By Susan Sandys  January 12, 2012

Do you feel happy right now?

Do not despair if you do not, as that does not mean you are an unhappy person.
As a matter of fact someone suffering from depression can still technically be happy.
So says Methven Summer School tutor Alison Ogier-Price. The psychologist and Canterbury University researcher is sharing her tips for a joyful life at the one-day course The Science and Art of Happiness today.
Happiness had three main components – genetic, circumstantial and voluntary, Mrs Ogier-Price said.
The first contributed towards happiness by 50 per cent, while the circumstantial portion, which included things such as whether you had won the lottery or become a paraplegic, were just 10 per cent.
The voluntary proportion, however, was a huge 40 per cent.
This was the category people could do something about, thereby increasing their happiness.
Mrs Ogier-Price is herself a sufferer of clinical depression, and while she has to use medication sometimes to get on top of her illness, the tools and tips of positive psychology have also been a huge help.
Unlike many academics in her field, she is getting out and sharing these tools via community workshops and lectures, as she sees how they can literally make the world a happier place.
“That’s why I’m so inspired to do the work, it’s all based on positive psychology.”
Topics in her workshop today will include optimism, gratitude and appreciation, and savouring or mindfulness.
People should not do things mindlessly, but instead pay attention to the good things in their life. They should also compare down, not up.
For instance, in the case of buying a new car or home appliance, they should not compare themselves to someone who has a better model.
They should instead compare themselves to people who are less fortunate and have less material possessions.
People were programmed to pay attention to the bad things in their life, as from an evolutionary perspective this had been key to our survival, so they needed to learn how to pay attention tot he good things.
“That allows you to be more sympathetic with other people, think how something has improved your life in some way.”
People wanting more happiness could fill their lives with the things that made them happy, such as spending time with family and friends.