How Groups Work
Each group is set up by volunteers who want to help people connect, learn and spread happiness locally.
Introduction to groups
Groups offer Action for Happiness supporters the chance to meet up with others near them and practice taking action to support their own and other's happiness.
Each month we explore one of the 10 Keys to Happier Living - evidence-based ways to create a happier and more meaningful life.
Currently these groups mostly run on Zoom, and involve a 90 minutes session.
They give you the chance to check in with others in the group, explore the monthly theme and set personal actions to take forward in your own life.
Groups are a great way to meet like-minded people locally, learn more about how to live a happy and meaningful life and find actions you can take to support yourself and others.
Underpinning the sessions are our ‘Five Golden Rules’ which are designed to ensure participants agree to some ground rules to respect and support each other:
We really listen to each other.
We practice giving each other our full attention and valuing the perspectives, experiences and insights that everyone brings.
We are open about our feelings.
We notice our feelings and practice being open about them, recognising that being a little vulnerable in this way helps us all to connect.
We focus on what is working well.
We practice turning our attention to the positive and valuable, such as the things we feel grateful for and can learn from.
We practice safe boundaries.
We recognise this is not a space with a lot of mental health support. With this in mind, we make wise decisions about how much we open up so we don’t feel too vulnerable or uncomfortable.
We maintain a spirit of kindness.
We find ways to be kind to ourselves and one another throughout the session, and practice this kindness regularly.
Group Structure
Each session follows the same format, which has been designed to be inspiring and interactive, including:
TUNING IN
We use mindfulness, checking-in and gratitude to help us tune in to what matters and to focus on what’s good. Tuning in gives us an opportunity to get to know each other, recognise how we’re feeling in a safe space of mindfulness and gratitude.
CONNECT
We get inspired by hearing a reflection on the theme from the science of happiness, sometimes with a short video too, and speak to one another about our own experiences too. Connecting like this gives us the opportunity to learn about this month’s topic as well as putting our own experience in the context of how others live too.
TAKE ACTION
Inspired by the discussion, everyone commits to an action they’d like to take over the month ahead, which reflects where they are at personally and fits well with their life. Taking action gives us an opportunity to put into practice what we’ve learnt and engage really feel different by doing something different.
Monthly Themes
Happier January (The 10 Keys to Happier Living)
We reflect on all of the 10 Keys to Happier Living. The start of a new year is a great time to reflect on our intentions and choose a focus that will bring happiness to ourselves and others.
Friendly February (Relating - Connect with people)
We can explore the role of relationships in our happiness and wellbeing. One thing that science has shown is that relationships are critical, not just for survival, but for our sense of connectedness, meaning, and wellbeing.
Mindful March (Awareness - Live life mindfully)
All about helping us to live more fully in the present moment - rather than losing ourselves in regrets about the past or worries about the future.
Active April (Exercise - Take care of our body)
There is a wealth of research showing the connection between our body and mind and the better we do at keeping our bodies active and healthy the better we tend to feel.
Meaningful May (Meaning - Be part of something bigger)
Whether it comes from our relationships, purposeful work or our connection to the wider world, meaning is something we can all benefit from understanding and developing.
Joyful June (Emotions - Look for what’s good)
Numerous studies have shown that experiencing positive emotions, even just briefly, can result in greater creativity, attention, connection, trust, resilience and resourcefulness.
Jump-Back July (Resilience - Find ways to bounce back)
Life is rich with ups and downs and we find happiness in how we manage both. When difficulties arise, we can learn to lean on our natural resilience and science shows that there are lots of practical ways we can support ourselves through tough times.
Altruistic August (Giving - Do things for others)
Helping other people is not only good for them and a great thing to do, it also makes us happier and healthier too. Caring for others creates stronger connections between people and helps to build a happier society for everyone.
Self-Care September (Acceptance - Be comfortable with who you are)
Focusing on what we’re not rather than what we’ve got makes it much harder to be happy. Learning to accept ourselves and being kinder to ourselves when things go wrong increases our enjoyment of life, our resilience and our well-being.
Optimistic October (Direction - Have goals to look forward to)
Feeling good about the future can be very supportive to our present happiness. Choosing ambitious but realistic goals gives our lives direction and brings a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction when we achieve them. A sense of direction can help us relax and feel like things are on-track.
New Ways November (Trying Out - Keep learning new things)
Learning new things exposes us to new ideas, helps us stay curious, gives us a sense of accomplishment and helps boost our self-confidence and resilience.
Do-Good December (Giving - Do things for others)
When we're kind, everything goes better. We help others, we help ourselves and we encourage others to be kinder too. During the festive period, we take our attention off buying things, and back onto helping each other.
Download the FREE Action for Happiness app for iOS or Android
Gives you friendly nudges with an action idea each day Sends you inspiring messages to give you a boost Helps you connect & share ideas with like-minded people