dhdeckclasssite.pdf

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JENNIFER AAKER MKTG 353 – STANFORD GSB

DESIGNING

HAPPINESS

TOOLKIT





DESIGNING HAPPINESS TOOLKIT

HAPPINESS ISN’T WHAT YOU THINK IT IS

THINK BEYONDMONEYresearch supports the cliché – rich does notmean happy.

Income & well-beingMoney is most efective when it helps us meet ourbasic needs and reduce our anxiety. Beyond this,there is a surprisingly low correlation betweenincome and well-being.

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VERYHAPPY

NOTVERYHAPPY

PRETTYHAPPY

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TRY THISInstead o chasing an idealized orm o“happiness” try ocusing on creating“meaningulness” with un andspontaneity. What might that look like?


CHALLENGEYOURASSUMPTIONSare you sure you know what happy is?

Knowing vs. experiencing happinessWhen people are asked i they know whathappiness is, most people say yes. But whenthey are asked i they experience happinessrequently, the number drops considerably.

Happy people on happinessPeople commonly associate happiness withsmiling, un and excitement, but those who arechronically happy tend to associate happinesswith being ulfilled, balanced, content.

Count your momentsYour happiness is a unction o minor events –the hassles and uplits o everyday lie. Trackingyour moments o joy and rustration can helpyou find what drives your happiness.

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MULTIPLEHAPPINESSEShappy has many meanings.

The lastingness of happiness

Happiness can be divided into shallowmeaning vs. deeper meaning, as well asfleeting vs. long-lasting. Can you diversiyyour happiness portolio?

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LONG-LASTING

FLEETING

DE

E P ME ANI N G

S H A L L O W M

E A

N I N G

Comfort

(Large House)

Self Improvement

(Social Good,

Learning)

Hedonic

Pleasure

(Chocolate)

Virtuous

Pleasure

(Gift, Praise,

Smile)







NEGATIVE

EMOTIONSAREN’T

ALWAYS BADhappy things can come out o unhappy eelings

The happiness rutBeing satisfied all the time can lead you to getstuck in a calcified pattern o behavior andmake you unhappy over time. A small amounto dissatisaction can prevent this stagnationand motivate personal growth.

Planning for the worst“Deensive pessimism” allows you to plan or

the worst then be pleasantly surprised ithings work out, instead o expecting the bestand being disappointed.

AdaptationPeople adapt to adverse situations amazinglywell. Even ater a lie-changing event such as

a car crash, people’s level o happiness returnsto the same baseline surprisingly ast.

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TRY THIS

Find a picture o a memorable amilyevent or vacation. What do youremember about that event? Howmany sad pictures can you find inyour photo album?


REMEMBERTHAT WEFORGETwe oten don’t remember

what makes us happy.

Selective memoriesPeople have diculty processing memorieswith mixed emotions. Experiences are coloredby their most emotionally intense moment, aswell as their final moment. Other memoriesthat don’t fit with these emotions seem to getlost when the event is recalled.

Smile for the cameraPeople disproportionately rememberexperiences that they take pictures o. And weare oten smiling in those pictures, thereby

casting a positive halo on many memories.

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ASK YOURSELFWhere are you spending your time?

Can you spend more time doingactivities you love, or put yoursel incontexts in which you find yoursellearning, inspired, laughing – oreeling connected to others?

MY HAPPINESS IS NOT YOUR HAPPINESS.

IT’S ABOUTTIMEthinking about time osterssocial connection

Time and social connectionWhen people are subconsciously thinking abouttime, they tend to engage in behaviors thatpromote happy social connections. When peopleare ocused on money, they tend to be moreindividualistic and lonely.

Time and moneyPeople who saw a lemonade stand asking them tospend time enjoying their drink reported higherlevels o enjoyment than those who saw a standasking or money, and even donated twice asmuch money to the entrepreneurs.

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ASK YOURSELFHow might you design in a way thatallows people to experience happinessin a way that is meaningul to them?

MY HAPPINESS IS NOT YOUR HAPPINESS

EXPECTCHANGEthe meaning o happiness changes withage and experience.

Happiness over the life courseYounger people tend to associate happinesswith excitement. As we get older, happinessbecomes more about peaceulness.

What make us happy changesThe amount o enjoyment derived rom

various social connections also changes withage. As one gets older, the value o spendingtime with interesting new acquaintancesdecreases, while the value o spending timewith amiliar riends and amily increases.

Mortality and happiness

People who are more aware o their ownmortality – including older people and thosewho have lost someone close to them tocancer – tend to take a longer-term view whenmaking decisions.

