Join In
October Happiness Month
Join us for our 10th year of Happiness Month: 31 days celebrating the habits scientifically shown to make us happier. Click here for the calendar and details.
Community Meditation & Book Club
Our mindfulness circle and happiness bookclub will re-start with a new book on September 19th. We will meet the 1st and 3rd Fridays at the Hood River Adult Center from 11 am-noon. We will be reading JoySpan by Dr. Kerry Burnight. The circle is free. No need to RSVP. Click here for more information. Come as you are--even if you haven't read the chapter!
Gorge Art Box
We’re proud to share the Gorge Art Box! This is a kid and adult watercolor activity box featuring seven beautiful watercolor designs for you and your loved ones to paint. Find out more here.Sign Up
Sign up for our mailing list to receive timely emails about Art-A-Day in February and Happiness Month in October. Your email will not be sold or used in any other way. Click here to sign up.
February Art-A-Day
Join us for a fun winter project! Do one creative thing each day in February. It can be small and imperfect - you don't need to be a proper artist. Share on social media tagging @gorgehappiness and #gorgeartaday or not.
Facebook & Instagram
Join the Facebook group for daily doses of happiness through the Gorge and follow us on Instagram @gorgehappiness.
Mindfulness Classes & Workshops
Want to incorporate moments of silence and meditation into your daily life or workplace? Emily Martin, certified mindfulness meditation teacher and forest bathing guide, offers Mind-Body tools for individuals, businesses, and families. Classes, retreats, and workshops can be arranged to help participants manage their mental and emotional lives, to support nervous system regulation, and to learn to pause and respond inside and outside of the work place. Contact emilygoodwinmartin@gmail.com to find out what might work for your needs. View menu of offerings here.
The Daily 3
- Gratitudes: Find time each day to list three things for which you are thankful. This can be written on paper or just in your thoughts. These may be as simple as a yummy lunch, an extra soft pillow or the sunshine today. Or it can be grander. You decide. It’s the act of gratitude that counts.
- Acts of kindness: This can be as easy as smiling at a cashier, saying thank you to a co-worker, or complimenting a stranger. Once during the month, look for a way to volunteering or help the community.
- Moments of Silence: Sit silently for just five minutes per day. This means turning off the TV, computer, radio, and cell phone. As you sit, observe the thoughts in your head, the sounds you hear around you or other sensations that come and go. Keep your eyes closed if you want or just look at one thing about three feet in front of you. Don’t beat yourself up if you mind wanders - just notice it and come back to observing and listening.
Take the Happiness Index Survey
This confidential survey will give you a happiness score and show you how you compare to other people in the world. It also tells you which areas you can boost up. Come back at the end of the month to see if things changed. Create a personal profile to see the two scores together and to contribute to a Gorge-wide score.
Our Sponsors
A huge thank you to our sponsors over the past 10 years for helping to bring health and connection to the Gorge. We have purposely chosen not to actively seek major Sponsorships this year due to the more pressing needs in our community. But we would not have things in place today without their past support.
About the Happiness Month
Happiness is good for your health. A review of hundreds of studies has found compelling evidence that happier people have better overall health and live longer than their less happy peers. Interestingly, 50% of our happiness is genetic, 10% is environmental, but the rest is in our control. Why? Because 40% of our happiness can be helped through habits. So to Gorge Happiness Month was created in 2016 to inspire everyone in the Gorge to do three simple things each day in October that are shown to make us happier: gratitudes, acts of kindness and moments of silence. The idea is to make our community healthier and more connected. Businesses and organizations throughout the Gorge have jumped in to make it great. How can you participate?
Latest news
‘Every, every minute’: lessons from wearing the Happiness Lens
From the Hood River News By Kathy Watson It’s 1963, and I’m in Mrs. Fridley’s first grade class in Salsipuedes Elementary School in Watsonville, Calif. I’ve been handed a thin […]
Luz Elena Valdez Torres: Finding happiness helping others
By Eileen Garvin In recent years, research has shown some curious links between positive emotions and good health. For example, some studies show that happier people have better heart health, […]
Caitlin Alcott
Happiness, though not always easy to come by, enables people to enjoy better overall health and live longer than their less happy peers. To celebrate its 30th anniversary last year, […]
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