Self-Management of Depression

From Greeks and Romans to the preamble to the American Declaration of Independence, the pursuit of happiness has been a sine qua non of the good life . One of the biggest puzzles for philosophers throughout history and modern-day psychologists is defining the factors that influence happiness. Research has suggested three such variables (Lyubomirsky et al., 2005; Ryan & Deci, 2001). 1. Happiness set point: Studies have revealed that around 50% of the variation in happiness levels between individuals can be accounted for by genes. This happiness level is assumed to be stable over time, and people tend to return to their set point after exposure to a positive or negative event. However, this doesn’t mean that individuals with a low baseline set point cannot increase happiness. Researchers have found that most individuals return to a positive emotional baseline rather than a neutral one following an emotionally significant event. Moreover, this so-called happiness set point is not sta...