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TRY THIS

The next time you eel overwhelmedby work, close your eyes and try tovisualize your breathing. Continuethis or 5 minutes. Does the challengeeel easier to overcome?


LIVE IN THEPRESENT(BUT DON’T FORGET THE FUTURE)how you eel about the uture afects how you eel right now.

Anticipating pleasureYou don’t have to be currently experiencingpleasure or your brain to release the eel-goodneurotransmitter dopamine. The mere act oanticipating pleasure activates the brain’spleasure centers.

Slow down timeFocusing on the present slows down theperceived passage o time. This can give you agreater sense o control and encourage morediscretionary uses o time.

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ASK YOURSELFWhat roles do you play when you’re

surrounded by diferent groups opeople? When and where are youmost efective in these roles? Arethere sweet spots where you can ulfillmultiple roles at the same time?


KNOWYOURSELFunderstanding what makes you happy canhelp maximize your happy moments.

My happinessEveryone has a diferent idea o what happiness is.Like all emotions, it can only be experienced inreal-time, rom an individual point o view.

Domains of selfWe all have distinct domains o sel where we play

diferent roles and interact with diferent types opeople. Our ability to perorm in these rolesdepends on where and when we are in them.

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ASK YOURSELFHow do you eel when you do thingsor other people? Are there ways youmight structure more giving intoyour lie?

IF YOU’RE HAPPY, I’M HAPPY

GIVE HAPPINESSgiving gits to others will make youhappy in return.

Spending on othersOne study gave participants either $5 or $20 and askedthem to spend it on themselves or on other people.

Those who spent any amount o money on othersreported significantly higher levels o happiness aterthe study.

VolunteeringPeople who volunteer regularly or donate to charityreport higher levels o happiness than those who don’t.

Conversely, people with greater well-being spend moretime volunteering and donate more money.

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TRY THISWhat kind o people do you surroundyoursel with? What is one small actyou could take to spread happiness?


START AHAPPINESSEPIDEMIChappiness is contagious

Happiness and othersHappiness spreads through social networks. Thehappiness o a person even three degrees removedrom you has a measurable efect on yours.

The social networkFacebook users who have smiling profile pictures tendto have riends with smiling profile pictures. Twitterusers with positive tweets tend to ollow (and beollowed by) users who also tweet positively.

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TRY THISWho do you spend the most timewith? Who do you eel happiestaround? Are these groups o peoplethe same?


MAKEFRIENDSlie is happier with a buddy.

Time with loved ones

The best predictor o happiness is not how muchmoney you have or what you do or a living. Rather, it’sthe amount o time you spend with your amily andloved ones.

Surround yourself with friendsPeople surrounded by riends are happier and more

productive than those that aren’t. Friends, amily, andsignificant others are associated with the greatest levelso happiness, while bosses and co-workers are otenassociated with the least happiness.

Work with friendsTwo o the biggest predictors o people's generalhappiness are whether they have a best riend at workand whether they like their boss. So why not turn yourcolleagues into riends?

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ASK YOURSELFWhat experiences were the mostvaluable to you today? Yesterday?Last week? Who was with you whenyou had that experience?


FOCUS ONEXPERIENCESexperiences outweigh possessions on thehappiness scale.

Longer-lasting satisfactionSpending money on experiences produces alonger-lasting eeling o satisaction thanspending money on material goods.

Experiences and othersExperiences tend to be more sharable than

material goods (consider eating out or taking atrip vs. buying a new shirt or MP3 player.) Theyalso create stories which can be shared withothers and build social capital.

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ASK YOURSELFWhat kind o happiness would youlike to eel?

HAPPY PLACES AND HAPPY SPACES

CHOOSE YOURHAPPYour personal meaning o happinessimpacts our choices

Two types of happinessThere are two types o happiness. One is associatedwith excitement, and the other is linked topeaceulness.

Choosing happinessYou can choose which type o happiness you want to

eel. Something as small as breathing deeply andocusing on the present can shit the type o happinessyou are eeling toward peaceul happiness.

Happiness and choiceThe type o happiness you choose can impact thechoices you make. Young adults who practiced deep

breathing were able to shit their preerences towardsmore calming products, brands and experiences.

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ASK YOURSELFInstead o trying to become happier,could you design an environment thatmight enable happiness? What wouldthat space look like?


DESIGN HAPPYSPACESour environment strongly influenceshow we eel.

