has a greater impact on depression than eating more fish or reducing red meat, fatty meat or cholesterol intake.ix This holds true even when controlling for other factors, such as age, gender, or social and financial circumstances.x Eating a diverse range of vegetables also helps,xi as does eating them raw rather than processed (although processed, such as cooked or tinned, is better than none)xii.

So to sum up – if you want to feel happier, eat more fruit and vegetables, particularly raw. Eat a diverse range with lots of red and orange colors. You can go as high as eight servings a day – the higher you go, the more your mood will benefit. And it works quickly – you’ll feel the impact from as soon as a day later.

iReduces Depression recent Appleton K M, Rogers P J and Ness A R (2010) Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Effects of N− 3 Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on Depressed Mood, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 91(3): 757-770; Deacon G, Kettle C, Hayes D, Dennis and Tucci J (2017) omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and the Treatment of Depression, Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 57(1): 212-223; Hallahan B, Ryan T, Hibbeln J R, Murray I T, Glynn S, Ramsden C E … and Davis J M (2016) Efficacy of Omega-3 Highly Unsaturated Fatty Acids in the Treatment of Depression.,The British Journal of Psychiatry, 209(3): 192-201; Liao Y, Xie B, Zhang H, He Q, Guo L, Subramaniapillai M … and Mclntyer R S (2019) Efficacy of Omega-3 PUFAs in Depression: A Meta-Analysis, Translational Psychiatry, 9(1): 1-9; Lin P Y and Su K P (2007) A Meta-Analytic Review of Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trials of Antidepressant Efficacy of Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 68(7): 1056-1061; Yang J R, Han D, Qiao Z X, Tian X, Qi D, and Qiu X H (2015) Combined Application of Eicosapentaenoic Acid and Docosahexaenoic Acid on Depression in Women: A Meta-Analysis of Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trials, Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, 11: 2055.

iiEating f/v asscod w greater happiness Blanchflower D G, Oswald A J and Stewart-Brown S (2013) Is Psychological Well-Being Linked to the Consumption of Fruit and Vegetables? Social Indicators Research, 114(3); young people Brookie K L, Best G I and Conner T S (2018) Intake of Raw Fruits and Vegetables is Associated with Better Mental Health than Intake of Processed Fruits and Vegetables, Frontiers in Psychology, 9: 487; Jyvakorpi S K, Urtamo A, Pitkälä K H and Strandberg T E (2018) Happiness of the Oldest-Old Men is Associated with Fruit and Vegetable Intakes, European Geriatric Medicine, 9(5); 687-690; uni students Lesani A, Mohammadpoorasl A, Javadi M, Esfeh J M and Fakhari A (2016) Eating Breakfast, Fruit and Vegetable Intake and their Relation with Happiness in College Students, Eating and Weight Disorders – Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity, 21(4): 645-651.

iiiHappier people eat more f/v Tuck N J, Farrow C and Thomas J M (2019) Assessing the Effects of Vegetable Consumption on the Ppsychological Health of Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review of Prospective Research, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 110(1): 196-211.

ivMore f and v leads to greater happiness over time Conner T S, Brookie K L, Richardson, A.C and Polak M A (2015) On Carrots and Curiosity: Eating Fruit and Vegetables is Associated with Greater Flourishing in Daily Life, British Journal of Health Psychology, 20(2): 413-427; Conner T S, Brookie K L, Carr A C, Mainvil L A and Vissers M C (2017) Let Them Eat Fruit! The Effect of Fruit and Vegetable Consumption on Psychological Well-Being in Young Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial, PloS One, 12(2): e0171206; ADVentist church Ford P A, Jaceldo-Siegl K, Lee J W, Youngberg W and Tonstad S (2013) Intake of Mediterranean Foods Associated with Positive Affect and Low Negative Affect, Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 74(2): 142-148; Głąbska D, Guzek D, Groele B and Gutkowska K (2020) Fruit and Vegetable Intake and Mental Health in Adults: A Systematic Review, Nutrients, 12(1): 115; Mujcic R and J Oswald A (2016) Evolution of Well-Being and Happiness after Increases in Consumption of Fruit and Vegetables, American Journal of Public Health, 106(8): 1504-1510; Ocean N, Howley P and Ensor J (2018) Lettuce Be Happy: The Effects of Fruit and Vegetable Consumption on Subjective Well-Being in the UK, Leeds University Business School Working Paper, (18-12); Tuck N J, Farrow C and Thomas J M (2019) Assessing the Effects of Vegetable Consumption on the Ppsychological Health of Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review of Prospective Research, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 110(1): 196-211; White B A, Horwath C C and Conner T S (2013) Many Apples a Day Keep the Blues Away – Daily Experiences of Negative and Positive Affect and Food Consumption in Young Adults, British Journal of Health Psychology, 18(4): 782-798.

v F/v greater than exercise Tuck N J, Farrow C and Thomas J M (2019) Assessing the Effects of Vegetable Consumption on the Ppsychological Health of Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review of Prospective Research, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 110(1): 196-211.

