Human Development &

UnderstandingProf. Jackie Snell

Happiness vs. Stress Slide 1

Influence on well-being:

physiological

social/cultural

psychological

And their interactions over life stages

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Happiness = state of being at a moment in timeWell being = self evaluation of your life

• important domains: work, health, relationships

• What gives your life meaning/balance?

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Health and Happiness“If you’ve got your health you’ve got

everything.”

How likely to get illSurvival once illLongevity

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If you want to feel happier

Nature vs. nurture

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Recipe for Well-beingHave direction:

important goals & values

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If you want to feel happierEnjoy your work/school

Counseling Services on campus: http://www.sjsu.edu/counseling/ 924-5910

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If you want to feel happierEnjoy your work/school

Relationships

Religion/spirituality or flow

Positive thinking: AIM

Balance

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Happy people on average1. Happy at work are better workers

2. Have more and closer friends

3. Better health, live longer

4. More pro-social in trusting and helping

others

5. More peaceful and cooperative attitudes

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What stresses a zebra?

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Autonomic nervous system

Unconscious (mostly)

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Parasympathetic=

Relaxation response

Sympathetic = Stress

Response“Fight or Flight”

Breathing RateBlood PressureHeart RateMetabolismBlood SugarAdrenalineSensory Awareness

ThoughtCreativityConcentrationImmune systemDigestive System

Short term effects of stress

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Long term effects of stress

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Memory & Decision Making

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Immunity

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Managing Stress

Hold your children early in life

Choose parents who are not poor

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Draining the batteryActivities that use up the body’s reserves

•Daily tasks•Poor lifestyle habits•Mental stress•Bad health•Being overweight•High physical demands (e.g. hot climate, heavy training)

Recharging the batteryActivities that restore the body’s reserves

•Rest & relaxation•Good diet & exercise•Various therapies•Positive & fulfilling work, leisure and relationships

Body’s balanc

e

Recommended readingHappiness StressEd DienerMartin SeligmanSonja LyubomirskyMihaly Csikszentmihalyi

FlowDaniel Todd GilbertDalai Lama “The Art of

Happiness”

Robert Sapolsky“Why Zebras Don’t Get

Ulcers”

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