Balance and perspective can help us hold on during hard times, experts say

McClatchy Newspapers (MCT) - Are you happy? It's not such a silly question. Given the mountains of bad news around us, feeling down seems like a natural reaction, even if our own lives haven't been directly affected.

For some people, the feeling goes beyond glum:

Some providers say they're seeing some increase in the number of people seeking mental health help and expect to see more.

The number of calls to the Psychiatry Clinic at the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita has gone up over the past few months, says Russell Scheffer, who's chairman of the psychiatry department at the school.

Psychologist Courtney Ruthven of Preferred Mental Health Management employee assistance program in Wichita, Kan., said business wasn't up as of the end of the year, but "I think we're going to be getting some" additional.

While we don't want to make light of the state of the economy or of mental illnesses, most of us are less in need of professional help and more in need of reminders that life has some good going on.

So, are you happy?

If you aren't sure, try the Authentic Happiness Inventory Questionnaire, at www.authentichappiness.org.

But can a quiz measure happiness, and can you do anything if you aren't feeling very happy?

Yes, and yes, say two Wichita psychologists.

Nicole Klaus, an assistant professor at the University of Kansas medical school, says lots of research has been done on various ways of measuring happiness. The quiz is part of research by the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania. It's a field that Klaus finds "really, really interesting."

When something bad happens, she says, people typically overestimate how long they're going to feel sad. So "keeping things in perspective can be really useful" in bad times.

Darcy Buehler, of Affiliated Family Counselors, says happiness is "less a matter of getting what you want than wanting what you have. We are all blessed in so many ways ... but we are all focused more on things we don't have."

Our culture, she says, tends to equate happiness with financial success, even though research shows that "once you've met your basic needs, wealth doesn't really predict your lasting happiness."

Both say that maintaining balance in life _ making sure to include activities that bring you pleasure _ is key to not feeling overwhelmed by bad news.

"It's not the events in their life that creates their unhappiness," Buehler says. "It's the way they think about them."

TAKE THE QUIZ

The Authentic Happiness Inventory Questionnaire and other happiness tests are at www.authentichappiness.org.

INCREASING HAPPINESS

Having a glum day? Try one of these ideas from Klaus and Buehler:

Free Christmas & Advent PDFs | Available in English, Spanish and French

1. Exercise. It's a great way to reduce stress, and aerobic exercise increases the release of endorphins.

2. Go to a funny movie.

3. Phone a friend who provides good social support.

4. Do random acts of kindness. People who perform good deeds or are around others who do tend to feel happier.

5. Express gratitude. Write a card or letter to someone who's done something nice.

6. Count your blessings. At the end of the day, write down three things that went well and make note of why they happened.

7. Write about your life goals.

8. Come up with a way to use one of your special talents.

9. Write about traumatic events. It can help you feel healthier and happier.

10. Put a rubber band around your wrist and snap it when you catch yourself in negative self-talk.

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© 2009, The Wichita Eagle (Wichita, Kan.).