viImpact of f/v on life satisf as great as finding work Mujcic R and J Oswald A (2016) Evolution of Well-Being and Happiness after Increases in Consumption of Fruit and Vegetables, American Journal of Public Health, 106(8): 1504-1510.

vii F/v greater than exercise Tuck N J, Farrow C and Thomas J M (2019) Assessing the Effects of Vegetable Consumption on the Ppsychological Health of Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review of Prospective Research, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 110(1): 196-211.

viiiCocoa calm contentedness Pase M P, Scholey A B, Pipingas A, Kras M, Nolidin K, Gibbs A … and Stough C (2013) Cocoa Polyphenols Enhance Positive Mood States but not Cognitive Performance: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial, Journal of Psychopharmacology, 27(5): 451-458, in Bear T L K, Dalziel J E, Coad J, Roy N C, Butts C A and Gopal P K (2020) The Role of the Gut Microbiota in Dietary Interventions for Depression and Anxiety, Advances in Nutrition, 11(4): 890-907.

ixMore fruit and veg lead to less depression Blanchflower D G, Oswald A J and Stewart-Brown S (2013) Is Psychological Well-Being Linked to the Consumption of Fruit and Vegetables? Social Indicators Research, 114(3): 785-801; Brookie K L, Best G I and Conner T S (2018) Intake of Raw Fruits and Vegetables is Associated with Better Mental Health than Intake of Processed Fruits and Vegetables, Frontiers in Psychology, 9: 487; Carr A C, Pullar J M and Vissers M C (2013) Beating the Blues -The Association between Fruit and Vegetable Intake and Improved Mood, The New Zealand Medical Journal, 126: 131-132; Ford P A, Jaceldo-Siegl K, Lee J W, Youngberg W and Tonstad S (2013) Intake of Mediterranean FoodsAssociated with Positive Affect and Low Negative Affect, Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 74(2): 142-148; Głąbska D, Guzek D, Groele B and Gutkowska K (2020) Fruit and Vegetable Intake and Mental Health in Adults: A Systematic Review, Nutrients, 12(1): 115; Huang Q, Liu H, Suzuki K, Ma, S and Liu C (2019) Linking What we Eat to our Mood: A Review of Diet, Dietary Antioxidants and Depression. Antioxidants, 8(9): 376; Liu X, Yan Y, Li F and Zhang D (2016) Fruit and Vegetable Consumption and the Risk of Depression: A Meta-Analysis, Nutrition, 32: 296–302; McMartin S E, Jacka F N and Colman I (2013) The Association between Fruit and Vegetable Consumption and Mental Health Disorders: Evidence from Five Waves of a National Survey of Canadians, Preventive Medicine, 56(3-4): 225-230; Opie R S, O’Neil A, Itsiopoulos C and Jacka F N (2015) The Impact of Whole-of-Diet Interventions on Depression and Anxiety: A Systematic Review of Randomised Controlled Trials, Public Health Nutrition, 18(11): 2074-2093; Tuck N J, Farrow C and Thomas J M (2019) Assessing the Effects of Vegetable Consumption on the Ppsychological Health of Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review of Prospective Research, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 110(1): 196-211.

xImpact of f/v holds true controlling for other factors Blanchflower D G, Oswald A J and Stewart-Brown S (2013) “Is Psychological Well-Being Linked to the Consumption of Fruit and Vegetables?” Social Indicators Research, 114(3); McMartin S E, Jacka F N and Colman I (2013) The Association between Fruit and Vegetable Consumption and Mental Health Disorders: Evidence from Five Waves of a National Survey of Canadians, Preventive Medicine, 56(3-4): 225-230; 225-230; Tuck N J, Farrow C and Thomas J M (2019) Assessing the Effects of Vegetable Consumption on the Ppsychological Health of Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review of Prospective Research, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 110(1): 196-211.

xiDiverse range of veges Parletta N, Zarnowiecki D, Cho J, Wilson A, Bogomolova S, Villani A, Itsiopoulos C, Niyonsanga T, Blunden S, Segal L et al (2019) A Mediterranean-Style Dietary Intervention Supplemented with Fish Oil improves Diet Quality and Mental Health in People with Depression: A Randomized Controlled Trial (HELFIMED), Nutritional Neuroscience, 22: 474–487.

xiiRaw rather than processed Brookie K L, Best G I and Conner T S (2018) Intake of Raw Fruits and Vegetables is Associated with Better Mental Health than Intake of Processed Fruits and Vegetables, Frontiers in Psychology, 9: 487.

BREXIT – how to feel less sad and worried with these things to do, think/say and read

/ kayemclaren / Leave a comment

brit flagIt worries me that people are so distressed about BREXIT.  Some people are going beyond angst to clinical anxiety and depression.  So I’ve compiled a list of things you can do, say/think and read that might make you feel better.  And once you feel better, you’ll be more able and motivated to take action to help get Britain to a better place.  If you want to!

