Happiness
Emotion regulation
idea
Asking one simple question can entirely change how you feel
Positive and negative emotions respond differently to ‘affect labelling’ – the act of giving a name to your feelings
by Christian Waugh
Neuroscience
idea
The fascinating science of pleasure goes way beyond dopamine
Pleasure and happiness are too important for our mental health to be reduced to the single brain chemical dopamine
by Dean Burnett
Laughter and comedy
guide
How to laugh more
You don’t have to wait to be amused, there are ways to train yourself to enjoy the ‘cheap medicine’ of laughter every day
by Freda Gonot-Schoupinsky
Happiness
film
Martha’s adventures through the washing machine looking-glass
Directed by Hannah Jacobs
Personality
idea
To improve your life, consider changing your personality
New research supports the idea that intentionally developing certain traits is not only possible, but comes with benefits
by Christian Jarrett
Cooperation and collaboration
idea
If smiles are so easy to fake, why do we trust them?
Smiles can be a way to dupe people because they’re easy to fake – but we’ve figured out which smiles can be trusted
by Alexander Danvers
Meaning and the good life
guide
How to be a happy nihilist
Exhausted by the modern pressure to squeeze meaning out of every moment? Here’s a radical way to reset your priorities
by Wendy Syfret
Emotions
film
Chance street encounters cascade into a kaleidoscope of emotions
Directed by Lucette Braune
Happiness
idea
As a psychiatrist, I’ve seen how chasing happiness leads to misery
My clinical work has shown me that happiness is a ghost that’s not worth pursuing – there are far wiser goals in life
by Rafa Euba
Emotions
idea
There’s something in my eye: why we happy-cry and what it does for us
Happy tears are often neglected in emotion research. But there are many types, and they have an important function
by Janis Zickfeld
Happiness
film
There’s transcendence in skating – just ask the man they call ‘Slomo’
Directed by Josh Izenberg