#76: Dr. Milla Titova - New psych research exposes the overlooked pillar of happiness & wellbeing

Growth Island

“Happiness comes from trying to make others feel good rather than yourself.” Do you agree with that statement? 🤯 Whether you agree or not then that is what a new scientific paper says. I know many people would be a little on the fence about it, because not all answers are black and white, and need some more digging and nuances which the full paper also provides. So today’s podcast is about the fundamental question that drives most human quests - What is it that makes people happy? Can happiness be fostered by helping others instead of yourself? I have Dr. Milla Titova as the guest for this podcast, who recently co-authored a research paper titled “Happiness comes from trying to make others feel good, rather than oneself” which was published in the Journal of Positive Psychology. Milla Titova has a Ph.D. in Psychology, is a former assistant prof at Elon University, and is after the summer starting as an Assistant teaching professor at the University of Washington, with a keen interest in positive psychology. Her research interests concentrate on happiness and well-being, specifically, how cultural and personality differences affect people’s well-being levels, as well as the experience of happiness and positive emotions. Lately, she’s been researching the idea of ‘Beneficience’ and how it creates happiness for people. As someone with a deep curiosity for positive psychology, I reached out to her after I read the paper and she agreed to be on the podcast! 😊 It was exciting listening to different scientific approaches to understand happiness, and I am sure this episode has something for everyone to take home. Let’s dive right in👇 Show notes 1:00 Mila's journey in the field of psychology and studying happiness and positive psychological interventions 4:00 Testing the hypothesis: Mila's research experiments for the article. 7:30 Happiness and our social surroundings: Are the two related? 9:00 Deconstructing binaries for the healthier ground in between: Does helping others mean I compromise on my own wellbeing? 12:00 What is it that makes us feel happy by doing good to others? What kind of 'goods' should they be? (is there an instruction list? 🤔) 13:30 What is about 'beneficence' that makes it a fundamental, psychological, human need? 15:00 Insight into recent research in the field of positive psychology 17:00 How to be happier: Milla's psychological recommendations on things to try 18:30 Small habits that can help you feel better: Tips from positive psychology 22:30 Looking after yourself and others: How to find a balance? 25:00 More on Mila's future research into studying happiness 26:00 Routines and habits that help Mila stay happier 30:00 Mila's advice to listeners on how to foster habits of happiness 31:00 Where to find Mila Resources Website: https://sites.google.com/view/millatitova/home Research gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Milla-Titova