[2022-10-03] Action for Happiness

Years ago, I started following Action for Happiness, a UK-based movement to create a happier and kinder world. As per the organization's website:

The mission of Action for Happiness is to promote a happier world, through a culture that prioritises happiness and kindness.

We do this by helping people get together regularly (face-to-face where possible) to learn evidence-based skills for happier living, feel a sense of belonging and commit to personal action to create more happiness, both for themselves and others.

We have no religious, political or commercial affiliations and welcome people of all faiths (or none) and all parts of society. Members of the movement make a simple pledge: to try to create more happiness in the world.

I love the mission of trying to create more happiness in the world, and that begins with creating happiness for oneself.

One of Action for Happiness' most popular products is its monthly calendar, with activities for each day of the month to promote happiness. This month is Optimistic October, and the proposed exercise for today is to take a small step towards a goal that really matters to you. My daughter is very good at this exercise, regularly planning excursions for herself.

Another useful resource is Action for Happiness' 10 Keys to Happier Living. Based on research, the 10 keys are:
  1. Giving - Do kind things for others
  2. Relating - Connect with people
  3. Exercising - Take care of your body
  4. Awareness - Live life mindfully
  5. Trying Out - Keep learning new things
  6. Direction - Have goals to look forward to
  7. Resilience - Find ways to bounce back
  8. Emotions - Look for what's good
  9. Acceptance - Be comfortable with who you are
  10. Meaning - Be part of something bigger

While I relate to all 10 actions—and practice each of them to a greater or lesser extent—the two that speak to me most at this moment in my life are Trying Out and Direction. Learning Portuguese has proven to be fun and challenging (in all the best senses of that word). Even more important than learning the language is reminding myself that I can yet learn new things. And having goals to look forward to is a wonderful antidote to fear associated with having a life-threatening illness. In truth, I don't think very often about the possibility of recurrence of my ovarian cancer. And when I do, I remind myself of the words of my surgical oncologist, Dr. Lee, who said that they are increasingly treating ovarian cancer like a chronic disease. Instead, I try to follow the counsel of my oncology nurse, Jacinthe, who advised me to live my life.

Since the years when I first followed Action for Happiness, the organization has created an app, which I downloaded this evening. The timing feels perfect for me to rejoin the Action for Happiness community.