Eight in the morning, and your inbox is becoming full. An email regarding a coworker’s promotion catches your eye. Do you just scroll by or pause to offer appreciation? Then then, you may be in queue at the coffee shop and easily ignore everyone. However, you choose to pay the guy behind you today.
What possible positive effects may a tiny gesture like this have on your mood now, tonight, or this week?
According to a study published on Tuesday by the scientists behind the BIG JOY Project, those who engage in daily “micro-acts” of joy report an approximate weekly boost in emotional well-being of 25%.Emiliana Simon-Thomas, the science director of the Greater Good Science Centre at the University of California, Berkeley and head of the BIG JOY project, says, “We’re incredibly delighted.” “There are quantifiable, statistically significant effects [that include] improved coping mechanisms, less stress, and increased relationship satisfaction.”
The Greater Good Science Centre at UC Berkeley and other research institutions are working together on the BIG JOY Project. Thus far, the investigators have obtained preliminary data from more than 70,000 individuals across more than 200 nations. Understanding effect and the possibility for change in people’s lives is what we’re really focusing on, according to Simon-Thomas. The current data indicates that overall, micro-acts resulted in higher levels of optimism and hope as well as humorous or lighthearted situations.
Originally conceived as a “citizen-science” initiative that remains available to anybody interested in participating, this project began as anything other than a traditional scientific study. This is how it operates. In an online survey, participants provide information on their social preferences, stress levels, and emotions. Then, for seven days in a row, they commit to trying out little happy-making behaviours, or what the researchers have called “micro-acts” of joy.
Previous published research have connected emotional well-being to each of the suggested micro-acts. Making a gratitude list or diary is one example. Another is performing deeds of kindness, such giving a sick neighbour a visit or a friendly gesture for a friend or complete stranger. Some micro-acts are expressing happiness to another person, reflecting on oneself, practising meditation, or positive reframing—finding the good in a difficult circumstance.
People respond to questions about their daily activities and feelings thereafter. They complete an additional survey at the end of the week to see if their feelings and overall wellbeing have changed.
A sense of agency
According to researcher Elissa Epel, a BIG JOY collaborator and psychiatry professor at the University of California, San Francisco, deliberately planning out a daily micro-act may help patients feel as though they have some control over their emotions. According to Epel, “there’s this sensation of agency,” which may account for some of the well-being gains noted in the poll.
The degree to which participants agreed with the following statement, for example, was inquired about: “I have felt able to effect, influence, or play an active role in how pleased I feel generally.” Over the course of the week, there was an approximate 27% rise in the participants’ level of agreement with this statement.
Given that each participant opted to take part in the experiment, it’s probable that they were expecting some sort of advantage. However, it’s unclear if everyone would experience the same benefits—even those who don’t think tiny actions may have a positive impact. The results are preliminary as “we haven’t randomly allocated a group of participants to perform the seven day [programme],” according to Simon-Thomas. Therefore, there is no data from a control group. The scientists intend to conduct a few controlled experiments and then publish the findings.
A tool for spreading well-being
In a time when social issues, political divisions, and international wars could appear intractable, some would wonder if tiny deeds of joy might really make a difference. The Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who both discussed how it’s possible to feel joy even in the middle of suffering and to utilise that feeling to help do good, are credited with providing the solution, according to the study.
The BIG JOY initiative started out as a partnership with documentarians who made the 2021 movie Mission: Joy, which sought to shed light on this message. Epel claims, “They genuinely wanted to disseminate the knowledge that we have more power over our happiness than we realise.”
Epel has devoted decades of her career to researching the physical effects of stress, and she believes that the advantages of small acts of joy have surprised her. “It is evident that these brief practises are having a good impact,” states Epel. She now views the micro-acts as “tools at our fingers” that we may utilise right away to reduce tension, worry, and anxiety.
Naturally, it’s critical to highlight the limitations of micro-acts. They don’t take the role of counselling or prescription drugs for severe mental health conditions like depression. Furthermore, the researchers note that it is inappropriate to believe that someone whose fundamental needs are not supplied will be helped by small acts of kindness. Simon-Thomas states, “It would be disgusting and embarrassing to be like, well, you don’t have enough to eat, why don’t you try Big Joy.”
However, she adds, the idea is that the happiness that results from little deeds could inspire some individuals to participate in the larger good, whether it is in their neighbourhood, place of employment, school, or a group you find inspiring. After reading Big Joy, Simon-Thomas adds, “we hope that people would have the sense that, yeah, my happiness is dependant in part on how kind and committed I am in common humanity.”
Starting a new practice
In an era where random acts of kindness can be dismissed as bumper sticker folly, scientists believe it’s critical to keep establishing the benefits of these actions via thorough study.
Judith Moskowitz, a social scientist at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine who is not involved in the recent Big Joy investigation, adds, “I respect the scepticism.” Thus far, the corpus of research on positive psychology has yielded contradictory findings. Furthermore, according to Moskowitz, the current research offers a chance to comprehend the implications of these little actions on a deeper level.According to Moskowitz’s own study, individuals may learn to cope with difficult circumstances by taking a sequence of little actions that are akin to those in the Big Joy initiative. For example, she discovered that after completing a five-week course, carers for a sick loved one were able to reduce worry.
According to Moskowitz, “so many of the things that are causing us stress and misery are beyond of our control.” She continues, “so these little moments may help you stay involved by giving you something to grasp on to.”
She states, “Decades of studies have demonstrated that there is certainly the potential to have moments of happy feeling as well, even in the middle of highly stressful experiences or disease.”
According to Simon-Thomas, it could make more sense to consider joy as a talent that you can develop by practise rather than as something that just happens to you. Simon-Thomas asserts, “You have to maintain exercising if you want to stay physically healthy,” and she surmises that this also probably applies to wellbeing.
According to Moskowitz, “so many of the things that are causing us stress and misery are beyond of our control.” She continues, “so these little moments may help you stay involved by giving you something to grasp on to.”
She states, “Decades of studies have demonstrated that there is certainly the potential to have moments of happy feeling as well, even in the middle of highly stressful experiences or disease.”
According to Simon-Thomas, it could make more sense to consider joy as a talent that you can develop by practise rather than as something that just happens to you. Simon-Thomas asserts, “You have to maintain exercising if you want to stay physically healthy,” and she surmises that this also probably applies to wellbeing.
Setting intentions is a part of this, according to Simon-Thomas. “You’re considerably more likely to go where you’re going if you have a map,” she claims.
Please share your experiences with us on your micro-acts of joy. We may be reached by email at shots@npr.org.
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