All of these things – taking action, answering negative thoughts and bibliotherapy – are proven effective in reducing sadness and worry.

  1. What to do: this is just as effective in reducing negative thoughts as changing your thoughts directly.
  • Write a letter to your local M.P.
  • Start a petition to re-join the EU.
  • Join a political party that you think might get Britain to a better place.
  • Read up on the EU and the pros and cons of belonging.
  • Talk online about this topic, in terms of ‘what actions shall we take?’.
  • Volunteer to help at a homeless shelter or some other charity that helps people in need, to address the problems caused by inequality.
  • Organize a march, whether for or against re-joining the EU.
  • Make a sign and put it in your front yard or window.
  • Start a Facebook group to work towards re-joining the EU or staying out of it.
  • Write a list of things that are still good about Britain.
  • Write a flyer and deliver it locally.
  1. What to think/say: a lot of the discussion about BREXIT is characterized by mistakes in logic and reasoning such as catastrophizing, all or nothing thinking, fortune telling, emotional reasoning and overgeneralization. I’m not on either side – I just want people to not stress over it or get so paralyzed by emotion they can’t take action. Here are some different ways of looking at it that may make you feel better.
  • The predictions about the dire effects of leaving the EU are words and thoughts, not facts. These things have not happened yet.  They may never (mistakes = catastrophizing i.e. thinking something is going to be terrible, and fortune telling, or predicting the future).
  • Just because talking and thinking about these dire predictions makes me feel bad, doesn’t make them true (mistake = emotional reasoning i.e. believing that because a thought makes you feel bad that means it is true).
  • Maybe not all the consequences of leaving – or even the majority – will be negative. In life things are generally a mix of negative and positive, even the worst things, and there may be good consequences (mistakes = all or nothing thinking, focus on the negatives).
  • Just because one bad thing has happened as a result (the drop in value of the pound – I don’t think we can count the resignation of David Cameron as a bad thing!) does not mean all the bad things predicted will happen, or even most of them. This may be a panic reaction and could change (mistake = overgeneralization i.e. predicting a lot of bad things based on one bad thing).

dave cameron

David Cameron waves bye bye

  • This situation may not last forever. Britain may decide it’s better off in the EU and vote to go back, in which case the EU is highly likely to say ‘yes’ (mistake = permanence i.e. believing bad things will last forever).
  • Britain has survived much worse things, like Maggie Thatcher and World War 2. It will survive this, and possibly even end up better.
  • Overall, history shows us that the life circumstances of human beings have improved, despite ups and downs. Dire predictions of how changes are likely to be disastrous (such as the industrial revolution) have usually turned out to be untrue.  This may be the case now (mistake = catastrophizing).
  • The media is in the business of selling bad news and fear in order to make money, so it pays not to take them too seriously (mistake = focus on the negative).
  • The best thing to do to prevent the far right gaining power in Europe, Britain and the U.S. is to take action – run for local council, volunteer for a party you believe in, put up posters, deliver flyers, stand on a soapbox! If everyone who cares works to stop it happening, they will probably succeed.

3.Things to read: bibliotherapy is a proven way of reducing anxiety and depression.  Suggested books include a more positive look at history, a memoir by someone who found the positive in even the most negative experiences and a book about how things that look bad at first can turn out to be blessings in disguise.

  • mans search for meaningMan’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl. An inspiring memoir of how one man coped in a concentration camp in World War 2, in solitude, cold and hungry.  He took power over his thoughts and refused to let his circumstances control him.
  • The Rational Optimist by Matt Ridley, about how life has improved and prosperity increased, despite dire predictions about the effects of the industrial revolution, migrations from the country to the city, how the world will run out of food and may other things
  • http://www.rationaloptimist.com/blog/a-global-future-for-britain/ Matt Ridley’s blog post on how the EU was once a good thing to belong to but now is stuck in economic stagnation, and Britain might be better off financially to be an independent trader again, forming its own trade alliances.
  • When One Door Closes, Another Door Opens by Arthur Pine. This is full of stories of arthur pine one door openspeople who have had bad things happen to them, and then found that the setback or disappointment they suffered actually led to a better outcome.  It could give you hope that Brexit could lead to a good outome for Britain, or that your own life could end up getting better.

Emilysusie’s review of a useful happiness book

/ kayemclaren / Leave a comment

Gabrielle Bernstein’s latest book is Miracles Now- 108 Life-Changing Tools for Less Stress, More Flow, and Finding Your True Purpose. Bernstein is a successful motivational speaker and self-help author of May Cause Miracles, Add More ~ing to Your Life, and Spirit Junkie. Gabrielle Bernstein has really been gaining momentum in the past few years. Oprah…

via Miracles Now Book Review: 108 Life-Changing Tools for Less Stress, More Flow — Emily Susie