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The months of the year each bring their own unique themes. Add to your daily calendar these facts from psychological research and theory that can give you practical help to cope with each month's challenges. You can also read each month's research base in the references listed below.
January- Renewal
January is the month of renewals and with renewals come resolutions. For many people, these resolutions often involve losing weight. Research conducted by Perello and his team reveals that the more stressed people are, the more "comfort" (i.e. high fat and sugar) food they eat. If you keep your stress levels down, you'll be more successful at reaching or maintaining your ideal weight.
February- Love
Of course, February is the month for showing you care about someone-whether it's a lover, a spouse, a relative, or a teacher. February's psychology fact is that, according to Robert Sternberg, the most lasting kind of love is "consummate," a blend of intimacy, passion, and commitment. Put all three ingredients together, and you should have a long and happy love life.
March- Spring is Coming
By March, at least in the colder climates in the Northern Hemisphere, we're all in the mood to "think spring." However, even if winter stretches through to the end of this transitional month, there's no reason to let the weather affect your mood. Klimstra and his colleagues found that weather has virtually no overall effect on mood compared to individual differences in personality. Don't give into the weather and you'll make it through even the snowiest spring.
April- Tax Time
In the U.S., April carries with it what for many is the dread of dealing with the I.R.S. How can you ease the pain, especially if the result is that you won't benefit from a refund? In an eight-country study (not including the U.S. or Canada), Muehlbacher and colleagues found that people were more willing to report their incomes honestly if they felt they had worked hard to earn their paychecks. The researchers concluded that people who worked hard for their money were less willing to risk losing it to the auditor. To ease tax burden pain, then, remember that your taxes reflect your earning success. On the other hand, if you're getting a refund-- enjoy!
May- Mother's Day
Families welcome and cherish motherhood, but becoming a mother can carry with it stress. For many years, researchers tried to explain the dip in marital satisfaction that many new mothers experience. Now, as reported by Dew and Wilcox, new mothers can be happier in their relationships if they can spend more quality time with their partners. Just as important, though, is the mother's perception that her partner is pitching in to help with household tasks. By easing the transition to motherhood, new families can build the solid foundation they'll need to get them through the rest of the child-rearing years, and beyond.
June- The Marriage Month
According to the CDC, which tracks marriage statistics, June is the most popular month for people to tie the knot. Psychology offers many suggestions to help the newly married forge a successful life together. As I mentioned in a previous blog posting, the divorce rate isn't truly as high as most people think when you take into account such factors as age of marriage and -once again- gender role equality. Research by Anderson and colleagues, who followed 700 couples over 17 years found that most remained happy, and even those who suffered problems eventually recovered. The researchers concluded the best days are NOT behind for most married couples after the first few years.
July- Celebrate the Fourth
July begins with in the U.S. with a long weekend devoted to celebrating the nation's independence, for many people, with parades, flag-waving, fireworks, picnics, barbecues, and family get-togethers. The theme of patriotism that pervades these celebrations can boost an individual's sense of national identity. Though boosting our national identity can bolster our overall sense of self, it can have negative consequences. Research conducted by Stavarnides and Georgiou on Greek-Cypriot children found that those with higher national identity were also more likely to have negative biases against people they see as "enemies." We need to be aware of the dangers of patriotism if we want to build tolerance not only in children, but adults.
August- Vacation Time
Throughout the northern hemisphere, August is the month that most people plan their getaways. As I reported in two of my previous postings, whether it's getting away or having a staycation, everyone needs a break. Surprisingly enough, just planning for a vacation can boost your happiness. Nawijn and colleagues found a pre-vacation boost in happiness among Dutch vacationers. They explained this finding in part due to the phenomenon of social comparison. Just feeling that you're going to take a vacation can make you feel happier because you know other people aren't going to have this benefit. The moral of the story is that you should enjoy as much as possible the planning phase of your vacation because it will boost your satisfaction as much as the actual vacation.
September- Back to School and Work
Even if you have a 12-month job, you may experience the "new school year effect" if you have children whose year begins right before or after Labor Day. Even if you don't have children, you may still have patterned into your yearly calendar a sense of a new beginning after your August vacation time is over. However, you need to be on guard against the post-vacation blues. Another group of Dutch researchers, de Bloom and colleagues, found that, unfortunately, the effects of a vacation don't persist beyond a few weeks after people return to work. They suggest that thinking back on a positive vacation experience after you return home can boost your happiness by negating the post-vacation blues.
October- Halloween
As with planning your summer vacation, the fun of preparing for Halloween often exceeds the joys of the actual holiday itself. What fantasy figure will you, or your children, represent? How can you express your real self or perhaps the opposite of your real self in one great disguise? Nelson's research suggests that we tend to limit our choice of costumes to those that express traditional gender roles. Instead of following those restrictions, use the opportunity to break out of your normative shell. As psychoanalyst Carl Jung might say, use the mask to reveal your inner persona. For more hints on using psychology to find the perfect costume, check out this orevious posting.