Environments and life satisfactionPeople’s satisaction with lie is stronglyinfluenced by the physical circumstances o theirrespective societies. Members o flourishingsocieties tended to have greater well being thanthose surrounded by strie.

Variety is the spice of lifeNo matter how wonderul one’s surroundings are,periodically switching up your scenery willbrighten your mood. Companies like Google havecreated happy spaces by giving employees thereedom to roam within the oce, and periodicallywork rom other oces.

The architecture of happinessBringing nature into spaces with large windows orindoor plants boosts happiness and productivity.Providing attractive community areas can increasesocialization and oster a sense o community.

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TRY THISThe next time you notice yourseltaking someone or something or

granted, perorm a mental subtractionand imagine your lie without thatperson or thing. This can help youbetter understand the role they play inyour lie.


MANAGEEXPECTATIONSexpectations have large impact on reality.

The happiness gap

Unmet expectations are a major source odisappointment. Shrinking the gap betweenexpectations and reality can lead to morehappy surprises.

Expectation creepPeople tend to adjust to improved conditions quickly,

and what was once seen as a happy bonus soonbecomes taken or granted.

A happy balanceEnvironments where the ratio o positive to negativeinteractions is roughly 5:1 have been shown to promotehuman flourishing.

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ASK YOURSELFHow might you incorporate morereely chosen activities into yourdaily routine?


DO HAPPYTASKSwhat you spend your time doing has a hugeinfluence on your mood

Flow freelyFlow is a state o ull mental immersion and completeinvolvement in an activity. When people are in the flowstate, they experience spontaneous joy and happiness.Look or activities in which you experience flow.

Just (don’t) do it

You don’t have to be the best at everything in order tobe happy. Carving out clear areas o incompetence andocusing on things you are good at will allow you tospend time on activities you enjoy.

Take the helmHaving (or perceiving) control over how your time is

spent has happy efects. Freely chosen activities boosthappiness, and obligatory activities lower it. Havingspare time and perceiving control over how to spendthat time has a strong efect on lie satisaction.

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TRY THISAre you a lucky person? Can you usethese principles to get luckier?


GET GOOD ATBEING LUCKYluck is a learnable skill

Keep your eyes open

Lucky people are more relaxed and open, andbetter able to spot unexpected opportunities.Unlucky people are more tense and anxious, andoten miss these opportunities.

Listening to lucky hunchesLucky people make efective decisions by

listening to their intuition and gut eelings, andtake steps to actively boost their intuitive abilities.

Expect good fortuneLucky people oten believe the uture is going tobe ull o good ortune. These expectations canhelp people persist in the ace o ailure and

positively shape social interactions.

Turn bad luck into goodLucky people employ various psychologicaltechniques to cope with the ill ortune—theyspontaneously imagine how things could havebeen worse, don’t dwell on it, and take control othe situation.

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ASK YOURSELFWhat do you strive or? And can youalign your goals such that pursuingone’s short-term goals advances thepursuit o long-term goals?


ALIGN YOURGOALSpeople are happier when their short-termand long-term goals are aligned

Aligned goalsWhen diferent short-term goals are aligned, theyhelp to make each other happen, and additionallyhelp you achieve higher-level or long-term goals.Foals which are ocused on the attainment opersonal growth or inherently satisying activities,are associated with greater happiness.

Sharpen your skillsBetter goal-setting and planning skills can increaseyour subjective well-being. Checking whether youractions are in-line with your long-term goals canhelp you develop planning skills, and help yoursel-control.

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HAPPINESS CHEAT SHEET

QUICK EASYHACKS

Smilethe simple act o smiling has been shown toimprove mood

Breath deeplydeep breathing, ocused on the present, helpsslow down the perceived passage o time

Subtract somethingimagining lie without someone orsomething helps you appreciate what theyadd to your lie

Have a small snacka small snack can replenish you and boostyour mood

Give small gitsthe act o giving, no matter how small thegit, is linked to increased well-being

Identiy weaknessescarve out clear areas o incompetence;spend time on things you enjoy

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HAPPINESS CHEAT SHEET

LONG HARDSLOGS

Do 3 hours o hard workyou’ll be more likely to get into flow and gettruly important work done. the rest is icing.

Choose on timemake decisions based on where you want tospend time and who you want to spend it with

Work on relationshipshealthy relationships are one o the biggestinfluencers o well-being

Question assumptionsyou’ll never know how you can make adiference i you don’t ask

Create meaningocus on creating meaning rather thanchasing an idealized orm o “happiness”

Make ripplesgetting others involved in causes you believein can create great meaning rom a small act

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