LIFELINE Employee Assistance Program

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Secrets to Finding Happiness

Contrary to the belief that happiness is hard to explain, or that it depends on having great wealth, researchers have identified the core factors in a happy life. The primary components are number of friends, closeness of friends, closeness of family and relationships with coworkers and neighbors. Together, these features explain about 70 percent of personal happiness. "Studies also have shown that one of the best predictors of happiness is whether a person considers his or her life to have a purpose," says David Niven, Ph.D., author of The 100 Simple Secrets of Happy People. "Without a clearly defined purpose that people come up with themselves, they're likely to feel unsatisfied with their lives." After analyzing thousands of studies, Dr. Niven offers the following suggestions for finding happiness.

Steps to Take

• Cultivate friendships. Rekindle past relationships and take advantage of opportunities at work or among your neighbors to expand your friendship base. "People need to feel they're part of something bigger, that they care about others and are cared about by others in return," says Dr. Niven.

• Accentuate the positive. Happy people and unhappy people explain the world differently. When an unhappy person must interpret the world, eight of 10 times he or she will see the negative in an event. When a happy person does so, eight of 10 times he or she will see the positive.

• Don't confuse stuff with success. You're neither a better nor a worse person because of the kind of car you drive, the size of your home or the job you have. In one study, the availability of material resources was nine times less important to happiness than the availability of "personal" resources, such as friends and family.

• Volunteer. Volumes of research show a strong consensus that volunteering contributes to happiness by creating an increased sense of purpose in people's lives. Volunteers, on average, are twice as likely to feel happy with their lives as people who don't volunteer.

• Enjoy what you have. Satisfied people appreciate what they have in life and don't compare themselves to others. Valuing what you have over what you don't or can't have leads to greater happiness.

• Don't face your problems alone. "Problems can appear to be unsolvable," he says. "But we're social creatures who need to discuss our problems with others, whether it be those who care about us most or those who have faced the same ones we have. When we're alone, problems fester. By talking to others, we can gain perspective and find solutions."

Additional Resources about Happiness

If you have questions about your happiness, give LIFELINE a call confidentially 24/7 at 1-800-284-7575. The LIFELINE program has helped hundreds of employees find what’s best for them.

Summary of LIFELINE Employee Assistance Services   

Call LIFELINE 1-800-284-7575 - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for confidential help handling life's stresses. State of Kansas benefits eligible employees and their spouses and dependents can receive the following benefits at no cost: 

Short-term counseling (1-4 face-to-face sessions per issue) with an EAP counselor for a wide variety of concerns.  A few of the most common examples why employees use the LIFELINE program are:

• Day-to-day stresses
• Depression and anxiety
• Life transition concerns
• Problems with co-workers or supervisor
• Stress due to layoffs or furloughs
• Loss of a loved one
• Marital and Family issues
• Drug and Alcohol problems

The following services are also available:

• Elder care consultations with an elder care specialist
• Child care referrals from a child care specialist
• Legal consultation with an attorney
• Financial consultations with a professional
• Extended benefit for employees and immediate family members for 6 months after any layoff action
• Life Coaching Programs(employee only)**

**To sign up for life coaching or get more information, visit:   www.khpa.ks.gov/healthquest/lifeline.htm  

Take advantage of this valuable employee benefit.  For help with the day-to-day stressors of life, simply call LIFELINE at 1-800-284-7575 any time, day or night 7 days a week.  That's all you need to do.  Just pick up the phone.  Your call with be completely confidential.