November- Time to Give Thanks
Thanksgiving's theme of gratitude starts to set in at about the middle of November. Of course, so does holiday shopping! However, focusing on Thanksgiving as a time to give thanks- literally- is an important way to boost your happiness throughout the holiday period. Emmons and his colleagues have established a solid body of evidence showing that the feeling of gratitude is strongly related to feelings of life satisfaction. I've discussed the details of this research in a previous blog posting if you'd like to read more about it. The bottom line is that focusing on what really matters about thanksgiving will pump up your morale throughout the month and beyond.
December- Celebrate the Holidays
Now we arrive at the end of the year, a time punctuated by parties, family gatherings, religious observation, and - of course- holiday shopping. You should be feeling happy and enjoying all of the festivities but perhaps you feel burdened by stress instead. December can be the most challenging month for people's mental health. People who don't have families to celebrate with can feel isolated and alone. Holiday parties can drain your energy levels and cause you to fill up on high-fat and high-sugar foods, not to mention alcohol. Your exercise schedule falls by the wayside. I've published some tips to cope with holiday stress. In addition, Kasser and Sheldon found that focusing on the core issues of family and religious meaning promoted more happiness than focusing on spending money and receiving gifts. Surprisingly, engaging in environmentally conscious practices of consumption also contributed to happiness. So be sure to recycle those boxes, bows, and wrapping paper-and keep your focus on what really matters during the holiday season.
In conclusion, post these happiness tips in your monthly planner and you'll be on your way to a productive, fulfilling, and mood-boosting new year!
Follow me on Twitter @swhitbo for daily updates on psychology, health, and aging and please check out my website, www.searchforfulfillment.com where you can get additional information, self-tests, and links.
Copyright Susan Krauss Whitbourne, Ph.D., 2011
References:
January: Perello, M., Sakata, I., Birnbaum, S., Chuang, J., Osborne-Lawrence, S., Rovinsky, S. A., & ... Zigman, J. M. (2010). Ghrelin increases the rewarding value of high-fat diet in an orexin-dependent manner. Biological Psychiatry, 67(9), 880-886. doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2009.10.030
February: Sternberg, R. J. (2004). A Triangular Theory of Love. In H. T. Reis, C. E. Rusbult, H. T. Reis, C. E. Rusbult (Eds.) , Close relationships: Key readings (pp. 213-227). Philadelphia, PA US: Taylor & Francis.
March: Klimstra, T. A., Frijns, T., Keijsers, L., Denissen, J. A., Raaijmakers, Q. W., van Aken, M. G., & ... Meeus, W. J. (2011). Come rain or come shine: Individual differences in how weather affects mood. Emotion, 11(6), 1495-1499. doi:10.1037/a0024649
April: Muehlbacher, S., Kirchler, E., Hoelzl, E., Ashby, J., Berti, C., Job, J., & ... Waldherr, K. (2008). Hard-earned income and tax compliance: A survey in eight nations. European Psychologist, 13(4), 298-304. doi:10.1027/1016-9040.13.4.298
May: Dew, J., & Wilcox, W. (2011). If momma ain't happy: Explaining declines in marital satisfaction among new mothers. Journal Of Marriage And Family, 73(1), 1-12. doi:10.1111/j.1741-3737.2010.00782.x
June: Anderson, J. R., Van Ryzin, M. J., & Doherty, W. J. (2010). Developmental trajectories of marital happiness in continuously married individuals: A group-based modeling approach. Journal Of Family Psychology, 24(5), 587-596. doi:10.1037/a0020928
July: Stavrinides, P., & Georgiou, S. (2011). National identity and in-group/out-group attitudes with Greek-Cypriot children. European Journal Of Developmental Psychology, 8(1), 87-97. doi:10.1080/17405629.2010.533989
August: Nawijn, J., Marchand, M. A., Veenhoven, R., & Vingerhoets, A. J. (2010). Vacationers happier, but most not happier after a holiday. Applied Research In Quality Of Life, 5(1), 35-47. doi:10.1007/s11482-009-9091-9
September de Bloom, J., Geurts, S. E., Taris, T. W., Sonnentag, S., de Weerth, C., & Kompier, M. J. (2010). Effects of vacation from work on health and well-being: Lots of fun, quickly gone. Work & Stress, 24(2), 196-216. doi:10.1080/02678373.2010.493385
October Nelson, A. (2008). The pink dragon is female: Halloween costumes and gender markers. In J. Z. Spade, C. G. Valentine, J. Z. Spade, C. G. Valentine (Eds.) , The kaleidoscope of gender: Prisms, patterns, and possibilities (2nd ed.) (pp. 222-230). Thousand Oaks, CA US: Pine Forge Press/Sage Publications Co.
November Emmons, R. A., & Mishra, A. (2011). Why gratitude enhances well-being: What we know, what we need to know. In K. M. Sheldon, T. B. Kashdan, M. F. Steger, K. M. Sheldon, T. B. Kashdan, M. F. Steger (Eds.) , Designing positive psychology: Taking stock and moving forward (pp. 248-262). New York, NY US: Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195373585.003.0016
December: Kasser, T., & Sheldon, K. M. (2002). What Makes for a Merry Christmas?. Journal Of Happiness Studies, 3(4), 313-329. doi:10.1023/A:1021516410457
