life – Page 2 – Damon Ashworth Psychology

Harvard University studied 700 People’s Health and Happiness from their Teen Years Until They Died

Here Are 10 Fascinating Findings from the Study The Harvard Study of Adult Development began in 1938. It is sometimes also called ‘The Grant Study’. This longitudinal prospective study aimed to identify predictors of healthy ageing in real-time. For 79 years, it has examined the lives of 268 physically and mentally healthy Harvard college sophomoresContinue reading “Harvard University studied 700 People’s Health and Happiness from their Teen Years Until They Died”

Three Steps to an Improved Life

It is possible to understand who you are and what you want in only three steps. STEP ONE: Who am I? To know what we want, we first need to figure out who we are (or, more accurately, what we see ourselves to be). STEP TWO: What do I care about? Once we know whoContinue reading “Three Steps to an Improved Life”

The Little Things That We Do Matter Over Time

“Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.” – Lao Tzu I love the above quote by Lao Tzu. It highlights that all of the little choices in life are important, especiallyContinue reading “The Little Things That We Do Matter Over Time”

Isolation and Loneliness: Which One Is More Damaging to Our Long-term Health?

Just the other day, I was having a debate with a client about isolation versus loneliness. He believed that social contact with others was a more significant predictor of well-being, whereas I thought how close we felt was more important for long-term health and happiness. In other words, he thought that the number of interactionsContinue reading “Isolation and Loneliness: Which One Is More Damaging to Our Long-term Health?”

Is Your Screen Time Eating Up Your Free Time?

How Did We Get Here? In the classic Sociology book ‘Bowling Alone’, Robert Putnam argues that social capital (reciprocal connections among people) has been in a steady decline ever since its peak in 1964. By 2000, the average American was 58% less likely to attend a club meeting than an individual only 25 years earlier.Continue reading “Is Your Screen Time Eating Up Your Free Time?”

The World Became Much Less Abundant in 2021

From 2020 to 2021, the global resource abundance plummeted. The drop of 22.6% was double the previous most significant one year drop of 11.3% in 2010. While this highlights the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic globally, look at how our current value is still 448.5% higher than it was in 1980: Yes, it isContinue reading “The World Became Much Less Abundant in 2021”

Why Do We Not Celebrate the Positives?

Recently, an article released in The Age newspaper was titled “Dip in thefts, drugs and family violence but police say drop in crime may not last”. In 2021, the number of recorded offences in Victoria, Australia, dropped by 12.6% over the previous year. As a result, the police recorded 70,000 fewer offences. It was theContinue reading “Why Do We Not Celebrate the Positives?”

Would You Prefer to Enjoy Your Life Now, or Wait Until You Are Retired?

Recently, my girlfriend has been sharing some videos of people who follow the FIRE principle with me. FIRE is an acronym that stands for Financial Independence, Retire Early. Some people describe FIRE as a financial movement involving frugality and extreme savings and investments. To do this, you work hard, save up to 70% of yourContinue reading “Would You Prefer to Enjoy Your Life Now, or Wait Until You Are Retired?”

How Do We Not Build Up More Regrets?

Those who did make a significant change in their lives reported being happier two months later than those who maintained the status quo. Their happiness was even higher six months after their decision.

Is Vanuatu the Happiest Country in the World?

The latest Happy Planet Index puts Vanuatu second in the world in terms of sustainable well-being. To determine a country’s score on the Happy Planet Index, they look at a country’s well-being, multiplied by their life expectancy and then divided by their ecological footprint. The only country with a better Happy Planet Index score isContinue reading “Is Vanuatu the Happiest Country in the World?”