​SCA News and Happiness Update


by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

News about the Community Chest and changes to Sewanee Classifieds topped the agenda at the Sept. 19 Sewanee Civic Association (SCA) dinner meeting followed by some intriguing tips on “growing” happiness from John Coffey.

The 27 applications received by the Sewanee Community Chest were under review, said President Brandon Barry. A budget and award announcements are expected at the November meeting. The Community Chest is devoted to supporting organizations that promote the common good, serving three counties on the South Cumberland Plateau. Community Chest funds meet basic needs in the community: food, books, elder care, children’s programs, recreational spaces, animal care and more. “The Community Chest is what keeps this a great community,” said Vice President Jade Barry. Donations are accepted at SCC, P.O. Box 99, Sewanee, TN 37375.

Participating in the SCA sponsored email forum Sewanee Classifieds costs $10 a year. The service is free to dues paying SCA members. New this year, the Classifieds subscription fee or SCA membership dues must be received by Oct. 1 for an individual to continue using the forum. For those paying after Oct. 1, use privileges will be reinstated when payment is received. To pay dues, subscribe online at www.sewaneecivic.org/classifieds , or mail payment to SCA, P.O. Box 222, Sewanee, TN 37375.

An associate professor of psychology, Coffey linked research on happiness to everyday experience. People often believe things like buying a house or getting a promotion will make them happy, Coffey insisted. Far more conducive to increasing happiness are living close to green space, even a houseplant, and having a strong sense of community and strong relationships. Coffey cautioned, though, that while social media allegedly made people “more connected,” it actually stifled happiness by prompting “social comparison.”

Coffey gave several illustrations highlighting the importance of strong relationships: the effect of losing a good friend is equivalent to wrecking a $200,000 car; having good social relationships is better for your health than quitting smoking 15 cigarettes a day; and people with adequate social relationships have a 50 percent greater chance of survival.

Turning to the effect of money and income on happiness, Coffey said happiness did not increase with higher earnings once basic needs were met, with $75,000 per year household income being the threshold beyond which more money did not equal more happiness. On an international scale, wealth did not correlate with happiness, Coffey noted. The top five countries on the happiness list were social democracies that offered universal health care, welcomed immigrants, and offered far more vacation time than the United States. The United States was 19 on the list. An obsessive work ethic correlated with a shorter life span and worse health, Coffey said, while having good health had the happiness impact of giving someone two million dollars.

Coffey listed several ways money could increase happiness: spending money on experiences like vacations and concerts, rather than material things; using money to buy back time like paying for house cleaning to allow more time for happiness promoting activities; and spending money on others.

Coffey’s five tools for promoting happiness: engage in intentional random acts of kindness; cultivate optimism by writing down the good things that happen and why they’re important; express gratitude and write gratitude letters; build structure into your day with routines and rituals; and savor the past, be mindful of the present, and anticipate the future.

“Planning a vacation and anticipating a vacation is where we see a lot of the happiness,” Coffey pointed out. For the most part growing happiness “doesn’t cost a thing.”

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