I have a vision for a Global Happiness Calculator.
PROBLEM
The world has focused on
measuring outside circumstances and achieving external goals for lasting
happiness for prominent global measurements for global well being, national
flourishing, and gross national happiness.
Here is a world map of
happiness put out by the United Nations.
SOLUTION
The calculator I envision
is based on the fundamental human experience of internally driven sustainable
happiness.
Everyday people seek
practical ways to boost these numbers yet I have to see a successful global
citizen simple and effective initiative.
With the onset of mobile
technology, I envision each person with a mobile phone can contribute to the
global happiness calculator.
Use their mobile phone to
participate in the increase of these numbers as responsible global citizens.
I envision my 5 steps of
sustainable happiness taught through a mobile application and connected with
these global measurement systems to show an increase in flourishing, well being
and global happiness.
What would be the
difference between my technology and those existing measurements?
The 5 steps of sustainable
happiness are all skills developed from the inside.
The measurements are not
determined by the social welfare of your country or the amount of money you
have in your bank account or even your genetic code.
You can learn how to become
empowered over your well being.
You can learn how to create
a positive mood whenever you want.
You can learn skills to
increase your resiliency.
You can have a clear path
to develop contentment.
You can have quick and easy
access to states of bliss.
This is true flourishing,
healthy well -being and sustainable happiness.
How does this look as a
happiness calculator?
Certain happiness
activities are guided as a morning, daytime and sleep routine.
This is nothing more than
exercises in smiling, laughing, gratitude, kindness and presence, and
positivity.
A self –report grading
system is used for the user to engage in the program and keep an A level effort
in the program. If reports are less than an A, improvements are suggested.
Then we get to see national
averages on how communities are doing in certain positivity enhancing strategies
and target lessons for different locations having different challenges.
More data collected would
be:
Where are you on the
happiness scale? 1-10
10 equals the happiest you
can imagine.
The metric is gathered from
two places: the consciousness of the mind and the consciousness of the heart.
Then there is a determinant
on what needs to be done to improve.
Next measurement is a
positive to negative thought ratio: 70 : 30 ?
This thought ratio will
improve over the course of the program and show national or organizational
averages.
Negative thought patterns
would be illuminated on subject matter so cognitive solutions can be suggested.
Next measurement is a
‘Living in the moment’ percentage.
American national average
is 53% based on recent Harvard Research which showed 47% of the time our mind
is wandering and during the time of mind wandering unhappiness settles in.
Here is an example of
metrics:
Morning Routine Grade : B
Wake up and smile
How many people are
actually waking up and smiling?
Set the intention for today
to be the happiest day of your life.
How many people are setting
the intention to be happy?
Duchenne Smile Push Ups
How many positive memories
are recalled each day?
Laughter practice.
How many people are
laughing in the morning?
Singing
How many people sing in the
morning?
Jumping for joy and
building zest.
How many people are jumping
for joy in the morning?
Gratitude practice
How many people are
incorporating a gratitude practice?
Day time Routine : B
Present moment awareness:
An automated practice is institutionalized and adopted to increase present
moment awareness and the percentage of time living in the moment is tracked.
Positive Thinking Ratio -
80 : 20
Exercise : At least 20 min
a day
5 Acts of kindness : method
for connecting to friends and family and amount of acts of kindness is tracked
and ideas are suggested.
Positive language practice
Eliminating negative
language can change the brain and enhance a positive emotional
experience. This language change is guided and supported through
autocorrect methods.
Sleep Routine : A
Recount the acts of
kindness from the day
Ask yourself what are three
good things that happened today.
Read your positive thoughts
from the day that were part of the positive thinking daily practice.
The aforementioned
measurements are based in step two for positive mood.
The next set of
measurements are based on resiliency – step three.
This is an automated
support system where the user can gain assistance for appropriate positive
psychology tools to enhance resiliency during challenging times.
The calculator would meansure
the amount of time it took to ‘bounce back’ from adversity, tracking progress
in resiliency.
The next level of the
calculator would show progress along the continuum of developing deep inner
contentment – step four.
There would be a clear path
and we can see progress nation wide on where people are getting stuck in their
developmental processes and offer support during those times.
The aspect of the
calculator for step 5 , bliss, would be to guide and enhance a state of bliss
so the calculator would track states of bliss and the frequency there of.
I am offering a vision of a
technology that can track the inner experience of sustainable happiness.
As the world grows in the
eco-cognitive space and seeks to measure grand psychological experiences, it is
crucial we measure the right things based in the inner experience opposed to
the outer experience.
The Global Happiness Calculator
would measure : Empowerment , Positive Mood, Resiliency, Contentment, and Bliss
Instead of outer
circumstances.
There is room for
improvement.
Do you want to contribute
to this conversation?
Dr Aymee Coget
Sustainable Happiness
Doctor
Author of forthcoming book:
Sustainable Happiness in 5 Steps
Sfhappinessdoctor at gmail
dot com
