Health

“Happier people live longer” is old news for us positive psychology fans. That happier people tend to be healthier is also something we’re now well aware of. While it’s already helpful to identify that happiness can support good health habits, I’d like to provide more explanation on why that is – and how to manage that process intentionally.

Kate Hefferon and Ilona Boniwell have written a book, Positive Psychology: Theory, Research and Applications, with the aim of providing a comprehensive introduction to the field of positive psychology for undergraduate and post-graduate students. It provides lecturers with a clear structure for teaching the subject. It’s both accessible and engaging, so it will also appeal to anyone who wants to know about the latest developments in the field.

A few months ago I wrote about the British government’s intention to measure national well-being. This project came about because of the obvious failing of GDP (gross domestic product) to capture all the nuances of social and economic progress (and lack of it). I promised to update you on this project’s progress, and at the end of July 2011, a series of reports was issued by the Office for National Statistics.