Australia is happier, thanks to a new documentary and associated website sharing tools such as mindfulness and Positive Psychology exercises.
The three-part documentary, Making Australia Happy, was aired in November. By December, more than 40,000 people had completed measurement questionnaires and exercises on its associated website. At one point the site crashed after more than 200,000 hits.
Within weeks the overall Happy 100 Index score of Australia had risen by more than 5 per cent. Well-being increased significantly too for the eight volunteers on the show – all from Sydney suburb Marrickville, identified as one of the unhappiest areas in Australia by Deakin University’s annual wellbeing index.
The team of experts – team leader and Sydney University coaching psychologist Anthony Grant, a mindfulness coach, and a physiotherapist and mind-body specialist – had eight weeks to change the volunteers’ scores.
The volunteers started with happiness levels way below the national average. By the end they had improved on all physical and psychological measures.
“The amazing thing about this is that the gains they made in terms of increased well-being were still there when I did a follow-up assessment 24 weeks after the final session. This is truly remarkable,” said Dr Grant.
Dr Grant developed the Happy 100 Index, a self-report assessment of wellbeing, comprising a composite of: Depression Anxiety and Stress Scales; Positive and Negative Affect Scales; The Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale; and The Satisfaction With Life Scale.
A score of 50 represented a neutral affect level. On 1 January 2010, the average group score was 48. By 1 September, it was 80. Exercises included acts of kindness and appreciating three good things every day.
Dr Grant is offering two lucky readers a signed copy of his book from the show: Eight Steps to Happiness with Alison Leigh.
First come, first served.
liz@coaching-at-work.com
See also http://making australiahappy.abc.net.au/